Chance involvement in goal scoring in football – an empirical approach

This study examines the impact of chance in football using the case of goal scoring. For this purpose, chance in goal scoring is defined as goals involving uncontrollable or not planned aspects. “Chance variables” were defined according to the principle of downward estimation, i.e. when one of these variables is involved this is an uncontrollable or not planned aspect of scoring a goal, although chance may also have an impact in instances other than those collected. Six “chance variables” were identified: deflection, rebound, goalkeeper involvement, post/bar hits, long distance shots, and defence involvement. In the 2011/2012 season, the 875 goals in German Bundesliga and the 1056 goals in English Premier League were examined for the presence of these variables. Of the goals examined, 47.0% showed at least one chance variable (deflection: 4.8%; rebound: 9.4%, goalkeeper: 2.5%; post/bar: 5.2%; distance: 13.1%, and defence: 22.5%). The two leagues differed significantly only in the sense of more goalkeeper interventions in the Bundesliga and more distance goals in the Premier League. The rate of chance-goals drops significantly with the number of prior goals in a match (χ²?=?17.59; p?=?0.004). In both leagues, there is no significant correlation between final ranking and the percentage of chance-goals scored or conceded. If one accepts the selected chance variables as indicators of uncontrollable or not planned aspects of scoring, the results of this study can be taken as empirical proof for the existence and widespread prevalence of chance involvement in goal scoring in football with many interesting consequences.     

There Is an “I” in TEAM

Abstract

We investigated narcissism as a moderator of social loafing on a physical performance task. High and low narcissistic individuals twice performed a cycling task in same-sex teams of three: once when identifiability was low; and once when identifiability was high. A significant interaction between narcissism and identifiability was revealed, F(1, 40) = 4.09, p < .05, η² = .09 for performance. Follow-up tests indicated that high narcissists' performance significantly increased with greater identifiability, whereas low narcissists displayed no such performance differences. Results suggested that this effect was due to an increase in narcissists' on-task effort (ratings of perceived exertion and heart rate) when they knew that their performance was to be identified.     

Does skate sharpening affect individual skating performance in an agility course in ice hockey?

When sharpening ice hockey blades a hollow is created at the running surface of the blade. This study aimed to quantify the effect of different blade hollows on (a) blade–ice friction, (b) skating performance in an agility course, and (c) players’ perception of blade sharpness, performance, and comfort. Friction was quantified by measuring the deceleration of a sled running on the blades. Skating performance was tested with 15 volunteers performing a total of 9 trials on 3 different hollow radii. Perception was assessed using a questionnaire. Friction increased with decreasing hollow radius. Skating performance was significantly impeded at a hollow radius of 3.18 mm. Within the range of 9.53–22.23 mm performance differences were subject specific and several subjects showed no differences. Players appeared to be not sensitive enough to identify hollow radii, and only half of the subjects ranked their performance correctly.     

Re-engaging disengaged pupils in physical education: an appreciative inquiry perspective

Many children and young people enjoy physical education (PE), yet many do not, and subsequently become disengaged from PE. Previous research that has explored pupil disengagement from PE has focused on what teachers should do to re-engage their pupils, or has encouraged dis-engaged pupils to create a curriculum that they perceive to be socially and culturally relevant. While this research is extremely important, it does not highlight enough what teachers bring to the teaching and learning process. An alternative approach to understanding (dis)engagement in PE is to start by asking both teachers and pupils: what is currently working, why is it working, and what could be in the future? This ‘appreciative inquiry’ (AI) approach is underpinned by the belief that everyone and everything has strengths that can be developed, and that those strengths should be the starting point for change. Consequently, in establishing the use of AI as an important means of understanding and potentially enhancing PE pedagogy, this research sought to understand the successful teaching strategies developed by PE teachers to re-engage disengaged pupils. Importantly, in recognising the value of understanding pupil experiences we also explored and shared the success stories of the ‘re-engaged’ pupils. Finally, in extending the research in this area, we examined the impact that teacher engagement in the AI process had on their professional learning. As the teachers engaged in the AI process, they discussed, listened to (each other and their pupils), reflected and shared their success stories. This, in turn, appears to have encouraged them to re-articulate and re-enact their practice and learning within the context of a more positive future. They designed (and in some cases, co-design with their pupils) meaningful and empowering PE programmes for their ‘disengaged’ pupils and have subsequently made a commitment to future professional learning and inquiry.     

Do footfall patterns in forefoot runners change over an exhaustive run?

The purpose of this study was to investigate possible footfall pattern changes in habitual forefoot runners over a prolonged, exhaustive run. A prolonged run was performed to exhaustion in 14 habitual forefoot runners. Vertical ground reaction forces (VGRFs) and kinematics were collected at the beginning and end of the run. Ankle plantar flexor torque and triceps surae electromyographic activity were measured during pre- and post-run isometric contractions. By run’s end, there was an increase in VGRF loading rate and impact peak magnitude, greater dorsiflexion at foot contact and greater knee flexion angle throughout stance. Ankle plantar flexor torque decreased significantly from pre- to post-run tests. This was accompanied by a decrease in the integrated electromyographic activity (iEMG) output for the lateral and medial gastrocnemius. There were significant changes in landing mechanics for forefoot runners that indicate a transition towards more midfoot footfall patterns. A contributing factor may be ankle plantar flexor muscle fatigue that, at touchdown, is exposed to exaggerated eccentric loading. These findings suggest that a forefoot running pattern may become difficult to maintain in longer endurance events, and thus runners should pay attention to this in training to improve performance and mitigate potential injury.     

Characteristics of an ‘effective’ tackle outcome in Six Nations rugby

Abstract

Rugby is a full contact sport that frequently comprises of tackle situations between two or more players. At present there is no research available that has quantified the defining elements that lead to ‘effective’ tackle outcomes in matches or whether they factor in the success or failure of teams. The purpose of this study was to understand the actions of the tackler during contact with the ball-carrier and relate them to the ‘effectiveness’ of the tackle outcome, during rugby match play. Matches (n=15) from the 2007 Six Nations Tournament were analysed. ‘Effective’ tackling was assessed with regards to the territorial change of the ball-carrier from the point of contact with the tackler to completion of the tackle, and characterised in terms of the tackler's body position, the angle at which the tackler approached the tackle and the outcome. The ‘less effective’ tackle is 34% more prevalent (P<0.001) than the ‘effective’ tackle during match play. Winning teams were involved in fewer tackle situations and made 3% more ‘effective’ tackles and 4% fewer ‘less effective’ tackles than losing teams. ‘Effective’ tackle outcomes were found to have a greater percentage of the player's torso leaning forward and oblique angle approaches to the ball-carrier. The difference in the frequency of upright and back foot characteristics differentiated winning from losing teams. This was the first study to describe the characteristics of an ‘effective’ tackle outcome and serves as a basis from which further research can be done on the tackle situation.     

What makes an orienteer an expert? A case study of a highly elite orienteer's concerns in the course of competition

This article reports a highly elite orienteer's cognitive activity over the course of two international competitions. We characterize the orienteer's concerns in relation to the problems raised during the competitions. The participant wore a head-mounted video camera throughout the competitions to enable the capture of an events record from the participant's perspective. During a post-performance self-confrontation interview, the participant was played the video and asked to describe his activity in relation to the events observed. The interview data were then used to identify the orienteer's concerns at each instant during the races. These "local" concerns were then compared and subsequently classified to characterize the typical concerns of the participant. Results showed three typical concerns: (a) find the controls faster than the opponents; (b) optimize running pace throughout the race; and (c) reflect on actions undertaken during performance. Results suggest the performer used a range of knowledge-driven strategies that enhanced the efficiency of task performance, and flexibly switched between strategies and decision-options in the face of presented changes in the task status. He also engaged in various reflective processes concurrent with performance that augmented the use of these strategies. In conclusion, this study provides insight into the cognitive processes underlying expert performance in sports characterized by decision-making under complexity, uncertainty, and time pressure.     

What makes an orienteer an expert? A case study of a highly elite orienteer's concerns in the course of competition

Abstract

This article reports a highly elite orienteer's cognitive activity over the course of two international competitions. We characterize the orienteer's concerns in relation to the problems raised during the competitions. The participant wore a head-mounted video camera throughout the competitions to enable the capture of an events record from the participant's perspective. During a post-performance self-confrontation interview, the participant was played the video and asked to describe his activity in relation to the events observed. The interview data were then used to identify the orienteer's concerns at each instant during the races. These “local” concerns were then compared and subsequently classified to characterize the typical concerns of the participant. Results showed three typical concerns: (a) find the controls faster than the opponents; (b) optimize running pace throughout the race; and (c) reflect on actions undertaken during performance. Results suggest the performer used a range of knowledge-driven strategies that enhanced the efficiency of task performance, and flexibly switched between strategies and decision-options in the face of presented changes in the task status. He also engaged in various reflective processes concurrent with performance that augmented the use of these strategies. In conclusion, this study provides insight into the cognitive processes underlying expert performance in sports characterized by decision-making under complexity, uncertainty, and time pressure.     

Metabolic power and energy expenditure in an international men’s hockey tournament

The purpose of this study was to ascertain the typical metabolic power characteristics of elite men’s hockey, and whether changes occur within matches and throughout an international tournament. National team players (n = 16), divided into 3 positional groups (strikers, midfielders, defenders), wore Global Positioning System devices in 6 matches. Energetic (metabolic power, energy expenditure) and displacement (distance, speed, acceleration) variables were determined, and intensity was classified utilising speed, acceleration and metabolic power thresholds. Midfielder’s average metabolic power (11.8 ± 1.0 W · kg^?1) was similar to strikers (11.1 ± 1.3 W · kg^?1) and higher than defenders (10.8 ± 1.2 W · kg^?1, P = 0.001). Strikers (29.71 ± 3.39 kJ · kg^?1) expended less energy than midfielders (32.18 ± 2.67 kJ · kg^?1, P = 0.014) and defenders (33.23 ± 3.96 kJ · kg^?1, P < 0.001). Energetic variables did not change between halves or across matches. Across all positions, over 45% of energy expenditure was at high intensity (>20 W · kg^?1). International hockey matches are intense and highly intermittent; however, intensity is maintained throughout matches and over a tournament. In isolation, displacement measures underestimate the amount of high-intensity activity, whereas the integration of instantaneous speed and acceleration provides a more comprehensive assessment of the demands for variable-speed activity typically occurring in hockey matches.     

Children’s voices in mini soccer: an exploration of critical incidents

Since being adopted by The English Football Association as the preferred format of football to be played by children aged 10 and under, mini soccer has evolved and expanded into a popular activity for children. Yet little is known about the experiences of those participating in the game. In addition, adult-organized activities such as mini soccer are increasingly seen by parents and adults as suitable pursuits for their children to participate in. Yet the perspective of the child participating in mini soccer, as with many other activities, is largely ignored in academic literature. This is especially true in the social sciences, where research has historically been done ‘on’ children, rather than ‘with’ children. In this study, we seek to address this imbalance by including children as active participants in the research process. In doing so, we devised a methodology based on audiovisual methods to create participatory conditions between children and researchers interested in investigating their experiences of mini soccer in England. Children were asked to identify aspects of their experience which they felt were noteworthy to create video recordings of critical incidents that directly involved them participating in mini soccer. These were used as a discussion tool in focus groups to explore how and why children felt the incidents were critical, and how their experience of them shaped their participation. The methodology employed helped capture children’s differentiated views of the same incidents, and highlighted the diversity of their experiences. It is recommended that similar audiovisual methodologies are employed to inform future policy and strategy development in grassroots football that includes children as participants.     

Life after Rugby: Issues of Being an ‘Ex’ in Fiji Rugby

Rugby has given Fiji international recognition and reputation. Not only is rugby a source of national pride but it has also become a valuable export, with an estimated 500 Fijian players currently in foreign leagues in, for instance, New Zealand, Australia, France, England and Japan. The economic and sociocultural gains from rugby migration are often considerable, and consequently, many players in Fiji aspire to secure foreign club contracts as their personal and professional goal. However, little is known about the realities and challenges of the players' lives after their active playing career, the burden of which falls largely upon informal, community-/family-based support networks. Such informal structures are increasingly under strain especially in urban areas and, faced with a lack of formal structural support mechanisms, many retired athletes experience a number of socio-economic and emotional problems. Some negotiate their post-rugby life successfully, while many struggle with becoming and being an ‘ex’. Based on semi-structured interviews, the present paper explores these athletes' experiences of ‘life after rugby’ and illuminates the local and international neoliberal power dynamics that intersects Fiji rugby.     

‘What on Earth are They Doing in a Racing Car?’: Towards an Understanding of Women in Motorsport

Abstract

Motorsport is an under-researched area of socio-historical study. There is particularly limited academic understanding of female involvement in the social world of motorsports. Therefore, this paper focuses on the role of the media in presenting and establishing motorsport for women. In particular, a documentary analysis of articles published by a UK national newspaper group from 1890, and a case study of an all-female UK-based motor-racing championship are used to account for gendered processes that have influenced attitudes and behaviours towards women motor racers. The motor car emerged through technological progress in an overtly masculine-dominated industrial period. Traditional assumptions and biologically deterministic attitudes towards women were used by men to position motoring and motor-racing as a male preserve. Newspaper reporting throughout the 1930s suggests an era of heightened success for women motor racers as a result of gaining access to a key resource in the form of Brooklands motor-racing circuit. Following the Second World War, there was increasing commercialization and professionalization of male-dominated motorsport, as well as renewed marginalization and trivialization of female participants within the newspapers. These processes continue to influence perceptions of women in contemporary motorsport.     

Do previous sports experiences influence the effect of an enrichment programme in basketball skills?

The aim of this study was to examine the effect of an enrichment programme in motor, technical and tactical basketball skills, when accounting for the age of youth sport specialisation. Seventy-six college students (age: M = 20.4, SD = 1.9) were allocated according to three different paths: (i) non-structured (n = 14), (ii) early specialisation (n = 34), and (iii) late specialisation (n = 28), according to information previously provided by the participants about the quantity and type of sporting activities performed throughout their sporting careers. Then, the participants of each path were randomly distributed across control and experimental groups. Variables under study included agility, technical skills circuit, as well as tactical actions performed in a 4-on-4 full-court basketball game. The results indicated improvements in the early and late specialisation paths namely in the experimental training groups. However, the late specialisation path revealed larger benefits, in contrast with the non-structured path, which showed less sensitivity to the enrichment programme, mostly sustained in physical literacy and differential learning. Higher improvements were observed in agility, and also in reducing the number of unsuccessful actions performed during the game. Overall, this study provided evidence of how early sports experiences affect basketball skill acquisition and contribute to adapt to new contexts with motor and technical-tactical challenges. In addition, a path supported by late specialisation might present several advantages in sport performance achievement.     

‘Not Merely an Isolated Game’: Women’s Association Football in Australia

ABSTRACT

Australia has participated in the world-wide growth of women’s football particularly since the 1970s, but long before that the game was played recreationally and competitively by women in Australia. Women have struggled to overcome active opposition to their taking part in the sport and neglect of their achievements which are considerable. This article provides an outline of the history of the game both nationally and in its international context. It also tries to capture the experience of some of the pioneers of the women’s game and its modern practitioners, revealing some of the ways in which overt and covert discrimination still hinders recognition of their achievements.     

Effects of different weight loss intervention programmes in health clubs – an observational multicenter study

This study aimed at comparing the effectiveness of three lifestyle intervention programmes in health clubs “exercise only” (E), “exercise plus nutritional counselling” (E?+?NC), and “exercise plus weight loss program” (E?+?WLP) on weight loss under real-life conditions. An observational multicenter study including 788 overweight/obese new customers of 95 health clubs in Germany was performed. Participants chose E (n?=?512, 38?±?14?year, BMI 30.4?±?4.7?kg/m²), E?+?NC (n?=?179, 42?±?14?year, BMI 31.7?±?4.5?kg/m²), or E?+?WLP (n?=?97, 40?±?11?year, BMI 31.6?±?5.1?kg/m²). Anthropometric data, energy expenditure, and energy intake were assessed at baseline and after 3 months. All groups significantly reduced body weight (E: ?1.5?±?2.9?kg, E?+?NC: ?3.4?±?3.6?kg, E?+?WLP: ?5.5?±?4.3?kg, p?p?p?相似文献   

‘Studentship’ and ‘impression management’ in an advanced soccer coach education award

The purpose of this study was to investigate how coaches perceived and responded to the content knowledge and assessment processes that they were exposed to during an advanced level soccer coaching award programme. In-depth interviews were conducted with six coaches who had successfully completed the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) ‘A’ Licence in the UK. Using the concepts of the ‘dialectic of socialisation’, ‘studentship’ and Goffman's (1959) work on ‘the presentation of the self’ as analytical pegs, the discussion highlights how the coaches were far from ‘empty vessels’ waiting to be filled. Rather, the findings reveal the active role that the respondent coaches played in terms of accepting, rejecting and resisting the knowledge, beliefs and methods espoused by the coach educators. Finally, perceiving of coach learning as a negotiated and contested activity is discussed in terms of its implications for existing and future coach education provision.     

Is an elevated submaximal heart rate associated with psychomotor slowness in young elite soccer players?

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to find early markers for overreaching that are applicable in sport practice. In a group of elite soccer players aged 15–18, the stress–recovery balance and reaction times before and after exercise were assessed. Overreaching was indicated by an elevated submaximal heart rate during a sport-specific field test. Submaximal changes in heart rate were prospectively monitored by means of monthly Interval Shuttle Run Tests during two competitive seasons. Out of 94 players, seven players with an elevated heart rate of at least one month could be included in the study, together with seven controls, matched for age, body composition, training and performance level. The stress–recovery balance was assessed with the Dutch version of the Recovery Stress Questionnaire (RESTQ-Sport). The soccer players with an elevated heart rate reported a disturbed stress–recovery balance (Mann–Whitney test, P<0.05). An ANOVA for repeated measures of reaction times revealed a significant main effect of time (F _1,12=13.87, P<0.01) indicating an improvement of psychomotor speed. No differences between groups were found. We conclude that soccer players with an elevated submaximal heart rate of at least one month share a disturbed stress–recovery balance, but they could not be distinguished from controls based on reaction time after strenuous exercise.     

What was Pierre de Coubertin concerned about in 1889? A View from an Argentine Contemporary Source

For more than a century Baron Pierre de Coubertin was believed to be a self-inspired Olympic forebear. That idea has recently been challenged, most notably by historian David Young. According to Young, de Coubertin took the idea of international Olympic Games in modern times from W. P. Brookes. Young bases his case on new evidence found in the Brookes’s archives. In this article I present another piece of evidence helping to corroborate Brookes’s influence on de Coubertin’s work. Such evidence comes from the personal report of Alejo Peyret, a member of the Argentine delegation to the 1889 Paris Universal Exposition in which de Coubertin hosted the International Congress for the Propagation of Physical Exercise. In his report, Peyret provided a detailed account of all of the activities of the congress and commented on the state of physical education in France. By analyzing Peyret’s report, this article concludes that in mid-1889 de Coubertin was not concerned with reviving the Olympic Games. His focus was on improving France’s poor physical training system. This article also discusses the impact that the Argentine participation in the congress had on its incipient physical education and sporting movements.