Sport Commitment Among Competitive Female Gymnasts

The purpose of this study was to examine age and competitive level differences in the relationship between determinants and level of sport commitment. Gymnasts (N = 304) comprised three age groups (8–11, 11–14.5, and 14.5–18 years) and two competitive levels (Levels 5–6 and 8–10). Multiple regression analyses revealed: (a) perceived costs and social constraints from parents and best friends were the strongest predictors of commitment for the youngest gymnasts, (b) perceived costs, personal investments, and parent social constraints predicted commitment for 11–14.5-year-old gymnasts, and (c) perceived competence and costs predicted commitment for the oldest gymnasts. Competitive level differences also emerged; for Level 5–6 gymnasts, personal investments, perceived costs, coach social support, and social constraints by coach, best friend, and teammates were predictors of commitment. Personal investments and teammate social constraints were significant predictors for Level 8–10 gymnasts. Developmental factors and additional determinants are important to consider in further studies of the sport commitment model.     

Sport commitment among competitive female gymnasts: a developmental perspective

The purpose of this study was to examine age and competitive level differences in the relationship between determinants and level of sport commitment. Gymnasts (N = 304) comprised three age groups (8-11, 11-14.5, and 14.5-18 years) and two competitive levels (Levels 5-6 and 8-10). Multiple regression analyses revealed: (a) perceived costs and social constraints from parents and best friends were the strongest predictors of commitment for the youngest gymnasts, (b) perceived costs, personal investments, and parent social constraints predicted commitment for 11-14.5-year-old gymnasts, and (c) perceived competence and costs predicted commitment for the oldest gymnasts. Competitive level differences also emerged; for Level 5-6 gymnasts, personal investments, perceived costs, coach social support, and social constraints by coach, best friend, and teammates were predictors of commitment. Personal investments and teammate social constraints were significant predictors for Level 8-10 gymnasts. Developmental factors and additional determinants are important to consider in further studies of the sport commitment model.     

Similarities and differences in constraints and constraint negotiation among Japanese sport tourists: a case of masters games participants*

ABSTRACT

The purposes of this study were to examine (a) similarities and differences in constraints to and constraint negotiation for masters games (MG) participation, and (b) the relationships among constraints, constraint negotiation, and intention to participate in the World Masters Games 2021 Kansai, across international sport tourists, domestic sport tourists, and sport excursionists. An online survey was conducted with 449 Japanese people who participated in MGs within the last three years. Our results indicated that international sport tourists experienced higher levels of psychological, physiological, interpersonal, financial, tourism, commitment, MG-specific constraints than domestic sport tourists and sport excursionists, although physiological constraints did not differ between international and domestic sport tourists. Conversely, international and domestic sport tourists utilized tourism and MG-self-adaptation negotiation strategies more than sport excursionists. Lastly, constraints to and constraint negotiation for the past MG were not related to the intention of participation in the World Masters Games 2021 Kansai across the three groups. These results suggest that this typology of sport tourists – international, domestic, and excursionist – is an effective framework to understand constraints and negotiation as well as other behaviors and experiences of Japanese sport tourists.     

运动承诺研究进展:基于模型建构、测量工具与应用的视角

运动承诺是指个体渴望和决心继续参加体育运动的一种心理状态，对个体的运动行为和心理有重要影响。研究对国内外运动承诺的理论模型和测量工具的发展过程以及应用研究现状进行分析。研究结果表明，经过多年的持续研究，运动承诺模型的科学性和测量工具的信效度在不断改进，研究范围在不断扩大。在运动承诺与运动行为、运动承诺与运动参与者的心理以及运动承诺的影响因素等方面取得了丰富研究成果。但在研究中仍然存在研究工具使用不规范、本土化研究偏少的情况。今后的研究一方面需要进一步加强运动承诺理论模型的研究，另一方面需要编制适用不同类型和水平运动群体的测量工具，提高研究的科学化水平。     

Self-efficacy,perceived training needs and coaching competences: The case of Portuguese handball

Abstract

The aim of this study was to analyse handball coaches’ perceptions of self-efficacy and recognition of training needs related to coaching competences according to their coaching experience, coach certification level and academic education. Two hundred and seven Portuguese handball coaches answered questionnaires that included a scale of self-efficacy and another of recognition of training needs. Data analysis started with an exploratory factorial analysis with Maximum Likelihood Factoring and Oblimin rotation. From the factors obtained, a One-way ANOVA and Tukey's post hoc multiple comparisons were applied. Coaches’ self-efficacy revealed coaching competences related to: annual and multi-annual planning; planning and guiding training and competition; coaching methodology; implementation of sport development projects and coach education and meta-cognitive competences. Coaches’ recognition of training needs revealed four main areas: planning and guiding training and competition; multi-annual planning; management of sports careers and coaching education and leadership. Although an independent relationship between coaches’ perceptions of self-efficacy and training needs was confirmed, they perceived themselves as having competences and highlighted training needs in all areas. Coaches’ perceptions of self-efficacy were influenced by their coach certification level, academic education and coaching experience. The study suggests that sport specificity within the social culture in addition to the precise sporting domain of action influence the perceptions of coaches about their self-efficacy and training needs as related to coaching competences and, therefore, should be considered in the coach education curriculum.     

Sport Participation Motivation in Young Adolescent Girls

Abstract

This study examined the factor structure of the Sport Friendship Quality Scale (SFQS; Weiss & Smith, 1999) and compared two models in which (a) self-worth mediated the relationship between physical self/friendship quality and sport commitment and (b) friendship quality and physical self-perceptions directly predicted self-worth and sport commitment. Female team sport participants (N= 227) between the ages of 11 and 14 years completed measures of sport commitment, enjoyment, athletic competence, physical attractiveness, self-worth, and friendship qualities. A confirmatory factor analysis found an inadequate fit for the SFQS, mainly due to problems with the loyalty and intimacy subscale. Separating the loyalty and intimacy factor into two subscales provided an adequate fit. Examination of the two structural models indicated that both models provided an adequate overall fit but that self-worth only weakly predicted sport commitment, suggesting the mediator model was impractical. Friendship quality had a weak relationship with self-worth and sport commitment. Results are discussed in light of issues in measuring sport friendship quality and future directions in this developing field.     

应用协方差结构方程分析方法验证运动倾向性模型

斯坎伦(Scanlan)等人在过去有关研究的基础上,新提出了一个考察人们持续参加运动动机的理论模型——运动倾向性理论模型。运动倾向性被定义为:渴望和决心继续参加运动的心理状态。该模型认为,运动倾向性是由运动乐趣、参与选择、个人投入、社会约束及参与机会5个因素决定。由于“参与选择”难以测量,因此,在国外实际上只验证了4因素的模型。对北京市252名青少年足球运动员实测,建立了运动倾向性及其影响因素的协方差结构模型,用Lisre 8分析的结果表明:已被多次验证的4因素结构模型有一定的理论意义,但并不完全符合中国青少年足球运动员样本。     

Positive youth development and gender differences in high performance sport

ABSTRACT

We examined positive youth development within a high performance sport environment. Youth football players (N = 455; Males = 315; Females = 140) completed a range of questionnaires including: the Youth Experiences Survey for Sport; Self-Confidence subscale of the Competitive State Anxiety Inventory–2 Revised; Sport Competence Inventory; Prosocial and Antisocial Behaviour in Sport Scale; and the modified Coach-Athlete Relationship questionnaire. The players reported a relatively high level of self-confidence, competence and positive youth experiences. They felt a strong coach-athlete relationship and displayed higher levels of prosocial than antisocial behaviour. Males scored significantly higher than females on self-confidence, perceived self-competence, antisocial behaviour to teammates and opponents, relationship with their coach, and cognitive skills. Findings suggest a relationship between high performance sport environments and positive youth development.     

青少年业余足球运动员运动倾向性5因素结构模型初探

根据Scanlan等人最新提出的运动倾向性理论模型,结合我国实际情况建立了青少年足球运动员运动倾向性5因素结构模型。运动倾向性被定义为:渴望和决心继续参加足球运动的心理状态。所建立的5因素结构模型认为,运动倾向性是由运动乐趣、参与选择、个人投入、社会约束及参与机会5个因素决定。经确定5个决定因素和运动倾向性的操作定义,编制了相应调查问卷,通过对北京市252名青少年足球运动员实测结果,建立运动倾向性及其影响因素的协方差结构模型,用Lisre 18分析的结果表明:该运动倾向性模型比较符合北京青少年足球运动员。其中运动乐趣、个人投入、参与机会和参与选择4因素对运动倾向性有影响;社会约束对运动倾向性影响不大。     

Recruiting and retaining girls in table tennis: Participant and club perspectives

Government and sport stakeholders, in the Australian context, are focused on increasing girls’ participation in sport. Sport organisations, particularly those who receive limited government funding and commercial revenue, experience challenges in recruiting and retaining adolescent girls. In this paper, a case study of table tennis delivery in one Australian state, is presented, with a focus on the issue of girls’ participation. Framed using Green’s (2005) normative theory of sport development, and drawing on physical activity participation literature, micro- and meso-level factors are examined. The focus is placed on girls’ experiences participating in the sport of table tennis and how delivery stakeholders find the process of recruiting and retaining girls in the sport. Interviews and focus groups reveal that a male-dominated culture, resource constraints, and a host of social influences, including peer and parental influences, and the absence of a social norm around girls’ participation, are hampering this sport’s capacity to recruit and retain adolescent females. Organisational commitment at state and national levels are necessary if table tennis is to target the issue of gender balance within its junior participation market.     

基于运动承诺视角的大学生锻炼坚持机制研究

以运动承诺理论为基础，采用访谈和解释结构模型法建立锻炼坚持机制的概念模型。提出个体行为坚持的认知决策理论框架。通过1179名大学生问卷调查的数据和LISREL8．53的结构方程模型法进行检验，结果表明：1）锻炼承诺是锻炼者渴望和决心继续进行身体锻炼的一种心理状态，锻炼动机定向、锻炼效果评价、坚持锻炼可能性预测是形成锻炼承诺的心理决策过程，其中锻炼效果评价的决定作用最大;2）大学生认知到的个体和社会环境等影响因素是作为心理决策的前因变量，通过3个心理决策过程的中介作用，调节对坚持锻炼的承诺程度;3）在影响因素申，个人投入、运动能力、参与机会、社会支持、锻炼条件和锻炼氛围对锻炼坚持行为具有促进和加强的作用，而社会约束、运动风险、制度约束和参与选择表现出较大的负面影响。     

Parameterising expertise in coaching: Past,present and future

Abstract

Research into expertise is increasing across a number of domains pertinent to sport. Whilst this increase is particularly apparent in coaching, a key question is how to identify an expert coach? Accordingly, this paper draws upon existing studies into expert coaches to address this issue; in particular, the criteria used to select expert coaches for research purposes and the methods used in expert coach research. Based on these data, we contend that the elements of expertise are not fully reflected within currently accepted criteria which, in turn, results in expert coaching research not necessarily identifying the appropriate individuals to study. The paper concludes with recommendations for more rigorous criteria for selecting expert coaches and highlights the associated implications for the future training and development of expert coaches.     

商业性健身俱乐部会员锻炼坚持性的影响因素

研究目的是通过分析会员的运动坚持,以减少商业性健身俱乐部会员流失,促进商业性健身俱乐部的良性发展。依据Scanlan提出的运动承诺模型,综述了影响商业性健身俱乐部会员锻炼坚持性的因素。分析认为健身课程服务、健身教练服务、健身俱乐部员工满足感、健身效果、健身项目、健身会费等因素影响会员运动坚持。     

Coaching commitment and turnover: a comparison of current and former coaches

Although coaching continuity is thought to be important in developing and sustaining quality sport programs, coach turnover is not well understood. Consequently, we used a commitment model to address why some coaches maintain their involvement while others discontinue coaching. For this study, 469 USA Swimming age-group coaches completed a mail survey designed to assess commitment model constructs, including coaching satisfaction, benefits, costs, investments, alternative options, social constraints, and commitment. To test the commitment model, we first used structural equation modeling to assess whether the model provided an adequate fit to the data for current and former coaches. Overall, satisfaction and investments were significantly related to commitment. Moreover, the standardized path coefficients between benefits and costs and satisfaction were also significant. Multivariate analysis of variance andfollow-up analyses revealed that current coaches reported higher commitment as well as less attractive alternative options, higher investments, and higher social constraints compared to former coaches. In replication of past research, we compared current andformer coaches on the benefits and costs associated with coaching.     

Cultural and social factors affecting women's physical activity participation in Taiwan

The world is becoming a global village and within many professions, including physical education and sport, individuals have multiple opportunities to work and socialize with people from different ethnic backgrounds, cultures, lifestyles, religions, etc. Due to the increasing cultural diversity, it is important for physical education and sport professionals to understand how cultural and social factors of different ethnic groups and countries may influence a person from participating in physical activity. The aim of this paper was to examine some of the traditional and recent cultural and social factors that have an impact on women's participation in physical activities in Taiwan. Factors such as changes within the family structure, equal education opportunities, and the growing attention from the government toward physical activity for all have motivated and encouraged women in Taiwan to participate in physical activity. The other aim of this paper was to emphasize the importance of Taiwanese women's physical activity participation and to encourage continued involvement in physical activities.     

Political activity in escalation of commitment: Sport facility funding and government decision making in the United States

In the United States, the decision to commit extensive public resources to sport facilities is a contentious topic of debate. Elected officials often commit substantial public resources to sport facility projects amidst contrary empirical evidence and mixed residential approval. This behavior not only implicates the presence of political activity to advance a course of action, but also suggests an escalation of commitment (EoC), the subject of this study. The authors implemented a collective case study approach to examine three municipalities with long-standing histories of subsidizing professional sport facilities. Data collected from influential elected officials and public leaders (N = 13) as well as documents and records revealed (a) political action to be essential in EoC with decisions involving multiple stakeholder groups; (b) the influence and interaction of political action within each EoC determinant; (c) the substantial role of support, resources, power, and influence in efforts to increase and prevent commitment to a failing course of action; and (d) noticeable spillover effects from use of political activity in EoC.     

The relationship between sport commitment and physical self-concept: Evidence for the self-enhancement hypothesis among adolescent females

ABSTRACT

Perceptions of physical self-concept are critical to physical activity participation. In line with the reciprocal effects model of causal ordering (REM), higher perceptions of physical self-concept can function as a facilitator to physical activity, and can arise as a result of engaging in physical activity. While this relationship has been predominantly tested in physical activity contexts, directional tests between physical self-concept and sport specific outcomes are limited. The current study aimed to evaluate the generalizability of the REM to sport commitment and physical self-concept in youth athletes. Over 24 months, adolescent females (N = 215) completed self-report questionnaires at Time 1 (T1) and two years later (Time 2; T2). Using structural equation modeling, the reciprocal effects model demonstrated that the path leading from T1 physical self-concept to T2 sport commitment was significant (p = .02), whereas the path leading from T1 sport commitment to T2 physical self-concept was not significant (p = .23). The results suggest a unidirectional relationship and may underscore the importance of focusing on the physical self-concept in the development of strategies geared towards improving adolescent female’s sport participation.     

A cross-level moderating effect of team trust on the relationship between transformational leadership and cohesion

ABSTRACT

We draw on the concept of the shared mental model to explain the cross-level direct and moderating effects of team trust on the relationship between coach transformational leadership and cohesion. Using hierarchical linear modelling, we analysed 597 national level high school and university volleyball players to test our research model. Our results revealed that, (a) at the individual level, coach transformational leadership has a positive effect on athletes’ perceptions on cohesion and (b) team trust, a group-level construct, is positively related to social cohesion and moderates the coach transformational leadership-cohesion relationship. The moderating effect demonstrates that the positive effect of coach transformational leadership on cohesion could be enhanced when high levels of team trust are shared within the group. Implications for coach education and sport psychology in terms of theory and research are discussed.     

Analyzing the impact of sport infrastructure on sport participation using geo-coded data: Evidence from multi-level models

Sport policies aiming at increasing mass participation and club participation have stressed the importance of sport infrastructure. Previous research has mainly analyzed the influence of individual factors (age, income, etc.) on sport participation. Although a few studies have dealt with the impact of sport facilities on sport participation, some methodological shortcomings can be observed regarding the integration of sport infrastructure into the research design. Oftentimes, subjective measures of infrastructure are employed, leading to biased results, for example inactive people have a worse perception of the actual supply of facilities. In fact it is important to measure the available sport infrastructure objectively using a quantitative approach and integrate it into statistical models. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to analyze the impact of individual and infrastructure variables on sport participation in general and in sport clubs using geo-coded data following a multi-level design. For this purpose, both primary data (individual level) and secondary data (infrastructure level) were collected in the city of Munich, Germany. A telephone survey of the resident population was carried out (n = 11,175) and secondary data on the available sport infrastructure in Munich were collected. Both datasets were geo-coded using Gauss–Krueger coordinates and integrated into multi-level analyses. The multi-level models show that swimming pools are of particular importance for sport participation in general and sport fields for participation in sport clubs. Challenges and implications for a more holistic modeling of sport participation including infrastructure variables are discussed.     

Challenges for sport development: Women's entry level cycling participation

Sport participation is an issue of relevance to sport managers, yet it is an often-neglected area of sport management research. Cycling is a particularly complex form of participation to examine given its many formats, including sport, recreational and commuter cycling, and the multifaceted nature of the cycling landscape involving a broad range of stakeholders. In Australia, women are underrepresented in cycling participation and membership (ABS, 2012, CA, 2014), yet women show an interest in cycling training courses. The present paper explores motivations, supports and constraints reported by a group of entry-level female cyclists who participated in a training programme accredited by AustCycle, an initiative led by Cycling Australia. We draw on a health and sport development driven framework, informed by social ecological theory (Rowe et al., 2013), and suited to examining the issue of women's cycling participation in Australia. Results show that a range of individual characteristics, and factors within the social and physical environment, were perceived by study participants as barriers to participation. Of these, skill level, confidence, traffic/road conditions, and social support networks held particular relevance. Participants also discussed specific cycling barriers and supports of relevance to certain forms of cycling. Preliminary insights into perceptions held by a group of entry-level female cyclists highlight overlaps between cycling formats and indicate that conceptual advancements in the development of sport, and development through sport could be collectively considered in the context of women's cycling participation. Further research opportunities were also identified.