Lower Quarter Y-Balance Test Anterior Reach Asymmetry and Noncontact Lower Limb Injury in Subelite Young Male Soccer Players With Different Training Experiences

Poor single-leg balance performance is associated with an increased risk of sustaining lower limb injuries in team sports. However, it is unclear whether this relationship is modified by the level of training experience (years of training experience). The objective of the present study was to evaluate whether soccer players' single-leg balance performance is related to lower limb injuries in noncontact situations with different levels of training experience. Subelite young male soccer players performed the Lower Quarter Y-Balance Test with the dominant and the nondominant leg at the beginning of the preseason. Due to COVID-19 rules, the occurrence of lower limb injuries during the second half of the competitive season was documented. The odds of injury were calculated based on a previously reported Lower Quarter Y-Balance Test cut-off score for side-to-side anterior reach difference (≥4 cm). Twelve soccer players sustained a lower leg injury in noncontact situations. Only four of them had an anterior reach difference equal to or above the cut-off score. Soccer training experience has no significant influence on the association between Lower Quarter Y-Balance Test anterior reach asymmetry and noncontact lower limb injury in young male players. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Journal of Motor Learning & Development is the property of Human Kinetics Publishers, Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

The impact of COVID-19 lockdown on soccer positional and physical demands in the Spanish La Liga.

The present study aimed to analyse the playing surface area, dispersion and distance covered of professional football teams comparing the pre-lockdown and post-lockdown periods. Positional and match physical demands data were collected from all matches played in the First Spanish Division (n = 760) during season 2019/2020. Pre-lockdown (1st-27th matchday) and post-lockdown periods (28th-38th matchday) were compared. Variables related to team-level spatial (i.e., convex hull, team width and team length) and physical performance (i.e., total distance and high-speed running distance) were analysed using an optical tracking system (i.e., ChyronHego). In addition, these variables were concerned with respect to the match location contextual variable. Linear mixed models were used to examine the difference between the pre-lockdown and post-lockdown periods following a hierarchical structure considering players, matches and teams. The results revealed that the pandemic lockdown affected the teams' performance when comparing the periods before and after lockdown, showing a general decrease in the average values of the spatial and physical variables measured. The current data could assist practitioners in making informed decisions in order to design and improve training plans for similar situations in which teams return to competition after an unusual period with no training.

The effect of the perceived social support on mental health of Chinese college soccer players during the COVID-19 lockdown: The chain mediating role of athlete burnout and hopelessness.

The isolation and blockade during the COVID-19 pandemic have a great impact on the mental health of Chinese college soccer players. This study aimed to explore the effect of perceived social support on mental health of college soccer players, as well as the mediating role of athlete burnout and hopelessness during the COVID-19 lockdown. Based on a sample of 674 college soccer players from several universities in China, the study used the Perceived Social Support Scale (PSSS), Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10), Athlete Burnout Questionnaire (ABQ) and Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS). The results indicated that: (1) there was a significant positive correlation between perceived social support and mental health of college soccer players; (2) the athlete burnout played a mediating role between perceived social support and mental health of college soccer players; (3) the hopelessness also played a mediating role between perceived social support and mental health of college soccer players; (4) the athlete burnout and hopelessness played a chain mediating role between perceived social support and mental health. These findings could contribute to insight into the mechanisms by which perceived social support affects the mental health of college soccer players and provide important practical guidance for protecting and promoting their mental health.

COVID-19 as a Potential Cause of Muscle Injuries in Professional Italian Serie A Soccer Players: A Retrospective Observational Study.

The COVID-19 pandemic has shocked the entire planet. The soccer world has also suffered major upheavals, and many professional soccer players have been infected with the virus. The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence of injuries in Italian Serie A professional soccer players before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: We evaluated the incidence of muscle injuries between four competitive seasons of the Italian Serie A (2016-2017, 2017-2018, and 2018-2019 pre-COVID-19 vs. 2020/2021 post-COVID-19) in professional soccer players. Results: Significant differences were found in muscular injuries between the post-COVID-19 season and the previous seasons (p < 0.001). The median split of the players' positivity duration was of 15 days. The players' long positivity (PLP) group showed a significant number of muscular injuries compared to the players' short positivity (PSP) group (p < 0.0014, ES = 0.81, Large). The total teams' days of positivity were significantly related to the total team number of muscular injuries (r = 0.86; CI 95% 0.66 to 0.94; p < 0.0001). In conclusion, this data showed that the competitive season post-COVID-19 lockdown has a higher incidence of muscle injuries in Italian Serie A soccer players compared to the pre-pandemic competitive season.

Effects on the wellness state in period of confinement due to COVID-19 in professional soccer players

This study aimed to find changes in the wellness state, during the confinement period due to COVID-19, in professional soccer players from the first division B of Chile. The studied sample consisted of 28 professional male soccer players aged 26 +/- 6.3 years, body mass 74.2 +/- 5.5 kg, and height 177 +/- 0.05 cm. The degree of well-being was evaluated through a questionnaire (McLean et al., 2010) during the 2020 competitive and confinement periods. Statistically, significant differences (p <0.05) between the competitive period and the confinement period are shown in FT (t = 2.5;p = 0.0), SO (t = 2.71;p = 0.01), ES (t = 5.07;p = 0.0), EA (t = 1.82;p = 0.08), and T (t = 4.87;p = 0.0). Small TE were reflected in the variables EA and DM (d = 0.7;d = 0.4 respectively), moderate in FAT and SO (d = 1.0;d = 1.2 respectively), and very large in ES and T (d = 2.1;d = 2.0 respectively). The CP and CV between periods for the well-being variables were the following: for FAT, 11% and 11.6%, for DM, 5.3% and 13.1%;for SO, 9.3%;7.5%, ES 11.6% and 5.9, for EA 3.9%;5.2%, and finally for T 8.1% and 4.0% respectively. It is possible to conclude that the state of well-being in professional soccer players is altered in the period of confinement with respect to that of competition, finding significant changes in the variables FT, SO, ES, and T, which coincided with the changes from moderate to very large of these same variables, as well as the PC were larger than the CV between periods. Therefore, we could consider these changes as real, and they could be an effect attributable to the mandatory isolation.