Fundamental movement skills and perceived competence, but not fitness, are the key factors associated with technical skill performance in boys who play grassroots soccer.

OBJECTIVE: This study examined the association between fitness, fundamental movement skills (FMS) and perceived competence on technical skills in boys engaged in grassroots soccer. Methods: Sixty boys (8-12 years of age, Mean ± SD = 10 ± 1 years) undertook assessment of FMS, perceived competence, physical fitness (15m sprint speed, standing long jump distance and seated 1kg medicine ball throw as a composite z-score) and technical skills (dribbling, passing and shooting as a composite z-score). RESULTS: Multiple backwards linear regression was used to determine to amount of variance in technical skill explained by FMS, perceived competence and fitness. Results indicated a significant model (F 3,58= 42.04, P = .0001, Adj R2 = .680) which explained 68% of the variance in technical skills. Perceived competence (ß=.316, P =.001), Total FMS (ß=.140, P =.002), and chronological age (ß=.863), P =.001) significantly contributed to the model. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that better technical skills (passing, dribbling, shooting) in youth soccer are explained, alongside age, by being competent in FMS and having a more positive perception of competence. Coaches should therefore seek to encourage development of these factors during childhood for the benefit of technical skill performance.

Motion sickness in automated vehicles with forward and rearward facing seating orientations.

Automated vehicles (AV's) offer greater flexibility in cabin design particularly in a future where no physical driving controls are required. One common concept for an automated vehicle is to have both forward and rearward facing seats. However, traveling backwards could lead to an increased likelihood of experiencing motion sickness due to the inability of occupants to anticipate the future motion trajectory. This study aimed to empirically evaluate the impact of seating orientation on the levels of motion sickness within an AV cabin. To this end, a vehicle was modified to replicate the common concept of automated vehicles with forward and rearward facing seats. Two routes were chosen to simulate motorway and urban driving. The participants were instructed to carry out typical office tasks whilst being driven in the vehicle which consisted of conducting a meeting, operating a personal device and taking notes. The participants conducted the test twice to experience both forward and rearward seating orientations in a randomised crossover design. Levels of sickness reported was relatively low with a significant increase in the mean level of sickness recorded when traveling rearwards. As expected, this increase was particularly pronounced under urban driving conditions. It is concluded that rearward travel in automated vehicles will compromise the passenger experience.

Multivariate analyses of individual variation in soccer skill as a tool for talent identification and development: utilising evolutionary theory in sports science.

The development of a comprehensive protocol for quantifying soccer-specific skill could markedly improve both talent identification and development. Surprisingly, most protocols for talent identification in soccer still focus on the more generic athletic attributes of team sports, such as speed, strength, agility and endurance, rather than on a player's technical skills. We used a multivariate methodology borrowed from evolutionary analyses of adaptation to develop our quantitative assessment of individual soccer-specific skill. We tested the performance of 40 individual academy-level players in eight different soccer-specific tasks across an age range of 13-18 years old. We first quantified the repeatability of each skill performance then explored the effects of age on soccer-specific skill, correlations between each of the pairs of skill tasks independent of age, and finally developed an individual metric of overall skill performance that could be easily used by coaches. All of our measured traits were highly repeatable when assessed over a short period and we found that an individual's overall skill - as well as their performance in their best task - was strongly positively correlated with age. Most importantly, our study established a simple but comprehensive methodology for assessing skill performance in soccer players, thus allowing coaches to rapidly assess the relative abilities of their players, identify promising youths and work on eliminating skill deficits in players.

Effect of seated restraint and body size on lung function.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies of death during law enforcement restraint have focused on lying restraint positions; this study extends this work to seated restraint positions. METHODS: Lung function in a standing control position was compared with lung function in seated positions using 40 volunteers. RESULTS: No significant reduction in lung function was detected in an upright seated position. When participants were leant forward while seated, significant reductions in lung function occurred. The application of restraint holds in the seated, leant forward position resulted in a non-significant further reduction in lung function. Reductions in lung function were greater in those participants with higher body mass index (BMI). CONCLUSIONS: Seated restraint positions with the person leant forward may increase the risk of harm or death during prolonged restraint. The risk will be further increased where the person exhibits higher BMI.