Foreign players and competitive balance in Greek basketball and handball championships

One of the key issues of team sport championships is competitive balance. One of the dimensions of competitive balance is concerned with the differences in sporting capabilities of teams within a season. The aim of this study is to evaluate competitive balance in Greek basketball and handball championships in relation to the presence and number of foreign players. The examined periods are from 1965–1966 to 2012–2013 (n = 47) for basketball and from 1983–1984 to 2012–2013 (n = 30) for handball. Foreign players appeared in basketball starting from 1988 while in handball from 1999. For each season and sport, two global and three special indices that capture competitive balance in the multileveled championship structure were calculated. Results showed that the number of foreign players per team is dependent on the country's macroeconomic status and in its turn improves the overall competitiveness, as well as competitiveness at the relegation level. In handball foreign players appeared later and in lesser numbers than in basketball. The increase in competitiveness of the national basketball league as a result of the increase in numbers of foreign players across all teams was followed by an upsurge in the quality, performance and achievements of the top teams participating in the European competitions.     

篮球运动员临场不良情绪产生的原因分析及心理训练

对篮球运动员临场比赛时不良情绪产生的主要原因进行了分析，建议运用多项心理训练手段对运动员进行针对性的训练，以提高篮球运动员的心理素质，克服运动员临场时的不良情绪。     

The role of anthropometric,performance and psychological attributes in predicting selection into an elite development programme in older adolescent rugby league players

This study aimed to identify attributes that discriminate selected from non-selected players and predict selection into a rugby league development programme in older adolescent players. Anthropometric, performance and psychological attributes were measured in under-16 (N = 100) and under-18 (N = 60) rugby league players trialling for selection into a development programme with a professional Australian club. Sprint times (P < 0.001), predicted VO_2max (P = 0.002) and push-ups_1 min (P = 0.004) were superior in selected under-16 players, and sprint times (P ≤ 0.045), push-ups_1 min (P < 0.001) and chin-ups_1 min (P = 0.013) were superior in selected under-18 players. Further, 10-m sprint (β = ?7.706, standard error [SE] = 2.412), VO_2max (β = 0.168, SE = 0.052) and body mass (β = 0.071, SE = 0.023) significantly predicted selection (R² = 0.339) in under-16 players, while push-ups_1 min (β = 0.564, SE = 0.250), 10-m sprint (β = ?68.477, SE = 28.107), body mass (β = 0.360, SE = 0.155) and chronological age (β = ?3.577, SE = 1.720) significantly predicted selection (R² = 0.894) in under-18 players. These findings emphasise the importance of performance attributes in junior rugby league and indicate talent identification test batteries should be age-specific in older adolescent players.