Profiling Bilateral Skills in High-Performance Male and Female Gaelic Footballers.

Bilateral skill symmetry in sport refers to an individual's ability to successfully perform sporting actions with both sides of the body. Two scarcely researched areas in relation to bilateral skills are the effects of opposition proximity on skill execution and bilateral skill in high-performance female athletes. In this study, we used Nacsport to code all skill executions (hand pass, kick pass, hop, solo and shot) during 121 games by both male and female participants (76 male, 45 female), classified as Tier 1 (n = 181, 134) and Tier 2 (n = 238, 115) high performance, adult Gaelic Football players. Irrespective of the participants' tier group or gender, these players relied upon their dominant side for most skill executions (Kick Pass Dominant Foot Mdn: MT1 = 90%, MT2 = 98.6%, FT1 = 100%, FT2 = 100%; Solo Dominant Foot: Mdn MT1 = 95%, MT2 = 97.3%, FT1: 100%, FT2: 100%; Hand Pass Dominant Hand Mdn: MT1: 83.7%, MT2: 99%, FT1: 95.5%, FT2: 95.5%; Hop Dominant Hand Mdn: MT1: 91.9%, MT2: 94.7%, FT1: 98.1%, FT2: 98.1%; Play Dominant Foot Mdn: MT1: 74.5%, MT2: 94.5%, FT1: 94.7%, FT2: 88.2%). There were no consistent differences between tier groups or genders in relation to dominant side use, but top tier male players were generally less reliant on the dominant limb than were female players from both tiers. In general, top tier male players performed more successfully than either second tier male players or female players in both tiers. Most skills were executed under conditions of low opponent proximity, limiting the requirement for participants to use their non-dominant limbs. These findings illustrate the demands of Gaelic football in relation to bilateral skills, and we identified new research questions for future investigators.

Higher Family Affluence is Associated With Multi-Sport Participation Among Irish Youth.

The impact of early single sport participation among young people has received much attention, with both sport leaders and pediatricians advocating multi-sport participation at least until early adolescence. In this study we explored the association between family socioeconomic status and level of Irish youth specialization in sport. We relied on data from the Children's Sport Participation and Physical Activity (CSPPA) study, involving a representative sample of 3499 Irish children and adolescents aged 10-15 years. We analyzed data from questions related to the number of sports played, the number of days per week the youth were engaged in sport, and family affluence (as a proxy measure for socioeconomic status). Youth sport specialization before 12 years of age (males 5.7%; females 4.2%) and even between 13-15 years of age (males, 7.8%; females, 5.8%) was uncommon. However, lower levels of specialization were associated with higher socioeconomic status in that more children with high family affluence participated in multiple sports. Careful consideration should be given to whether low socioeconomic status may act as a barrier to participation in multiple sports.

Exploring Recommendations for Child and Adolescent Fundamental Movement Skills Development: A Narrative Review.

Fundamental movement skills (FMS) are frequently referred to as the "building blocks" of movement for children and adolescents in their lifelong physical activity journey. It is critical, however, that FMS are developed within Physical Education learning environments and other sport-related settings, specifically as these building blocks of movement require appropriate teaching and practice opportunities. While FMS are well-established as an "important focus" for children and adolescents, to the authors' knowledge, there appears to be no standardized FMS development guidelines existent within the literature. This paper will examine whether the frequency, intensity, time, and type (FITT) principle could be transferable to interventions focusing on FMS development, and if so, whether sufficient consistency of findings exists to guide practitioners in their session design. Applying the FITT principle in this way may help to facilitate the comparison of FMS-related intervention studies, which may contribute to the future development of practical FMS-related guidelines for children and adolescents.

Drug repurposing: Misconceptions, challenges, and opportunities for academic researchers.

Drug repurposing is promoted as a cost- and time-effective mechanism for providing new medicines. Often, however, there is insufficient consideration by academic researchers of the processes required to ensure that a repurposed drug can be used for a new indication. This may explain the inability of drug repurposing to fulfill its promise. Important aspects, often overlooked, include financial and intellectual property considerations, the clinical and regulatory path, and clinical equipoise, which provides ethical justification for randomized controlled trials. The goal of drug repurposing is to obtain a new regulator-approved label for an existing drug, and so, the trajectory for drug repurposing and traditional drug development is similar. Here, we discuss factors critical for a successful repurposed medicine to help academic investigators better identify drug repurposing opportunities.

The Prevalence and Consequences of Within-Sport Specialization in Track and Field Athletics.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to provide an in-depth analysis of the prevalence and consequences of within-sport specialization in track and field in the United Kingdom. Method: The competition histories of top 100 ranked athletes from four representative events (100 m, 800 m, long jump, and shot put) were recorded from a publically-accessible database. Athletes were drawn from Under 20 (U20), U15, and U13 populations from the 2014/15 season, U15 populations from the 2009/10 season, and U13 populations from the 2007/08 season. Athletes' specialization status was defined based upon the number of event groups (sprint, endurance, jump, throw) in which they had recorded at least one performance. Chi-squared tests were used to examine the association between level of specialization at U13 and U15 and both performance and retention at subsequent age grades. Results: Within-sport specialization was rare among U13 and U15 track and field athletes, with approximately 10% of top 100 ranked U13s and 25% of top 100 ranked U15s competing in a single event group only. However, less than 35% of participants competed in sprinting, endurance running, jumping, and throwing events (i.e., diversification). There were no sex differences in the extent of specialization. Top ranked U20 female athletes were more likely to have diversified at U13 than their peers. There was no association between specialization at U13/U15 and subsequent retention. Conclusion: Administrators and coach educators should provide more sophisticated guidance for coaches and parents in relation to within-sport specialization.

Injury in elite women's soccer: a systematic review.

Objective: To summarize risk factors for injury in elite women's soccer. Methods: Ten electronic databases were searched for studies that explored risk factors for injury in elite women soccer players. Study cohorts were required to consist of adult (?18 years) elite players defined as 'the best performers in their country in a certain sport who are competing at national or international levels' [1]. Two reviewers independently assessed articles for eligibility. The CASP checklist was used for quality assessment of included studies, and the Oxford Center of Evidence-Based Medicine guidelines were used to determine their level of evidence. Results: Eight studies were included in this review. Findings indicated an association between an increased injury risk and previous injury and increased joint laxity. There is additional evidence to support a relationship between injuries and higher soccer exposure, playing position, increased BMI, low H/Q ratio, player's level of balance and co-ordination, as well as various psychological issues. However, there were conflicting findings for the effect of postural control. Individual differences in Q-angle, intercondylar notch width or pelvic width measurements were not found to be associated with injury. The incidence of injury was higher in the dominant limb. Conclusion: The risk of injury in elite female soccer players is multifactorial, complex, and associated with a range of intrinsic, and extrinsic factors. More high-quality studies are needed to investigate each identified risk factor in order to inform effective injury screening.

Ultra-Short Race-Pace Training (USRPT) In Swimming: Current Perspectives.

The last decade has seen a dramatic rise in sports science research due to the ever-increasing professionalization of sport. As a result, many alternative training methodologies that challenge traditional training philosophies have emerged. In the sport of swimming, ultra-short race-pace training (USRPT) was recently proposed. The aim of this article was to provide current perspectives on USRPT in competitive swimming. A systematic review was conducted to determine the effects of USRPT on performance in competitive swimmers. Of the 1347 studies retrieved, 1332 were excluded. The full-texts of 15 studies were assessed for eligibility. However, all 15 studies were excluded as the intervention did not consist of USRPT. Consequently, there are concerns surrounding USRPT as it is not currently based on peer-reviewed published literature. In addition, the recommendations within USRPT to avoid resistance training, cross-training activities, training intensities less than race-pace velocity and part practice swimming drills are highly controversial and lack scientific evidence. There is evidence to suggest that USRPT is a derivative of high-intensity training (HIT) and there is peer-reviewed published literature available to support the effects of HIT on performance in competitive swimmers. Swimming coaches and sports scientists are advised to consider the applications of USRPT with caution. The authors suggest that USRPT is a training method, which may be incorporated within a holistic periodized training program that includes a variety of training methods and stimuli. Future research should involve a randomized controlled intervention of USRPT in competitive swimmers.

Relative Age Influences Performance of World-Class Track and Field Athletes Even in the Adulthood.

The relative age effect (RAE) is a common phenomenon observed in youth sports and is characterized by a significant over-representation of athletes born close to the date of selection. However, there is a lack of research on RAE in world-class track and field athletes and it is not clear if this effect persists into adulthood. Thus, this study examined for the first time the prevalence and magnitude of RAE at world class level in all track and field disciplines. Birthdates of 39,590 athletes (51.6% females) ranked in the International Association of Athletics Federations top 100 official lists between 2007 and 2018 season of Under 18, Under 20, and Senior categories were collected. Under 18 and Under 20 athletes born in the first week of the year are about 2 to 3.5 times more likely to be included in the top-100 ranking than the athletes born in the last week of the year. RAE was overall larger in male compared to female athletes. In some disciplines (e.g., throwing events) RAE persists in Senior category. These findings suggest that in some disciplines relatively younger athletes may have less chances of reaching world-class performances even in the adulthood. Governing bodies should reflect upon their policies for athlete support and selection to minimize the RAE.

Dance exposure, wellbeing and injury in collegiate Irish and contemporary dancers: A prospective study.

OBJECTIVES: Dance exposure and determinants of wellness in Irish dance (ID) and contemporary dance (CD) are under-investigated in pre-professional, collegiate cohorts. This study prospectively investigated these variables in ID and CD participants for one year. DESIGN: Prospective study. SETTING: University-level institutes of dance, United Kingdom (UK) and Ireland. PARTICIPANTS: Fifty (ID = 21, CD = 29) full time students of dance at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, (UK) and the University of Limerick, Ireland. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Weekly hours of dance, general health, sleep quality, injury defined as "any pain or injury that impacted upon their ability to dance". RESULTS: Dance exposure varied considerably for both genres across the year. CD participants danced for more hours weekly (p < 0.001). Overall injury incidence (time-loss and non-time-loss) was 10.6 and 8.4 injuries per 1000 h dancing for ID and CD groups respectively. 70.4% of injuries were non-time-loss. Better sleep (p = 0.007) and general health (p < 0.001) scores were negatively correlated with days lost/impacted by injury. CD participants reported a significantly higher dance exposure in the week prior to a time-loss injury than during the previous four weeks (p = 0.044). CONCLUSIONS: Dance exposure is erratic in these cohorts with dancers frequently performing when injured. Poor sleep, general health, and increased dance exposure may be associated with injury.

Excelling at youth level in competitive track and field athletics is not a prerequisite for later success.

Enhancing our understanding of athlete development would be valuable for coaches, parents and administrators to set realistic performance expectations and to advance youth sport policy. To this end, a database of track and field performances was examined. Records of 134,313 performances by athletes aged between 12 and 35 years in sprinting, throwing, jumping and middle distance events were analysed. Results revealed that a minority (Male, 9%; Female, 13%) of top 20 ranked senior athletes were also ranked in the top 20 at Under 13 (U13). These results were supported by the finding that a minority of athletes retained their top 20 ranking at subsequent age grades (36.3% U13-U15; 23% U13-U17; 13% U13-U20; 43.3% U15-U17; 22.1% U15-U20; 41.8% U17-U20). By U20, less than 30% of athletes who had been ranked in the top 20 at U13 were still listed on the national rankings. Examining a broader sample of athletes revealed weak to moderate correlations between performances at different age grades until at least Under 17-Under 20. These findings reinforce the message that excelling at youth level in competitive athletics is not a prerequisite for senior success.

Faster, higher, stronger, older: Relative age effects are most influential during the youngest age grade of track and field athletics in the United Kingdom.

The relative age effect (RAE) is a common phenomenon in youth sport, whereby children born early in the selection year are more likely to experience success and to sustain participation. There is a lack of research investigating variables which influence RAEs within track and field athletics. Such information is vital to guide policies in relation to competition structure, youth development squads and coach education. A database of competition results was analysed to determine the extent to which RAEs were present in track and field athletics in the United Kingdom. Subsequent analyses examined whether age, sex, event and skill level influenced the RAE. Examination of 77,571 records revealed that RAEs were widespread, but most pronounced during Under 13 (U13) competitions; that is, during athletes' first exposure to formal track and field competition. Sex, event and skill level further influenced the existence and magnitude of RAEs at different age grades. Relative age is a key influencing factor within track and field athletics, especially at the youngest age category. Consequently, national governing bodies need to consider what administrative and stakeholder initiatives are necessary to minimise the effects of RAEs on young athletes' early experiences of competition.

Implementing technical refinement in high-level athletics: exploring the knowledge schemas of coaches.

This paper explores the approaches adopted by high-level field athletics coaches when attempting to refine an athlete's already well-established technique (long and triple jump and javelin throwing). Six coaches, who had all coached multiple athletes to multiple major championships, took part in semi-structured interviews focused upon a recent example of technique refinement. Data were analysed using a thematic content analysis. The coaching tools reported were generally consistent with those advised by the existing literature, focusing on attaining "buy-in", utilising part-practice, restoring movement automaticity and securing performance under pressure. Five of the six coaches reported using a systematic sequence of stages to implement the refinement, although the number and content of these stages varied between them. Notably, however, there were no formal sources of knowledge (e.g., coach education or training) provided to inform coaches' decision making. Instead, coaches' decisions were largely based on experience both within and outside the sporting domain. Data offer a useful stimulus for reflection amongst sport practitioners confronted by the problem of technique refinement. Certainly the limited awareness of existing guidelines on technique refinement expressed by the coaches emphasises a need for further collaborative work by researchers and coach educators to disseminate best practice.

Successful Transfer of a Motor Learning Strategy to a Novel Sport.

This study investigated whether secondary school students who were taught a motor learning strategy could transfer their knowledge of the strategy to learning a novel task. Twenty adolescents were randomly allocated to a strategy or control group. The strategy group was taught Singer's five-step learning strategy, while the control group received information on the evolution and biomechanics of the basketball free throw. Both groups received three 1-hour practice sessions on a modified basketball shooting task. After one month, participants were introduced to the transfer task, golf putting. Performance accuracy was recorded for all tasks, and participants completed questionnaires regarding strategy use during practice. Participants taught the five-step learning strategy successfully recalled and applied it after a 1-month interval, and they demonstrated superior performance on both acquisition and transfer tasks, relative to the control group. Physical education teachers and coaches should consider using this learning strategy to enhance the learning of closed motor skills.

Misunderstandings of concussion within a youth rugby population.

OBJECTIVES: The recognition and management of concussion has become a major health concern within rugby union. Identifying misconceptions and attitudes regarding concussion is valuable for informing player education. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore the knowledge of, and attitudes towards, concussion in subgroups of youth rugby players. DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey. METHODS: Information sheets and consent forms were distributed at training sessions for multiple teams at each of three schools and three clubs. Players who returned consent forms completed a custom-designed survey at a subsequent session. RESULTS: Two hundred and fifty-five English players, aged 11-17 years, completed the anonymous survey. Sixty-one participants reported a total of 77 concussions. Self-reported return to play ranged from 0 to 365 days; only seven players (11%) reported a return to play after the Rugby Football Union's recommendation of 23 days. Although the majority of findings relating to players' knowledge of concussion were positive, a number of important misunderstandings were revealed. While the majority of players reported positive attitudes towards concussion, a substantial minority (up to 30%) reported inappropriate attitudes in response to specific questions. Participants who played at multiple venues did report superior knowledge and attitudes relative to their peers who played at a single venue. CONCLUSION: Despite generally positive results, youth rugby players were found to hold a number of misconceptions regarding concussion which should be the focus for education initiatives. Considering general subgroups of players by concussion history, age, or playing position appears unlikely to enhance the design of concussion education programmes.

Can Achievement Goals be Primed in Competitive Tasks?

This study examined whether achievement goal priming effects would be observed within an overtly competitive setting. Male soccer players (N = 66) volunteered to participate in a soccer penalty-kick taking competition during which they took 20 penalty-kicks on 2 occasions. Following a pretest, participants were allocated to 1 of 5 priming conditions. Immediately prior to the posttest, participants in the priming conditions were asked to complete what was presented as an ostensibly unrelated task that took the form of either a computer task (subliminal priming) or wordsearch task (supraliminal priming). Results revealed that priming had no significant influence on performance.

Kinematic variability in running: a caution regarding use of the spanning set measure.

The spanning set technique quantifies intertrial variability as the span between polynomial curves representing upper and lower standard deviation curves of a repeated movement. This study aimed to assess the validity of the spanning set technique in quantifying variability and specifically to determine its sensitivity to variability presented at different phases of a movement cycle. Knee angle data were recorded from a male participant completing 12 overground running trials. Variability was added to each running trial at five different phases of the running stride. Ten variability magnitudes were also used to assess the effect of variability magnitude on the spanning set measure. Variability was quantified in all trials using mean deviation and the spanning set measure. Results of a repeated-measures ANOVA showed significant differences between the spanning set score for trials using different phases of added variability. In contrast, mean deviation values showed no difference related to the phase of added variability. Therefore, the spanning set technique cannot be recommended as a valid measure of intertrial movement variability.