Sport injuries as the main cause of sport career termination among Finnish top-level athletes

Abstract

Injuries are common among athletes, and are sometimes so severe that they affect an athlete's career in sport. As studies on sport career termination are few, we conducted a study to investigate the role of injuries as a reason for ending a sport career. The study group consisted of 574 male and female top-level cross-country skiers, swimmers, long-distance runners and soccer players who responded to a retrospective postal questionnaire in 2006. Twenty-seven athletes (4.9%, 27/548) reported ending their sport career because of injury. A follow-up interview was conducted by telephone in 2007 (n=20 volunteered to be interviewed) to confirm sport career termination and the reasons for this. Fifteen of the interviewed athletes terminated and five continued their sport on the same level as earlier. Female athletes (12/15) terminated their sport career more frequently than male athletes (3/15). Athletes who reported terminating their sport career because of injury were on average two and a half years older (24.1 years vs. 21.6 years, P=0.006) than athletes who continued the sport. All the swimmers (n=5) who were interviewed terminated their career because of a shoulder injury. All the soccer players who ended their career (n=4) were female and had a severe knee injury, such as anterior cruciate ligament injury. Most of the athletes who terminated their sport career (70.4%, 19/27) reported that the injury caused them mild or moderate permanent disability. We found that sports injuries play a significant role in terminating a career in sport, and in some sports events injuries may commonly be the main reason for sport career termination. Injury prevention and adequate treatment and rehabilitation of injuries are thus essential to avoid the long-term consequences of severe sport injuries.     

The yips in sport: A systematic review

ABSTRACT

The yips are a psycho-neuromuscular movement disorder, which affects sports in which fine motor precision skills are required for success. This review aims to examine key components of the yips within sport literature using a systematic approach. Twenty-five published studies were used in the systematic review, the majority of which focused on the yips in golf (n = 18); case studies were the most popular methodological approach (n = 12). Four components of the yips were identified: psychological, physiological, neurological and performance. This review describes evidence associated with each component according to research design, sample characteristics and main findings. Key findings associated with each component are evaluated and gaps within the existent literature are highlighted. It is concluded that future research incorporates a multi-discipline theory-driven approach on a wider range of sports using a more precise definition of yips types in order to enhance our understanding of the predictors and mechanisms of the yips which, in turn, will allow practitioners to develop effective interventions for athletes.     

体育与社会资本研究述评

社会资本是社会经济活动中重要角色和重要变量,也是社会学、经济学和管理学领域研究的重点。受社会学、经济学和管理学社会资本研究的影响,近10年来,体育与社会资本的研究也逐渐为体育学界所关注。从研究的分类来看,国外学者对体育与社会资本的研究归纳起来主要有3个方面:体育组织、团体与社会资本之间的关系研究,体育参与与社会资本生成研究,体育参与对社会资本的负面影响研究;国内学者对体育与社会资本的研究类型有:社会资本在体育领域中的影响研究、体育作为重要变量对社会资本形成的影响研究。从研究的范式来看,体育领域所做的体育与社会资本的研究属于基于观察访谈获得事实性材料的经验性研究。从研究的问题域来看,体育与社会资本在研究上还有不少盲点,有很多值得深入研究的问题。     

A systematic review of social support in youth sport

The purpose of this study was to provide a systematic review of studies concerning social support in youth sport from 1990 to 2013. A total of 73 studies were evaluated and are reported in four sections: sample characteristics; research designs; social support provider type; and key correlates relating to social support. Samples ranged from 1 to 564. Studies examined a wide range of sports, ages (10–22 years) and competition levels. Studies used qualitative (23%), quantitative (75%) and mixed-model (2%) designs. The main conclusion is that recent advances in the conceptualization of social support have generated a more diverse set of methods to examine the quantity and satisfaction of social support in a sports context. Coaches were identified as the most prevalent provider of social support through offering participants unique forms of tangible, informational, emotional and esteem support. Furthermore, coach, parent and peer support plays a significant role in shaping youth sport experiences both from a positive (athlete motivation levels, elite sport participation) and negative (drop-out) perspective. The discussion focuses on the current status of the research area, limitations, suggested practical implications (e.g., providing proactive support) and future research directions (e.g., examining optimal support matching).     

Defining,assessing, and developing creativity in sport: a systematic narrative review

ABSTRACT

Research on creativity in sport is gaining momentum, due to a growing interest from coaches and academics in developing strategies to increase unpredictability in individual and collective behaviour which may allow teams to gain an important advantage over their opponents. The purpose of this paper was to conduct the first systematic narrative review of the literature on sporting creativity, critically synthesising 51 years of published research (1967–2018) and proposing avenues for future research. Six databases were used, and 48 documents met search criteria. The findings are organised in four categories: (a) defining creativity, (b) correlates of creativity, (c) assessing creativity and (d) developing creativity. Creativity definitions and assessments have privileged thought processes over the ability to act. A distinction is warranted between creativity about sport and creativity in sport (in action) and aligned assessment methods. The literature does not support a single strategy for the development of sporting creativity but does support its trainability. Evidence of the effectiveness of programmes for the enhancement of sporting creativity is growing but is still limited. Furthermore, while it is recognised that coaches have a pivotal role in the development of sporting creativity, research involving them is still scarce.     

体育院校学生生涯决策自我效能的跨组分析

目的:考察《大学生生涯决策自我效能问卷》在我国体育院校大学生人群的适用性,比较该人群生涯决策自我效能水平在专业类别和年级上的差异。方法:运用上述工具对1,740名体育院校大学生施测,采用验证性因素分析及Cronbachα系数考察该工具使用的效度和信度,在检验测量恒等性基础上,进一步跨组比较分析专业类别和年级的差异,并对体育院校系毕业生、各年级学生与普通高校学生的生涯决策自我效能进行平均数差异性检验。结果:二阶因素模型的拟合指数良好,各条目的因素负载在0.44～0.69间,均达到显著性水平,各分量Cronbachα系数在0.80～0.85间。各单样本生涯决策自我效能结构形态恒等,跨母群因素恒等模型可以接受。体艺类专业与非体艺类专业大学生在生涯决策自我效能上无显著差异,大四毕业生的水平著低于其他年级学生。体育院校学生的生涯决策自我效能与当前普通高校学生无显著差异,但大四学生的水平显著低于九年前普通高校毕业生水平。结论:这一测量工具适用于测量我国体育院校大学生生涯决策自我效能的水平,专业类别并不影响体育院校系大学生的生涯决策自我效能,这进一步证明生涯决策自我效能是一个与专业类别关联不大的概念结构。与同时期其他普通高校大学生一样,体育院校系毕业生临近就业,生涯自我效能水平明显低于低年级学生,这一现状与过去、国外状况不同。     

Correlates of physical activity in youth: a review of quantitative systematic reviews

To increase young people's physical activity (PA) levels it is important to understand the correlates of PA in children and adolescents. We sought to identify factors associated with children's and adolescents’ PA by reviewing systematic quantitative reviews of non-intervention research. Systematic reviews examining associations between quantitatively measured variables and PA in young people (< 19 years) from 2000–2010 were identified using electronic and manual searches. Nine systematic reviews were identified. Demographic/biological correlates of PA were age and gender. Psychological correlates of PA were positive motivation, positive body image and the existence of barriers to PA. Behavioural correlates of PA were previous PA, sport participation, smoking, and sedentary behaviour. Social/cultural correlates of PA were parental influence and social support, and environmental correlates of PA were access to facilities, distance from home to school, time spent outside, and local crime. The evidence is suggestive of a number of different types of correlates of PA for children and adolescents. Beyond age and gender, though, most are likely to have only small or small-to-moderate effects in isolation and may work best in interaction with other influences. Psychologists must look to social, organisational and community-level correlates in addition to individual correlates.     

Health benefits of hard martial arts in adults: a systematic review

Participation in organized sports is promoted as a means of increasing physical activity levels and reducing chronic disease risk in adults. Hard martial arts practice (i.e. using body contact techniques), has gained in popularity over time. This review explores the evidence for health benefits of “hard” martial arts practice within the adult population. A systematic electronic database search was conducted, and quality assessments applied the Effective Public Health Practice Project tool. Twenty-eight studies met the inclusion criteria, examining balance, cognitive function, muscular skeletal status, psychological, cardiovascular fitness, and metabolic effects. The majority of studies reported positive effects resulting from hard martial arts practice, showing some improvement and maintenance of balance, cognitive function and psychological health. Benefits may be obtained regardless of the age of practice commencement. However, quality of the evidence is affected by methodological weaknesses across the studies. “Hard” martial arts seem to have potential to improve balance and cognitive functions that decline with age, which can lead to poorer health outcomes among the elderly (e.g. cognitive decline, falls and fractures). Benefits should be further investigated with improved intervention studies, representative samples and longer follow-up periods in order to establish associations with morbidity and mortality in the long term.     

Solving sport’s ‘relative age’ problem: a systematic review of proposed solutions

ABSTRACT

Though the existence of Relative Age Effects (RAEs) has been documented through a multitude of studies spanning various sports and levels of play, application of solutions related to RAEs has been limited. In this review, the strengths and weaknesses of various proposed solutions to RAEs in youth sport are considered. Our objective was to identify, collate, and disseminate a comprehensive list of solutions related to the prevalence of RAEs in youth sport. English language, peer-reviewed articles were searched using the SPORTDiscuss database. Keywords ‘relative age’, ‘relative age effect*’, and sport* were used to locate research articles. The inclusion criteria were the following: (1) publication date between January 1980 and December 2018; (2) solutions were suggested related to RAEs. Sixty-three peer-reviewed publications contained proposed solutions to RAEs. Many solutions have been proposed to address RAEs in sport. Most are theoretical and there has been no attempt to implement them. Future research should test possible proposed solutions to RAEs in sport. However, implementing these solutions has the potential to both positively and negatively affect career and life outcomes for those athletes involved. Therefore, it is important to be cautious in how these possible solutions are tested.     

Trends and knowledge base in sport and exercise psychology research: a bibliometric review study

Bibliometric methods were used to examine: (1) research themes in sport and exercise psychology articles published between 2008 and 2011; and (2) the intellectual base of the field of sport and exercise psychology, defined as influential literature being cited in these articles. The dataset consisted of 795 articles from five sport and exercise psychology journals and 345 articles obtained through citation-based extension (n = 1140 articles). A cluster analysis yielded 73 clusters showing themes in sport and exercise psychology research. Principal component analysis was used to identify and analyze relationships between 14 highly cited research areas constituting the intellectual base of sport and exercise psychology. Some main findings were: (1) the identification of many re-emerging themes, (2) research related to motivation seems to be extensive, (3) sport psychology and exercise psychology research share theoretical frameworks to some extent, however (4) differences compared to previous reviews indicate that sport psychology and exercise psychology may be regarded as two distinct research fields, rather than one united field, and (5) isolated research areas were identified indicating potential for research integration. Suggestions for future research are provided. The bibliometric approach presented a broad overview of trends and knowledge base in sport and exercise psychology research.     

Organisational factors and non-accidental violence in sport: A systematic review

The objective of the current systematic review was to investigate the organisational factors that enable and motivate non-accidental violence towards athletes in the sport context. The authors identified and reviewed 43 qualitative studies investigating psychological, physical, and sexual abuse of athletes, and developed a framework of organisational factors (i.e., structural, social, and stress factors) related to non-accidental violence. Athletes were the key informants, yet some studies included athletes’ entourages. The authors independently coded the findings sections of the primary research, using the developed framework. Organisational tolerance for abuse and conformity to dominant values within sports were related to all three types of non-accidental violence. Power imbalance appeared as a relevant factor in both psychological and sexual abuse, while isolation was also relevant in sexual abuse. Believing that non-accidental violence had instrumental effects appeared related to both psychological and physical abuse, whereas a winner-take-all reward system was related to physical abuse. Based on this systematic review, the authors proposed an integrated perspective of the organisational factors driving non-accidental violence in sport and conclude by proposing a whole-of-system approach to the prevention and management of non-accidental violence.     

An in-depth appraisal of career termination experiences in professional cricket

This qualitative study explored the career termination experiences of 9 male, retired professional cricketers between the ages of 28 and 40 (mean value 34, s = 4.65 m). The participants took part in retrospective, semi-structured interviews. Data from the interviews were inductively content analysed within three transition phases of the retirement process: reasons for retirement, factors affecting adaptation and reactions to retirement. The reasons for retirement were multicausal with the majority of the participants highlighting contractual pressures and a lack of communication as important precursors to retirement. Three main themes accounted for the factors affecting adaptation: a limited pursuit of other interests, developmental experiences and coping strategies. In terms of reactions to retirement, all of the participants reflected negatively on the termination of their career, with a sense of loss and resentment characterising the post-retirement period. The findings illustrated the sport-specific nature of career termination in professional cricket and added further support to the emerging consensus that the distinction between voluntary and involuntary retirement is, at best, unclear.     

Moral behaviour in sport: a critical review of the literature

The moral domain comprises behaviours that have consequences for the rights and welfare of others (Turiel, 1983). In this review, research examining such behaviours in the sport context is discussed. Researchers have approached the study of moral behaviour in sport from different theoretical and methodological perspectives. Two approaches that have spawned a considerable number of studies in recent years are Rest's (1984) four-component model of moral action and Bandura's (1991) social cognitive theory of moral thought and action. Research emanating from these approaches is discussed followed by work on good and bad sport behaviours, fair play, and aggression. Within each perspective, the measurement approach to behaviour is described, findings of relevant studies are discussed, and strengths and weaknesses of these studies are identified. The review concludes by identifying emerging trends in the literature and offering directions for future research.     

转型期我国有效体育需求不足问题研究

运用问卷调查及资料分析的方法研究转型期我国有效体育需求发展的水平及社会经济环境。结果表明，转型期虽然我国的有效体育需求水平呈总体上升趋势，但体育消费额占居民收入和消费总支出的比例还很小，整个体育产业对GDP的贡献是很有限的。加快完善社会保障体制的步伐，努力提高低收入者的可支配收入，增强居民的体育消费意识，完善体育市场服务体系，政府运用税收手段调节体育商品供给是提高我国有效体育需求的有效手段。     

Teamwork in sport: a theoretical and integrative review

A commonly held belief in sports is the need for team members to be able to work well together in order for that team to be successful. Despite this assumption, research in the field of sport psychology has yet to formally or sufficiently conceptualize what is meant by teamwork. In this theoretical and integrative review, we draw from the extant organizational psychology and team development literature to present a multidimensional conceptual framework of teamwork in sport. We provide a working definition of teamwork in sport and discuss how teamwork sits within a broader model of team effectiveness. We conclude by providing an overview of salient research avenues on teamwork and team effectiveness in sport, which have potential implications for guiding interventions with sports teams.     

Winter Olympic Games,cities, and tourism: a systematic literature review in this domain

The purpose of this study is to present the current state of scientific knowledge on the Winter Olympic Games (2000 to present-day) and their urban and tourism-related impacts. To achieve this, a scoping review was performed using established methodology. Of the 1694 English and French peer-reviewed sources identified from 14 different databases, 47 met the specific inclusion criteria and were retained for analysis. Findings were divided into three sections according to our objectives: (1) methodological profiles of the selected articles; (2) urban impacts; (3) tourism-related impacts. First, the reviewed sources – mainly qualitative – generally showed that mega-events such as the Winter Olympic Games are a catalyst for the urban renewal of host cities. However, these urban transformations must be part of a global scenario to ensure long-term viability. Although research shows that the Games represent an opportunity for the development of the tourism industry, the scoping review showed mixed results in terms of tourist flows and the enhancement of the city’s image. The concluding remarks identify the limitations of this study and offer opportunities and areas of research regarding the next Winter Games.     

Sports mega-event legacies and adult physical activity: A systematic literature review and research agenda

Sports mega-events, such as the Olympic and Paralympic Games, have the potential to inspire increases in population physical activity, yet investigations concerning such legacy outcomes have been inconclusive. This may be due to research design limitations or inconsistent leveraging of potential hosting benefits by event organizers. This systematic review aims to identify current knowledge about the capacity of sports mega-events to inspire increases in physical activity participation among adult populations and develop a research agenda to guide future legacy evaluations. Peer-reviewed, English-language studies published on or after the year 2000 were considered. Six academic databases and grey literature sources were searched, and articles were assessed for methodological quality. Reporting followed PRISMA conventions for systematic reviews. Nine studies were selected after quality evaluation, including previous reviews, quantitative and qualitative research. Most studies found no evidence for long-term physical activity outcomes associated with hosting sports mega-events, although limitations and gaps were identified. These included lack of longitudinal or cohort studies, limited differentiation of subpopulations, use of non-validated instruments, and lack of triangulation for qualitative findings. Only one cohort study from Japan identified sustainable and significant physical activity increases resulting from a previous sports mega-event. Considering theory, the commonly cited Demonstration Effect was reportedly an unreliable framework, although the Festival Effect and Social Ecological Model appear more promising for anticipating and explaining legacy effects. With less than two years until the Tokyo 2020 Olympiad, it is appropriate to commence high-quality legacy research drawing on lessons learned from previous studies.     

运动员认同的研究进展

查阅运动员认同的国内外相关研究文献,系统综述运动员认同与自我、运动员认同量表的研发、运动员认同与伤病、退役、认同预先终止及其它变量之间的关系等内容。研究发现:国外运动员认同的研究呈现横向、纵深发展趋势,这些研究为运动管理者、教练员等提供了运动员成绩提高、运动员生涯规划等方面的有益参考,而国内有关运动员认同的研究甚少,此领域的研究有待全面开展与深入。     

《体育与健康》教科书研究述评

对我国五个版本的中小学《体育与健康》教科书的编写情况进行研究发现:我国体育与健康教科书存在内容和形式多样化、注重拓展知识面、知识的呈现方式趣味性强、版式设计新颖等共同点。但也存在教科书合订本过于厚重、教科书特色性体现不够、与其他学科的融合不够等问题。