Game performance in ice sledge hockey: an exploratory examination into type of disability and anthropometric parameters.

OBJECTIVE: To compare first disability and anthropometric variables and second disability and game efficiency measures. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING: Winter Paralympic Games in Vancouver (2010). PARTICIPANTS: A sample of 54 (age, 30.85 ± 7.99 y) of the 114 elite ice sledge hockey athletes participated in this study. To be included in the analysis, an athlete had to participate for a minimum of 45 minutes in total and in a minimum of 2 games during the tournament. ASSESSMENT OF RISK FACTORS: Athletes were categorized according to type of disability into 4 groups: group 1 (double amputee above and below the knee), group 2 (single amputee above and below the knee), group 3 (spinal cord injury), and group 4 (other physical disabilities, including phocomelia, cerebral palsy, sclerosis multiplex, and lower limb paresis, and players with minimal disability). Before the tournament, athletes completed a Personal Questionnaire Form. Data including anthropometric measurements (seated position and range of arms) and length of the sledge were also collected. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: All 20 scheduled games were videotaped using 3 video cameras. The games were analyzed after the tournament by 5 observers. All observations were recorded using the Game Efficiency Sheet for Ice Sledge Hockey developed by the authors. Fourteen game parameters were included for analysis. RESULTS: The instrument was developed specifically for this project's exploratory analysis. Interobserver and intraobserver reliability were established by statistical analysis (r > 0.93 and r > 0.95, respectively). Significant differences between disability groups were found for training frequency (F3,50 = 4.73, P = 0.006), height (F3,50 = 12.54, P = 0.001), and sledge length (F3,50 = 12.35, P = 0.001). The results of the Tukey honestly significant difference post hoc analyses revealed significant differences between groups 1 and 4 (P = 0.026), 2 and 4 (P = 0.007), and 3 and 4 (P = 0.013) for training frequency. There were also significant differences between groups 1 and 2 (P < 0.001), 1 and 4 (P < 0.001), and 2 and 4 (P = 0.021) for body height. In sledge length, significant differences were observed between groups 1 and 2 (P < 0.001), 1 and 3 (P < 0.001), 1 and 4 (P = 0.016), and 2 and 4 (P = 0.028). There was no strong evidence to support disability group differences in game efficiency measures. CONCLUSIONS: The results may confirm the lack of a need for additional classification in sledge hockey beyond minimum eligibility or may enhance the argument that a classification system may be needed because the lower functioning disabilities are not being represented in the sport.

Aerobic, anaerobic, and skill performance with regard to classification in wheelchair rugby athletes.

The purpose of the study was to examine the sport-specific performance of wheelchair rugby players with regard to their classification. A group of 30 male athletes from the Polish Wheelchair Rugby League participated in the study. The seven International Wheelchair Rugby Federation classes were collapsed into four groups. Standardized measures of aerobic, anaerobic, and skill performance were examined to identify performance differences among the four groups. Major findings were that most differences were between Group I players and all others and that anaerobic performance was the most sensitive to classification differences. Another important finding was that for all other groups, with one exception, adjacent groups did not differ in anaerobic, aerobic, and sport-specific skill performance. The results of this study demonstrate the need to investigate other performance measures that will help in evaluating the current wheelchair rugby classification system.

An examination of the international wheelchair rugby Federation classification system utilizing parameters of offensive game efficiency.

The purpose of the study was to examine the offensive game efficiency of elite wheelchair rugby players with regard to their International Wheelchair Rugby Federation (IWRF) classification. Male athletes (105) representing 12 European nations competing at the 2005 European Wheelchair Rugby Championships took part in this study. The primary recording instrument was the Game Efficiency Sheet (GES), an instrument designed to objectively record parameters of wheelchair rugby efficiency such as points scored, steals, turnovers, balls caught (%), and balls passed (%). Kruskal-Wallis between groups analyses identified significant differences among the lower classification groups (0.5-2.0) and between the lower and higher classification (2.5-3.5) groups. Further research is needed in identifying game efficiency differences in higher class groups.