Perceived competence in ice hockey and its associations with relative age, early sport specialization, and players' position.

Introduction: Ice hockey is a sport that has gained much attention in recent times, particularly concerning the development of young players. In the domain of youth sport development, one significant factor that must be considered is the perceived competence of players. This variable is closely linked to positive psychological outcomes and sustained practice. However, there is a lack of understanding about how other important developmental factors such as age, early sport specialization, players' position and relative age affect players' perceived competence. Therefore, the objective of this study is to explore the relationships between these developmental factors, perceived ice hockey competence and a global measure of perceived sport competence. Methods: Data was drawn from 971 players (14.78 ± 1.61 mean age), who completed on-line questionnaires, from which we conducted path analyses involving all variables. Results: Younger players tend to display higher perceived competence scores than older players. Additionally, players who opted to specialize earlier also reported higher perceived competence. Furthermore, forwards and defensemen had differing perceptions of their competence, which was in line with their respective roles on the ice. The study also showed relative age effects, in which players who were born earlier relative to the selection period tend to perceive themselves more advantageously in three components of perceived competence. Discussion: Based on these findings, several recommendations are proposed for coaches and decision-makers to encourage the positive development of ice hockey players. The study highlights that ice hockey-specific competencies are influenced by various factors, such as early sport specialization, relative age effect, player age, and position.

Talent Identification in Elite Adolescent Ice Hockey Players: The Discriminant Capacity of Fitness Tests, Skating Performance and Psychological Characteristics.

BACKGROUND: The process of talent identification in ice hockey occurs during middle adolescence when players are selected to participate in "off-season" evaluation camps, where coaches observe their fitness levels and status of development. Recently, the Quebec ice hockey federation opted for a holistic approach by evaluating players based on three criteria: (1) fitness, (2) skating abilities and (3) personality traits and psychological assets. This study aimed to analyze the discriminant validity of a multi-dimensional talent identification testing protocol in competitive ice hockey. METHOD: Data were collected from 160 adolescent hockey players who took part in Team Quebec summer evaluation camps. Off-ice fitness, skating abilities and psychological variables were measured on two consecutive days. Descriptive statistics, group comparisons (gender, positions) and discriminant analyses (selected versus non-selected) were performed. RESULTS: No differences were observed among males in which selected players were similar to non-selected. Results from discriminant analyses also showed no discriminant function for male players. For females, selected players displayed higher fitness, on-ice agility and psychological characteristics. Nine performance markers were significantly discriminant. CONCLUSIONS: A holistic evaluation protocol allows for the discrimination of selected and non-selected players in elite ice hockey. Developing more discriminant tests is a promising avenue of research in male ice hockey. Knowing the factors that are associated with team selection in competitive ice hockey allow to focus on the specific attributes to work with young promising players.

Early Sport Specialization and Relative Age Effect: Prevalence and Influence on Perceived Competence in Ice Hockey Players.

The relative age effect (RAE) and early sport specialization (ESS) have been of growing interest in the sports world, especially in ice hockey, because of their potential adverse effects. However, little is known about their distribution within each level of play in Canadian minor ice hockey, or whether they influence young people's perceived competence, a variable of interest in long-term sports development. A sample of elite adolescent players (N = 204) and a sample of recreational and competitive players (N = 404) were used to measure these constructs, and chi-square tabulations were conducted to compare their distribution. Our results reveal that RAE (χ2 = 20.03, p < 0.01, Cramer's V = 0.13) and ESS (χ2 = 66.14, p < 0.001, Cramer's V = 0.24) are present, but there are apparently no gender differences in their distributions. Neither the level of RAE nor ESS seems to affect the perceived competence of the players, regardless of gender. The results of this study highlight the presence of RAE and ESS in Canadian minor ice hockey, especially at the elite level, but indicate that they do not affect the self-perception of ice hockey players. Additional research on these concepts is needed to obtain a complete picture of their potential impact on sports development.

Associations between Testing and Game Performance in Ice Hockey: A Scoping Review.

BACKGROUND: Despite the exhaustive body of literature on the demands of ice hockey, less is known about the relationships between functional performance testing protocols (on ice and off ice) and performance in a game situation. The objective of this review is to provide an overview of these associations. METHODS: This review aims to identify on- and off-ice testing currently used in the scientific literature and their possible transfer to game performance as well as identifying research gaps in this field. RESULTS: The 17 selected studies showed that off-ice and on-ice fitness test results can be modestly transferred to the player's selection as well as global and advanced performance indicators. CONCLUSION: This review of the literature reinforces the importance of strength and conditioning coaches administering previously validated fitness tests. Regarding the academic research, it is also proposed to use performance markers that are directly related to the players' on-ice performance to represent more accurately the relationship between the players' fitness level and their work output. Three research gaps were also identified in relation to targeted populations, choice of performance markers and data measurement methods.

Relative Age Effect in Canadian Hockey: Prevalence, Perceived Competence and Performance.

The term "relative age effect" (RAE) is used to describe a bias in which participation in sports (and other fields) is higher among people who were born at the beginning of the relevant selection period than would be expected from the distribution of births. In sports, RAEs may affect the psychological experience of players as well as their performance. This article presents 2 studies. Study 1 aims to verify the prevalence of RAEs in minor hockey and test its associations with players' physical self-concept and attitudes toward physical activities in general. Study 2 verifies the prevalence of the RAE and analyzes the performance of Canadian junior elite players as a function of their birth quartile. In study 1, the sample is drawn from 404 minor hockey players who have evolved from a recreational to an elite level. Physical self-concept and attitudes toward different kinds of physical activities were assessed via questionnaires. Results showed that the RAE is prevalent in minor hockey at all competition levels. Minor differences in favor of Q1-born players were observed regarding physical self-concept, but not attitudes. In study 2, data analyses were conducted from the 2018-2019 Canadian Hockey League database. Birth quartiles were compared on different components of performance by using quantile regression on each variable. Results revealed that RAEs are prevalent in the CHL, with Q1 players tending to outperform Q4 players in games played and power-play points. No other significant differences were observed regarding anthropometric measures and other performance outcomes. RAEs are still prevalent in Canadian hockey. Building up perceived competence and providing game-time exposure are examples of aspects that need to be addressed when trying to minimize RAEs in ice hockey.

Video games and their associations with physical health: a scoping review.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this scoping review is to investigate the possible links between the practice of video games and physical health. It seeks to answer the following question: What are the physical health consequences of playing video games in healthy video game player? and How is it currently investigated?. METHODS: A scoping review was conducted to identify observational and experimental studies pertaining to our research question. Retrieved papers were screened using a two-phase method first involving a selection based on titles and abstracts. Then, potentially relevant studies were read and triaged. The final set of included studies was analysed, and data were subsequently extracted. Observational studies and experimental studies were assessed using the appropriate Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool and data were synthetised according to specific physical health and related health behaviours. RESULTS: Twelve peer-reviewed articles were retained for further analyses. Results of this scoping review suggest preliminary evidence that time spent gaming is associated with some health outcomes indicators. Our results indicate preliminary evidence that increased gaming time is associated with higher body mass index and lower self-reported general health status. There is insufficient evidence to conclude on a possible association between gaming time and physical activity or sedentary behaviours, sleep or fatigue, musculoskeletal pain or dietary behaviours. CONCLUSION: The results of this sopping review suggest an association between increased video game playing time and a deterioration in some physical health indicators but available evidence is scarce, precluding from any strong conclusion.

Adolescent hockey players' predispositions to adopt sport and exercise behaviours: An ecological perspective.

Organized sport yields many cognitive, social and physical benefits and is one of the most popular types of physical activity for children and adolescents. Despite the benefits of sports participation, a substantial proportion of adolescents fail to meet Canadian guidelines regarding physical activity. In this regard, it is relevant to understand the mechanisms underlying the adoption of various active behaviours. This study aims to identify the predisposing, enabling and reinforcing factors that potentially influence 4 categories of active behaviours using the Youth Physical Activity Promotion model (YPAP). Data was drawn from 416 male adolescent hockey players (Mage = 15.4; SD = 2) who completed a pre-validated questionnaire. Structural equation modeling and interaction analyses were performed to explain the contribution of each determinant. Findings reveal that there are different behavioural patterns based on the type of activity. The interaction between attitudes and environmental factors was a key predictor for each type of behaviour. Perceived competence was associated with more recreational activities, whereas the support of parents and coaches determined involvement in ice hockey. This study refined our understanding of physical activity participation among adolescents already involved in organized sports and emphasized the importance of considering multiple factors surrounding their environment. Several practical recommendations are made to improve young athletes' predisposition to practice physical activity in an organized sports setting.