"I support you in everything": a qualitative study on maternal perception about their skating daughters

Abstract Aim: The study aimed to understand the perceptions of mothers about the practice of figure skating by their daughters aged between 8 and 13 years old. Methods: Eight mothers of skaters belonging to a youth competition team were interviewed in a qualitative study, which used narratives as the methodological approach. The interview was structured with open-ended questions and the full transcriptions were analyzed through content analysis. Results: The results of the three categories of analysis - "Skating and competing: the first influences"; "Family models and maternal participation"; and "Behavior of parents in sporting events" - showed that mothers perceived they provide emotional and motivational support during their daughters' sports practice and that they do not exert pressure for results. To not recognize negative behaviors could be negative to the skaters and may be the result of an inconscient mechanism or the need of mothers to have socially accepted behavior. They also stressed anxiety during competitions and reported strategies to cope with it. Thus, it is important to raise awareness of this situation so mothers can have more resources to manage this fragile balance. Conclusions: The way mothers participate in their children's sports life and express their support influences their sports practice; therefore, to understand how mothers perceive their involvement in their daughters' sportive practice is important to develop best practices to guarantee the quality of the interaction between mothers-children and healthy psychological development.

Athletes Play Through Pain-What Does That Mean for Rehabilitation Specialists?

CONTEXT: Pain in sport has been normalized to the point where athletes are expected to ignore pain and remain in the game despite the possible detrimental consequences associated with playing through pain. While rehabilitation specialists may not have an influence on an athlete's competitive nature or the culture of risk they operate in, understanding the consequences of those factors on an athlete's physical well-being is definitely in their area of responsibility. OBJECTIVE: To explore the factors associated with the experiences of subelite athletes who play through pain in gymnastics, rowing, and speed skating. DESIGN: The authors conducted semistructured interviews with subelite athletes, coaches, and rehabilitation specialists. They recruited coach participants through their provincial sport organization. Athletes of the recruited coaches who were recovering from a musculoskeletal injury and training for a major competition were then recruited. They also recruited rehabilitation specialists who were known to treat subelite athletes independently by e-mail. SETTING: An observation session was conducted at the athlete's training facility. Interviews were then conducted either in a room at the university or at a preferred sound-attenuated location suggested by the participant. PARTICIPANTS: The authors studied 5 coaches, 4 subelite athletes, and 3 rehabilitation specialists. INTERVENTIONS: The authors photographed athletes during a practice shortly before an important competition, and we interviewed all the participants after that competition. Our photographs were used during the interview to stimulate discussion. RESULTS: The participant interviews revealed 3 main themes related to playing through pain. They are: Listening to your body, Decision making, and Who decides. CONCLUSION: When subelite athletes, striving to be the best in their sport continue to train with the pain of an injury, performance is affected in the short-term and long-term consequences are also possible. Our study provides some insight into the contrasting forces that athletes balance as they decide to continue or to stop.

Pacing Behavior of Elite Youth Athletes: Analyzing 1500-m Short-Track Speed Skating.

PURPOSE: To gain insight into the development of pacing behavior of youth athletes in 1500-m short-track speed-skating competition. METHODS: Lap times and positioning of elite short-track skaters during the seasons 2011/2012-2015/2016 were analyzed (N = 9715). The participants were grouped into age groups: under 17 (U17), under 19 (U19), under 21 (U21), and senior. The difference between age groups, sexes, and stages of competition within each age group were analyzed through a multivariate analysis of variance (P < .05) of the relative section times (lap time as a percentage of total race time) per lap and by analyzing Kendall tau-b correlations between intermediate positioning and final ranking. RESULTS: The velocity distribution over the race differed between all age groups, explicitly during the first 4 laps (U17: 7.68% [0.80%], U19: 7.77% [0.81%], U21: 7.82% [0.81%], and senior: 7.80% [0.82%]) and laps 12, 13, and 14 (U17: 6.92% [0.14%], U19: 6.83% [0.13%], U21: 6.79% [0.14%], and senior: 6.69% [0.12%]). In all age groups, a difference in velocity distribution was found between the sexes and between finalists and nonfinalists. Positioning data demonstrated that youth skaters showed a higher correlation between intermediate position and final ranking in laps 10, 11, and 12 than seniors. CONCLUSIONS: Youth skaters displayed less conservative pacing behavior than seniors. The pacing behavior of youths, expressed in relative section times and positioning, changed throughout adolescence and came to resemble that of seniors. Pacing behavior and adequately responding to environmental cues in competition could therefore be seen as a self-regulatory skill that is under development throughout adolescence.

Objectifying Tactics: Athlete and Race Variability in Elite Short-Track Speed Skating.

PURPOSE: To objectively capture and understand tactical considerations in a race, the authors explored whether race-to-race variation of an athlete and the variation of competitors within a race could provide insight into how and when athletes modify their pacing decisions in response to other competitors. METHODS: Lap times of elite 500-, 1000-, and 1500-m short-track speed-skating competitions from 2011 to 2016 (N = 6965 races) were collected. Log-transformed lap and finishing times were analyzed with mixed linear models. To determine within-athlete race-to-race variability, athlete identity (between-athletes differences) and the residual (within-athlete race-to-race variation) were added as random effects. To determine race variability, race identity (between-races differences) and the residual (within-race variation) were added as random effects. Separate analyses were performed for each event. RESULTS: Within-athlete race-to-race variability of the finishing times increased with prolonged distance of the event (500-m, CV = 1.6%; 1000-m, CV = 2.8%; 1500-m, CV = 4.1%), mainly due to higher within-athlete race-to-race variability in the initial phase of 1000-m (3.3-6.9%) and 1500-m competitions (8.7-12.2%). During these early stages, within-race variability is relatively low in 1000-m (1.1-1.4%) and 1500-m (1.3-2.8%) competitions. CONCLUSION: The present study demonstrated how analyses of athlete and race variability could provide insight into tactical pacing decisions in sports where finishing position is emphasized over finishing time. The high variability of short-track skaters is a result of the decision to alter initial pacing behavior based on the behavior of other competitors in their race, emphasizing the importance of athlete-environment interactions in the context of pacing.

The Impact of Different Competitive Environments on Pacing and Performance.

PURPOSE: In real-life competitive situations, athletes are required to continuously make decisions about how and when to invest their available energy resources. This study attempted to identify how different competitive environments invite elite short-track speed skaters to modify their pacing behavior during head-to-head competition. METHODS: Lap times of elite 500-, 1000- and 1500-m short-track speed skating competitions between 2011 and 2016 (N = 34,095 races) were collected. Log-transformed lap and finishing times were analyzed with mixed linear models. The fixed effects in the model were sex, season, stage of competition, start position, competition importance, event number per tournament, number of competitors per race, altitude, and time qualification. The random effects of the model were athlete identity and the residual (within-athlete race-to-race variation). Separate analyses were performed for each event. RESULTS: Several competitive environments, such as the number of competitors in a race (a higher number of competitors evoked most likely a faster initial pace; coefficient of variation [CV] = 1.9-9.3%), the stage of competition (likely to most likely, a slower initial pace was demonstrated in finals; CV = -1.4% to 2.0%), the possibility of time qualification (most likely a faster initial pace; CV = 2.6-5.0%), and competition importance (most likely faster races at the Olympics; CV = 1.3-3.5%), altered the pacing decisions of elite skaters in 1000- and 1500-m events. Stage of competition and start position affected 500-m pacing behavior. CONCLUSIONS: As demonstrated in this study, different competitive environments evoked modifications in pacing behavior, in particular in the initial phase of the race, emphasizing the importance of athlete-environment interactions, especially during head-to-head competitions.

Brief Report: Using Behavioral Skills Training to Teach Skateboarding Skills to a Child with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of behavioral skills training (BST) on the skateboarding skills of an 11-year-old male with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). BST was used in a multiple-probe across skills design to teach five target skateboarding skills. Imitation of an additional skill was also assessed outside of BST sessions. The overall percentage of correct skateboarding skills improved following BST. Performance gains were stable in probes across settings, and additional imitations increased across the study.

Pacing Behavior and Tactical Positioning in 500- and 1000-m Short-Track Speed Skating.

PURPOSE: To explore pacing behavior and tactical positioning during the shorter 500- and 1000-m short-track competitions. METHODS: Lap times and intermediate rankings of elite 500- and 1000-m short-track-skating competitors were collected over the 2012-13 season. First, lap times were analyzed using a MANOVA, and for each lap, differences between sex, race type, final ranking, and stage of competition were determined. Second, Kendall tau-b correlations were used to assess relationships between intermediate and final rankings. In addition, intermediate rankings of the winner of each race were examined. RESULTS: Top-placed athletes appeared faster than bottom-placed athletes in every lap in the 500-m, while in the 1000-m no differences were found until the final 4 laps (P < .05). Correlations between intermediate and final rankings were already high at the beginning stages of the 50-m (lap 1: r = .59) but not for the 1000-m (lap 1: r = .21). CONCLUSIONS: Although 500- and 1000-m short-track races are both relatively short, fundamental differences in pacing behavior and tactical positioning were found. A fast-start strategy seems to be optimal for 500-m races, while the crucial segment in 1000-m races seems to be from the 6th lap to the finish line (ie, after ± 650 m). These findings provide evidence to suggest that athletes balance between choosing an energetically optimal profile and the tactical and positional benefits that play a role when riding against an opponent, as well as contributing to developing novel insights in exploring athletic behavior when racing against opponents.

Pacing Behavior and Tactical Positioning in 1500-m Short-Track Speed Skating.

PURPOSE: To gain more insight in pacing behavior and tactical positioning in 1500-m short-track speed skating, a sport in which several athletes directly compete in the same race. METHODS: Lap times and intermediate rankings of elite 1500-m short-track- skating competitors were collected over the season 2012-13 (N = 510, 85 races). Two statistical approaches were used to assess pacing behavior and tactical positioning. First, lap times were analyzed using a MANOVA, and for each lap differences between sex, race type, final rankings, and stage of competition were determined. Second, Kendall tau b correlations were used to assess relationships between intermediate and final rankings. In addition, intermediate rankings of the winner of each race were examined. RESULTS: In 1500 m (13.5 laps of 111.12 m), correlations between intermediate and final ranking gradually increased throughout the race (eg, lap 1, r = .05; lap 7, r = .26; lap 13, r = .85). Moreover, the percentage of race winners skating in the leading position was over 50% during the last 3 laps. Top finishers were faster than bottom-place finishers only during the last 5 laps, with on average 0.1- to 1.5-s faster lap times of the race winners compared with the others during the last 5 laps. CONCLUSIONS: Although a fast start led to faster finishing times, top finishers were faster than bottom-placed finishers only during the last 5 laps. Moreover, tactical positioning at 1 of the foremost positions during the latter phase of the race appeared to be a strong determinant of finishing position.

Performance characteristics of long-track speed skaters: a literature review.

Speed skating is an intriguing sport to study from different perspectives due to the peculiar way of motion and the multiple determinants for performance. This review aimed to identify what is known on (long-track) speed skating, and which individual characteristics determine speed skating performance. A total of 49 studies were included. Based on a multidimensional performance model, person-related performance characteristics were categorized in anthropometrical, technical, physiological, tactical, and psychological characteristics. Literature was found on anthropometry, technique, physiology, and tactics. However, psychological studies were clearly under-represented. In particular, the role of self-regulation might deserve more attention to further understand mechanisms relevant for optimal performance and for instance pacing. Another remarkable finding was that the technically/biomechanically favourable crouched skating technique (i.e. small knee and trunk angle) leads to a physiological disadvantage: a smaller knee angle may increase the deoxygenation of the working muscles. This is an important underlying aspect for the pacing tactics in speed skating. Elite speed skaters need to find the optimal balance between obtaining a fast start and preventing negative technical adaptations later on in the race by distributing their available energy over the race in an optimal way. More research is required to gain more insight into how this impacts on the processes of fatigue and coordination during speed skating races. This can lead to a better understanding on how elite speed skaters can maintain the optimal technical characteristics throughout the entire race, and how they can adapt their pacing to optimize all identified aspects that determine performance.

Built environment characteristics and parent active transportation are associated with active travel to school in youth age 12-15.

PURPOSE: To investigate the relation of factors from multiple levels of ecological models (ie, individual, interpersonal and environmental) to active travel to/from school in an observational study of young adolescents. METHODS: Participants were 294 12-15-year olds living within two miles of their school. Demographic, psychosocial and perceived built environment characteristics around the home were measured by survey, and objective built environment factors around home and school were assessed in Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Mixed effects multinomial regression models tested correlates of engaging in 1-4 (vs 0) and 5-10 (vs 0) active trips/week to/from school, adjusted for distance and other covariates. RESULTS: 64% of participants reported ≥1 active trip/week to/from school. Significant correlates of occasional and/or habitual active travel to/from school included barriers (ORs=0.27 and 0.15), parent modelling of active travel (OR=3.27 for habitual), perceived street connectivity (OR=1.78 for occasional), perceived pedestrian safety around home (OR=2.04 for habitual), objective street connectivity around home (OR=0.97 for occasional), objective residential density around home (ORs=1.10 and 1.11) and objective residential density around school (OR=1.14 for habitual). Parent modelling interacted with pedestrian safety in explaining active travel to/from school. CONCLUSIONS: Results supported multilevel correlates of adolescents' active travel to school, consistent with ecological models. Correlates of occasional and habitual active travel to/from school were similar. Built environment attributes around schools, particularly residential density, should be considered when siting new schools and redeveloping neighbourhoods around existing schools.

A longitudinal investigation of sports-related risk factors for disordered eating in aesthetic sports.

Previous studies have indicated a higher risk of disordered eating in certain types of elite sports such as aesthetic sports (e.g., rhythmical gymnastics, figure skating). But even though some studies on risk factors for disordered eating in sports exist, most research on this topic is based on cross-sectional data with limitations on causal inferences. We examined sports-related risk factors for disordered eating in a 1-year longitudinal study with two assessment points. The participants were 65 adolescent athletes from aesthetic sports (mean age 14.0 ±.2.2 years) who completed measures of disordered eating, social pressure from the sports environment, sports-related body dissatisfaction, desire to be leaner to improve sports performance, and emotional distress resulting from missed exercise sessions. All variables were relatively stable in the mean. Individual changes in the desire to be leaner to improve sports performance were associated with individual changes in disordered eating. Furthermore, a cross-lagged partial correlation analysis showed that the desire to be leaner to improve sports performance was predictive of disordered eating and not vice versa. The results of our study indicate that athletes are more at risk for disordered eating if they believe it is possible to enhance their sports performance through weight regulation.

Age, training, and previous experience predict race performance in long-distance inline skaters, not anthropometry.

The association of characteristics of anthropometry, training, and previous experience with race time in 84 recreational, long-distance, inline skaters at the longest inline marathon in Europe (111 km), the Inline One-eleven in Switzerland, was investigated to identify predictor variables for performance. Age, duration per training unit, and personal best time were the only three variables related to race time in a multiple regression, while none of the 16 anthropometric variables were related. Anthropometric characteristics seem to be of no importance for a fast race time in a long-distance inline skating race in contrast to training volume and previous experience, when controlled with covariates. Improving performance in a long-distance inline skating race might be related to a high training volume and previous race experience. Also, doing such a race requires a parallel psychological effort, mental stamina, focus, and persistence. This may be reflected in the preparation and training for the event. Future studies should investigate what motivates these athletes to train and compete.

Adolescent aesthetic athletes: a group at risk for eating pathology?

Previous research shows that leanness- and weight-dependent sports increase the risk of developing disturbed eating behaviour. This study investigated whether adolescent aesthetic athletes (n=68, M=14.6 years), particularly ballet dancers and figure skaters, exhibit more eating pathology compared to the general population. Furthermore, it was investigated whether sport-related factors have explanatory value for the dieting behaviour of aesthetic athletes. To asses eating pathology, reliable and valid self-report questionnaires were used including the Eating Disorder Inventory-II, the Children's Eating Disorder Examination-Questionnaire and the Dutch Eating Behaviour Questionnaire. Results show that female aesthetic athletes show more drive for thinness, features of bulimia, dieting behaviour and concerns about weight and shape compared to female adolescents from the general population. Concerning the explanation of dieting behaviour in aesthetic athletes, both sport-related factors (competition state anxiety) and general risk factors (eating concern) seem to be relevant. These results suggest that female aesthetic athletes show more disturbed eating behaviour and thoughts than female adolescents from the general population and therefore may have an enhanced risk of developing clinical eating disorders.

Representing others' actions: the role of expertise in the aging mind.

A large body of evidence suggests that action execution and action observation share a common representational domain. To date, little is known about age-related changes in these action representations that are assumed to support various abilities such as the prediction of observed actions. The purpose of the present study was to investigate (a) how age affects the ability to predict the time course of observed actions; and (b) whether and to what extent sensorimotor expertise attenuates age-related declines in prediction performance. In a first experiment, older adults predicted the time course of familiar everyday actions less precisely than younger adults. In a second experiment, younger and older figure skating experts as well as age-matched novices were asked to predict the time course of figure skating elements and simple movement exercises. Both young age and sensorimotor expertise had a positive influence on prediction performance of figure skating elements. The expertise-related benefit did not show a transfer to movement exercises. Together, the results suggest a specific decline of action representations in the aging mind. However, extensive sensorimotor experience seems to enable experts to represent actions from their domain of expertise more precisely even in older age.

Sleep and effort in adolescent athletes.

Adolescents' sleep and next day effort was studied in 18 female competitive adolescent athletes. A subjective assessment of the previous night's sleep, their perception of the difficulty of the choices offered and the difficulty of tasks selected was completed before routine lessons. Sleep amount was related to the perception of the difficulty of the task, while awakenings were related to an avoidance of the least preferred maneuvers. Individuals who experienced the greatest number of awakenings and most time awake at night were more likely to select the least difficult of these tasks. Sleep disturbance in adolescence may magnify the challenges they experience and cause them to underestimate their ability to meet those challenges.

O segredo do sucesso: apontamentos sobre a trajetória social de skatistas profissionais / El secreto del succeso: apuntes sobre la trayectoria social de skatistas profesionales / The secret of success: notes on the social trajectory of professional skaterboarders

Este artigo aponta, a partir de casos concretos, para elementos acerca da trajetória social de skatistas que lograram estar no subuniverso dos patrocínios. Em se tratando de skate, isso significa praticamente a única possibilidade de profissionalização. São considerados detalhes da constituição e do funcionamento do campo do skate em sua totalidade e da vida dos informantes, de seu caminho para incorporar disposições e capitais válidos no contexto do skate. Os dados utilizados são provenientes de técnicas de pesquisa como a entrevista semiestruturada, a observação participante e a coleta de documentos.

The aim of this article is to look at specific real life cases of the social trajectory of skateboarders, who managed their skateboarding career whilst not being in the mainstream of sponsorship. In skateboarding sponsorship is almost the only viable means to be professionally and thus financially stable. This study is done by taking into consideration: the ins and outs of the skateboarding world, the lives of the people involved in the sport, and the means with which they exercise and manage their chosen profession. The data utilized is derived from techniques of research such as: semi structured interviews, participant observation and document-based research.

Este articulo trata de levantar, apartir de hechos concretos, elementos acerta de la trayectoria social de skatistas que lograron estar en el submundo de los patrocinios. Eso significa practicamente la unica posibilidad de profesionalización. Son considerados detalles de la constituición y del funcionamiento de la rama del skate en su totalidad y de la vida de los informantes y de su camino para incorporar disposiciones y capitales validos en el contexto del skate, los datos utilizados son provenientes de técnicas de pesquisa como la entrevista semiestructurada, las observaciones participantes y la colecta de documentos.

Sport-specific injuries and medical problems of figure skaters.

Figure skating is becoming increasingly popular as both a recreational and competitive sport. As the number of figure skating participants increases, so will the number of active patients who present to their primary care physician with sport-related injuries and medical problems. Figure skating is a unique sport that continues to evolve and progress with participants partaking in more difficult moves and more rigorous training programs. Common problems in figure skating include acute musculo-skeletal injuries and chronic overuse injuries, which primarily occur in the foot, ankle, knee, leg, hip, and lower back. Figure skaters are also more likely to endure specific medical problems such as exercise-induced bronchospasm and eating disorders. Primary care physicians are able to contribute to their figure skating patient's health by recognition and appropriate treatment of acute injuries and prevention of chronic injuries and other medical problems.