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Bohlke, Nikolai. "Benchmarking of elite sport systems." Thesis, Loughborough University, 2006. https://dspace.lboro.ac.uk/2134/12193.
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The organisation of elite sport systems has been the focus of a great variety of different investigations over the past ten years. In particular, many studies have compared the structure and organisation of different national elite sport systems on the macro and meso levels. A result of the existing investigations is a clear convergence of the service portfolio different elite sport systems offer their athletes and coaches. Despite this current trend to a homogeneous elite sport system design, medal tables of major sport events suggest that some nations are still more successful than others in specific sports. This suggests that more successful sport systems might have found better ways to implement the otherwise similar and conventional support portfolio. However, there is a lack of studies that focus on what practices successful elite sport systems apply in the actual delivery of the support services to their athletes and coaches; in how far these practices are related to the ,success of the sport systems; if these practices look similar across different successful sport systems; and if these practices provide useful lessons for other systems to learn from. The management tool benchmarking appears to be a useful framework to guide such comparisons at the operational level. Thus, this thesis evaluated the applicability of this management concept for furthering understanding of elite sport system management. In order to conduct this evaluation it was decided to analyse the operational processes and structures two successful elite sport systems apply for the delivery of five elements of the elite sport support portfolio. In specific, the investigation focused on the comparison of the design of the squad system, the hierarchy of coaches within the squad system, the organisation of the coach education, as well as the provision of sport science and lifestyle support, which were the Benchmarking Objects of this study. The Swedish athletics and the Norwegian cross-country skiing national team, and the general elite sport support institutions they cooperate with, were chosen as the Benchmarking Subjects, i.e. the comparison partners, for this investigation. This research was based on a series of semi-structured interviews which were conducted with about 50 key pOSition holders such as coaches, athletes, lifestyle support managers, or performance diagnosticians during two study visits to Norway and Sweden. This study concluded that benchmarking can lead to insights into the operational management of successful elite sport systems. It must however also be stressed that benchmarking is not a universal remedy for the problems managers of elite sport systems face today. As this research showed, the two Benchmarking Subjects applied unexpected solutions for the delivery of some of the chosen Benchmarking Objects - and some of these practices appeared to be heavily linked to the organisational and cultural context of the investigated sport systems. Thus, it must be carefully evaluated for each process or structure, which is identified during a bench marking exercise, if it constitutes a transferable best practice which is applicable outside the organisational context of the respective Benchmarking Subject.
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Ludlam, Katie E. "Super-strengths in elite sport." Thesis, Sheffield Hallam University, 2017. http://shura.shu.ac.uk/17309/.
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The intention of this PhD was to develop a conceptual pathway for how a novel approach termed super-strengths can be delivered by Sport Psychology practitioners, and to investigate the effects of the approach. The rationale for exploring this particular strengths-based approach (super-strengths) was that although this way of working has scarcely featured in the sport psychology literature, strengths-based approaches have been reported to have positive effects on psychological characteristics and performance in various similar domains. The purpose of the first study of the thesis was to gain an insight into how super-strengths is being used in elite sport, and to develop an initial conceptual pathway for understanding and implementing the approach. The aims were three-fold: first, to explore the meaning of super-strengths; second to explore how super-strengths are identified; and finally to capture the key phases for implementing the approach. To do so, the study explored how sport psychologists (n=7) and coaches (n=8), had co-delivered a super-strengths approach with UK elite athletes. Findings from the semi-structured interviews were categorized into three general dimensions: defining super-strengths, identification methods, and phases of development. Super-strengths were defined as a strategy for performance, utilizing a potential world’s-best resource to gain a competitive edge in a performance context. Identification methods were subjective (e.g., asking/observing athletes) and objective (e.g., performance analysis). Participants emphasized three development phases: preparation, adaptation, and monitoring. The findings of the study reinforced the need to obtain athletes’ perceptions of super-strengths to explore their experiences of the approach. Thus, the purpose of the second study was to gain understanding of athletes’ perceptions of the role and effects of engaging with super-strengths, in relation to their psychological characteristics and performance in elite sport. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with athletes (n=12) who had previous experience of working with a sport psychology practitioner on super-strengths. Thematic analysis of the data (Braun & Clarke, 2006) indicated that super-strengths had a positive influence on athletes’ mind-set, confidence, clarity of purpose, drive, coping ability, and performance. Findings highlighted the potential benefits of adopting strengths-based approaches in sport, and together with the findings from study one suggested that sport psychology (SP) practitioners conducting a super-strengths intervention with elite athletes could potentially facilitate both psychological and performance gains. Thus the next investigation comprised a two-phased super-strengths intervention in an elite sport setting. The aims of phase one were twofold: to preliminarily investigate the practicality of a) delivering a super-strengths intervention guided by the conceptual pathway generated from studies one and two; and b) employing sport-specific self-report measures as a way of evaluating efficacy, guided by the findings of study two. The intervention was conducted with amateur boxers. Measures employed were informed by the findings of study two, and therefore assessed athletes’ confidence, engagement, basic needs satisfaction, coping skills, and performance. Findings suggested that the intervention was well received by athletes and there were evident positive changes detected from the psychometric measures. Building on these findings, phase two of the intervention research involved a more in-depth, refined super-strengths intervention whereby a single subject, multiple baseline design was employed with athletes (n=3) from different elite sport settings (cricket, shooting, football). The findings indicated the efficacy of a super-strengths intervention for facilitating positive changes in confidence, engagement, needs satisfaction, coping, and performance in elite sport. In conclusion, this thesis has enabled an in-depth understanding to be gained on the role of super-strengths, how it can be delivered in elite sport settings, and the potential benefits it can have on athletes’ psychological factors and performance.
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Ramchandani, Girish Mohan. "Economic, sport development and elite performance consequences of sports events." Thesis, Sheffield Hallam University, 2014. http://shura.shu.ac.uk/9165/.
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The hosting of major sports events is commonly assumed to generate positive outcomes and impacts for different beneficiaries, which often is the premise for public investment in them. Set against a backdrop of increased competition for elite sporting success and the desire to host events globally in recent years, the author's published research investigates some of these consequences. One aspect of the research critically analyses the consequences generated by event attendees for non-attendees in economic impact terms. It also addresses the issue of attendance measurement, which is of particular relevance to event economic impact analysis, in the context of events that are free-to-view. Furthermore, the research evaluates non-monetary consequences for event attendees from the perspective of spectators and competitors. In terms of spectators, it focuses on potential sport development effects (attitudinal changes towards sport participation) arising from event attendance. For competitors, it concentrates on elite performance issues including the home advantage phenomenon. The research was quantitatively driven and utilised a combination of primary data collection via surveys (for the economic impact and sport development aspects) and secondary data analysis (for the elite performance aspect). This paper identifies the main gaps in knowledge that are addressed by the research and teases out the contribution of the published works to contemporary academic thinking and industry practice. In doing so, it reveals the capacity of sports events to deliver monetary and non-monetary outcomes and impacts, technical issues and practical challenges associated with their assessment, and the nature of relationships between the work themes. The practical implications of the research programme for event organisers, national governing bodies and public funding agencies are discussed and general direction for future research is proposed.
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Morgan, Gareth. "Life domain conflicts in elite sport." Thesis, Bangor University, 2017. https://research.bangor.ac.uk/portal/en/theses/life-domain-conflicts-in-elite-sport(68deaabb-804c-44b3-8680-306e6ae3832c).html.
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Elite athletes have to contend with potential conflicts between the demands of their sport and other aspects of their lives. However, the impact of such conflicts has been under-investigated. This thesis adopts concepts from organisational research into life domain conflicts and applies them to elite sport. The thesis comprises a general introduction, four empirical chapters, and a general discussion. The main goals were to: extend life-sport conflicts research by developing sound measures for both directions of conflict (i.e., life to sport and sport to life); examine a self-determination theory-based model where life-sport conflicts are conceptualised as social contexts that influence motivation towards sport, and how perfectionism moderates this relationship; and explore prospectively whether life domain conflicts and perfectionism predict the extent to which international athletes’ remain within the elite level of sport across a two year period. Advanced statistical procedures (e.g., Bayesian structural equation modelling) are deployed to rigorously achieve these goals. Findings from the studies provide evidence that: life-sport conflicts and sport-life conflicts can be problematic for elite athletes; life domain conflicts are bi-directional and distinct, so only by examining conflicts in both directions can they be adequately represented; life-sport conflicts can be conceptualised as antecedents to self-determined motivation; adaptive perfectionism can attenuate, whereas maladaptive perfectionism can amplify the negative motivational impact of life-sport conflicts; and that sport-free time conflict, a combination of family-sport conflict and adaptive perfectionism, and maladaptive perfectionism prospectively predict international standing at two years. The focus of the thesis is innovative, being the first research to demonstrate that conflicts between life domains exist in elite sports. It contributes to motivation research by showing that life-sport conflicts are negatively associated with self-determined motivation. Findings also highlight that perfectionism plays an important role in the relationship between life-sport conflicts and athlete motivation and maintaining elite performance levels.
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Toomer, Richard. "National Sport Policy in a Developing Country: The Case of Jamaica’s Elite Sport Development in Selected Sports." Thesis, Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa, 2019. http://hdl.handle.net/10393/39253.
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The purpose of this thesis was to explore the development of elite sport through national sport policy within a developing country, Jamaica. Taking a qualitative approach, the thesis drew on the SPLISS framework (De Bosscher et al., 2006, 2015) to understand government influence in the development of elite sport, through policy, and to investigate other contributing factors for elite sporting success. A logic model illustrated the input-throughput-output pillars of the SPLISS framework, and aided in the interpretation of both a theoretical and rival proposition (Yin, 2018). This thesis purpose, accomplished in part by exploring the most successful elite sport in Jamaica,
athletics (track and field), incorporated three interconnected studies on that developing country’s national sport system, a sport system that produced its first Olympic success in 1948, forty-six years before the introduction of national sport policy.
Three interconnected studies allowed for findings that highlighted the roots of Jamaica’s sport development, beginning with the introduction of a school and community sport system by the former colonial British government, and retained and expanded by the Jamaican government from 1962. The findings also highlighted that the school and community sport systems facilitated a local approach to the development and training for athletics. It included factors outside of the influence
of government, such as the impact of coaches and role models that assisted in creating a fraternity in the sport through tradition, culture and passion, and established an environment for elite sport. This environment involved a collaboration between educational institutions and the professional local club system, and represents the critical elements in the success of athletics, indicating that the influence of government policies for sport development was not impacting international sporting success up to 2017.
The interconnected studies also provided support for gaps identified in the SPLISS
framework and the literature on elite sport policy. For SPLISS, the findings provided evidence in understanding what happens when input factors are processed (the ‘black box’) leading to outputs, and national outcomes. For the literature, the thesis found that an historical context is important in understanding the coalescing of micro-, macro-, and meso-level factors for elite sporting success.
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Olenik, Lisa Marie. "Women in elite disability sport, multidimensional perspectives." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 1998. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk2/tape15/PQDD_0005/NQ34817.pdf.
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Stoker, Mike. "Creating pressurised training environments in elite sport." Thesis, Sheffield Hallam University, 2017. http://shura.shu.ac.uk/16987/.
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Pressure training (PT) is indicated to be an intervention for preventing self-focus and distraction methods of choking that could be more effective (Oudejans & Pijpers, 2010), ecological (cf. Lawrence et al., 2014), and popular (Bell, Hardy, & Beattie, 2013; Sarkar, Fletcher, & Brown, 2014) than more widely recognised approaches (Hill, Hanton, Matthews, & Fleming, 2010a) such as implicit (Mullen, Hardy, & Oldhan, 2007) and analogy learning (Masters, 2000). However, whilst research has exemplified stressors being used to create pressure (e.g., Lawrence et al., 2014) and provided extensive detail on methods that could be useful for conducting the preexposure stages of PT (e.g., Johnston & Cannon-Bowers, 1996), there was an absence of research investigating how to systematically create pressurised training environments in sport. This notion suggested that PT was being practiced in elite sport in the absence of comprehensive theoretical underpinnings. To address this, study one explored how 11 elite coaches systematically created and exposed athletes to PT environments. The emergent framework suggested that coaches manipulated two key areas: demands of training, which considered the nature of physical and cognitive demands directly related to a training exercise, and consequences of training, which concerned performance-contingent outcomes. Demands were organised via manipulating task, performer, and environmental stressors, and consequences were shaped using forfeit, reward, and judgment stressors. To test the efficacy of this framework, study two examined the effects of manipulating demands and consequences on experiences of pressure in elite Netball. To further extend knowledge, study three examined the impact of each individual demand (i.e., task, performer and environmental) and consequence (i.e., reward, forfeit and judgment) stressor on pressure in elite Disability Shooting. Study three’s results were synonymous with those of study two in indicating that perceived pressure only increased in conditions where consequences were introduced. This result suggested that these stressors were essential for increasing pressure. Moreover, study three indicated that the judgment stressor had the greatest influence of all stressors and, thus, presented coaches with the most effective means for maximising pressure. Across both studies, manipulating demands in isolation did not influence pressure in any condition. Yet, these stressors always negatively impacted performance. Hence, collectively the findings support and build on the framework by indicating that demands and consequences have distinct roles when PT; demand stressors could be critical for shaping performance whereas consequences appear essential for producing pressure. These findings have important applied implications. Firstly, previous research suggested that coaches may rely on demands, in place of consequences, to produce pressure (cf. Weinberg, Butt, & Culp, 2011). Secondly, literature has predominantly indicated consequences are important, but not essential, when creating pressure (e.g., Oudejans & Pijpers, 2009). Therefore, there may be a need to expand knowledge in applied and scientific arenas regarding the distinct roles of demands and consequences when PT. In light of these points, the present thesis contributes findings to underpin methods for systematically creating and exposing athletes to PT environments. These findings combine with previous literature relating to the pre-exposure stages of PT (e.g., Johnston & Cannon-Bowers, 1996) to enable the documentation of a more comprehensive account of how to perform all the stages involved in PT. Accordingly, an epilogue in chapter seven outlines such an account and serves as a guide for practitioners and coaches conducting PT.
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Hings, Rebecca. "Stress and emotions in elite sport organisations." Thesis, University of Portsmouth, 2018. https://researchportal.port.ac.uk/portal/en/theses/stress-and-emotions-in-elite-sport-organisations(2ca6ae11-9458-49fc-a016-ff4cdfb4de92).html.
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Stone, Michael H. "Periodization for Advanced and Elite Athletes." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2008. https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu-works/4505.
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Stone, Michael H. "Periodization for Advance and Elite Athletes." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2008. https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu-works/4503.
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Brouwers, Jessie. "The Role of Elite Sport Policies, Pathways and Inter-Organisational Relationships in Developing Elite Tennis Players." Thesis, Griffith University, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/10072/365374.
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Many countries globally support and continuously seek ways to achieve and sustain elite athlete success. Governments spend significant sums of public or government controlled funding in elite sport to improve or maintain success at the international level. However, elite athlete development is the result of a combination of elite sport policies, athlete development pathways and interactions between various stakeholders that are involved in the delivery of athlete development pathways. These factors make elite athlete development a complex, multi-layered and multi-faceted field of study that necessitates specific research efforts that focus on how these factors contribute to elite athlete development in specific sports. This thesis examines these factors and progresses from a macro-level examination of broad international policies to a meso-level exploration of specific strategies for player development pathways. Then, it moves into a micro-level analysis of the inter-organisational relationships (IORs) between tennis clubs and a tennis federation. Three studies were used to undertake these examinations and shape the body of this thesis.Thesis (PhD Doctorate)
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Griffith Business School
Griffith Business School
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Foster, Leon Ian. "Modelling the effect of technology on elite sport." Thesis, Sheffield Hallam University, 2012. http://shura.shu.ac.uk/20207/.
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Sporting equipment, and its associated set of rules, is used to facilitate athletic competition. As a result, sports technologies inevitably influence sporting performance. The level of this influence is dependent on the mode of technology used, as well as the type of sport in question. This study aims to model sporting performance, gauging the extent to which particular improvements can be attributed to technology. This information should assist in rule-setting by governing bodies regarding the use of technology in their respective sports. Yearly top-25 performances were collected for men's and women's sporting events from 1891. These were validated using a number of different sources. Historic trends of the mean performance were plotted, revealing that there have been many anomalous rises and falls in performance, set against an underlying improvement trend. The periods of World Wars I and II are associated with a fall in performance. To avoid the data being skewed, performances from the period 1948 to 2010 were chosen to be examined in this study. A performance improvement index (PII) was found to be a useful tool with which to normalise changes in athletic performance across different sports, and to allow for comparisons. The Pll was applied to running performances using 1948 as a baseline. An exponential function was then used to model the underlying improvement. This global improvement function was augmented with additional functions to account for the various interventions witnessed in each sport. In order to select functions to be applied, key dates of interventions were found from the literature. A manual stepwise fitting procedure was used to assess the appropriateness of selected functions, and a final model specified for each event. This method was applied to 38 different men's and women's events, in four separate sporting disciplines;running, field, freestyle swimming and speed skating. Technology was found to be one of many interventions influencing performance; others included the increasing participation of different global populations within international sport, and the impact of the Olympic Games. It was found that from 1948 the maximum performance improvement ranged from 11.0% in the men's long jump, to 138.4% in the women's 3,000 m speed skating. The median improvement across all sports examined was 46.2%. These improvements can be attributed to underlying factors, such as developments in training techniques and globalisation. The greatest effect of technology was seen in long course speed skating, which showed an average technological influence of 30.0 % (mostly due to the introduction of clap-skates). Running demonstrated a negative influence from technology, with an average effect of -1.1 % (due to the introduction of fully automated timing). Overall women's performance has been found to display a greater influence from technology than men's. Performance-enhancing drugs were found to improve performance, but the impact of these appears to have declined in recent years. In conclusion, technology has played a major role in the development of athleticperformance, but has not been the dominant factor. Historically, gains in performance due to technology can be seen to have had a lesser impact on performance, with gains obscured by the natural development of the sport. However, any technological changes occurring towards the end of the natural evolution of sport are likely become more prominent, and their effects more significant. This means that in order to keep sports fair, the regulation of technology in sport should become more relevant than ever before.
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Ferreira, Suzane. "The preparation of athletes with cerebral palsy for elite competition." Thesis, Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch, 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/1459.
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Thesis (PhD (Sport Science))—University of Stellenbosch, 2006.Sport performance management has emerged as a specialization in sport science that is focused on providing the athlete and coach with optimal information about training programmes and the support services needed in order to pursue excellence. As a more professional approach to disability sport has grown with the international status of the Paralympics, sport performance management dealing specifically with athletes with disabilities requires development. The purpose of this study was to focus on documenting the delivery of sport science support for three cyclists with cerebral palsy training for the Athens Paralympics. A case study approach was taken in this research that provided sport science support to three cyclists. Documentation of the training experience of each cyclist over 18 months of training leading up to the Games, was accomplished by quantification of daily training as well as periodic laboratory testing. A comprehensive picture was drawn of training intensities, modalities and frequencies for each cyclist during each macro-cycle, with special attention to the following three variables. Power output and lactate Power output and VO2 max Peak and mean sprint power output (Wingate test) Two of the three cyclists perceived the support they received to have been critical to the success of their preparation. The investigator concluded that sport management has an important role to play in the development of disability sport at the elite level, and that a lot more hard training is possible for cyclists with cerebral palsy, than some coaches may have previously believed, especially in terms of intensity and duration.
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Lamont-Mills, Andrea. "The construction of gender identity in elite sports: a mixed methods exploration." University of Southern Queensland, Faculty of Sciences, 2001. http://eprints.usq.edu.au/archive/00003186/.
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[Abstract]: This dissertation explored how gender identity is constructed in elite sport. I argued that sport is a unique socio-cultural context where gender category membership, may be enacted both the same and differently than in other contexts. Historically, most gender stereotyping, gender trait, and gender identity research in sport (e.g., Andre & Holland, 1995; Csizma, Wittig, & Schurr, 1988; Harris & Griffin, 1997) has employed researcher-generated constructions of masculinity and femininity, or non-sporting constructions of masculinity and femininity. By failing to define and construct gender from the participants' perspective, researchers have imposed their own preconceived cultural standards of gender upon participants (Doyle & Paludi, 1995). To generalise these preconceptions to other groups is to do so without consideration of cultural diversity and possible difference (Doyle & Paludi). Therefore, previous sport gender studies that have used these methodologies are tenuous as contemporary and future models upon which to base gender work.Further, gender identity research that has utilised a discursive psychological theoretical and methodological framework has produced findings that question the empirical validity of current models of gender in sport and exercise psychology (see Wetherell & Edley, 1999). These discursive results suggest that gender is a multifaceted, multidimensional, multifactorial, negotiated, dynamic, and variable concept (Wetherell & Edley, 1999). Therefore, two research questions were addressed by this dissertation: 1) How do participants perceive themselves in terms of gender-related characteristics?; and 2) How do elite sportswomen and sportsmen enact and negotiate membership of idiosyncratic, gender, and gender identity in sport categories?In order to address these research questions two self-report measures were utilised, the 24-item Personal Attributes Questionnaire (PAQ) (Spence & Helmreich, 1978) and a semi-structured interview concerning identity prescription. Thirty-eight elite level coaches (19 women, 19 men) and 37 elite level athletes (19 women, 18 men) voluntarily participated in this study. The interview data were analysed using two divergent theoretical and analytical frameworks, an a-priori content analysis (imposition of the PAQ items on interview responses) and a discursive psychological framework.The results of the PAQ analysis suggest that sportswomen and sportsmen perceive themselves differently in relation to gender-related characteristics. Differences which did not reach statistical significance, were found between male and female responses on the PAQ Masculine (M), Feminine (F), and Masculine-Feminine (M-F) sub-scales. Statistically significant differences were found with reference to PAQ classification, with women more likely to be classified as Androgynous and men as Masculine. There were no statistically significant occupational differences on either PAQ sub-scale responding or PAQ classification. The above results call into question the underlying assumptions and theoretical foundations of the PAQ.The a-priori content analysis also revealed a number of contradictory findings with reference to the assumptions and foundations of the PAQ scale. For example, women were more likely to utilise the PAQ M item Self-confident to describe themselves as gendered individuals than men. Whereas men were more likely to use the PAQ F item Gentle than women in the same identity category. Further, Feminine classified people were more likely to use the PAQ M-F item Very Dominant when describing themselves as women/men in elite sport. Therefore, the PAQ and a priori results cast doubt on the empirical utility of two factor models of gender to understand gender as a complex and dynamic construct. The results suggest that elite sport might be a context where gender is distinctively enacted and constituted.In order to determine how gender identity is enacted and negotiated in competitive sport, the interview data were analysed using a discursive psychological approach. Discursive psychology focuses upon how representations are constructed within, and constitutive of, the social practices that are found in language. In this respect, gender is conceptualised as being negotiated within the local interactive context where culture, history, and social contexts are reflected within discursive practices. In Research Question Two, interest centred on the interpretative repertoires and reflexive positions that participants used to prescribe themselves as idiosyncratic, gendered, and gendered individuals in sport.Interpretative repertoires are recurrent, culturally familiar global discursive patterns that individuals use to make sense of themselves in conversations (Wetherell, 1998; Wetherell & Potter, 1988). Reflexive positions are offered as an alternative discursive notion to the social psychological concept of role (Davies & Harré, 1990). A person is not considered as an individual free agent, but rather as the subject of the interaction, where the individual takes up or is placed in various subject positions depending upon the discourse and the particular social context in which the individual interacts. Thus we make sense of ourselves, or position ourselves, within social interactions through the cultural and personal resources (interpretative repertoires) that are made available to us in our discourse.Overall, the results of the discursive analysis suggest that participants enacted something gender scholars would call Masculinity, Femininity, and Androgyny when prescribing themselves across the three identity categories. That is, participants used gendered, culturally familiar discursive patterns (interpretative repertoires) to make sense of themselves across identity categories. However, participants were also able to draw upon non gender-related discourses during this process. Thus, identity work was characterised by variability, inconsistency, and contradiction. Different interpretative repertoires and reflexive positions were used by participants both within and across identity categories.Therefore, the use of gender-related interpretative repertoires differed according to the identity that was being scripted up. Thus participants were able to be Masculine, Androgynous, and Feminine, and position themselves differently depending upon the identity that was being prescribed and the local interaction context. That is, participants used interpretative repertoires to talk one way, but walk another (e.g., Androgynous interpretative repertoire, Hegemonic Masculine reflexive position) that was specific to the social, historical, and cultural context, and the local interactional context. The above results call into question Spence and Helmreich’s (1978) postulation that there is one Masculine and one Feminine identity. Indeed the results are suggestive of many Masculinities and many Femininities.Participants also deployed specific discursive strategies that incorporated the action and epistemological orientation of their talk when constituting their identities. That is, they worked to increase the facticity of their talk and worked to align themselves with certain positions (e.g., Hegemonic Masculine man) and not others (Feminine man) through their discourse. Thus gendered talk carried with it gendered ideological practices that participants used to reproduce, reinforce, and challenge the current gender order.The above results, combined with the disparity between the PAQ results and the a-priori content analysis, suggest that earlier and current models of gender that conceptualise gender as a multifaceted, multidimensional, bi-directional but static concept are probably not representative of how people do gender in everyday talk. The results support extant theory that gender identities might exist rather than a single gender identity. Overall, the results of this dissertation -suggest that elite sportswomen and sportsmen enact and negotiate membership of identity categories that is specific to the local interactional context, as well as the cultural, social (i.e., sport), and historical context. I infer, therefore, that current static gender models in sport and exercise psychology may not fully capture the complexity of gender in everyday talk and that alternative ways of understanding gender in sport are needed.
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Marthinus, Jantjie M. "Psychological effects of retirement on elite athletes." Thesis, Link to the online version, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/1133.
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Wallin, Felicia. "Competitive anxiety in elite female floorball players." Thesis, Mittuniversitetet, Institutionen för hälsovetenskap, 2019. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:miun:diva-36743.
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Appleton, Paul Richard. "Examining perfectionism in elite junior athletes : measurement and development issues." Thesis, University of Bedfordshire, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10547/133570.
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The major theme of the current thesis was the definition, measurement, and development of perfectionism in elite junior sport. The first purpose was to examine the psychometric properties associated with Hewitt and Flett’s (1991) Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale (MPS-HF) when complete by a sample of elite junior athletes. In study one, a confirmatory factor analysis failed to support the original structure of 45-item MPS-HF. Subsequent exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses revealed a more parsimonious 15-item factor structure representing self-oriented (SOP), socially prescribed (SPP), and other-oriented perfectionism (OOP). Having established a reconstituted version of the MPS-HF, a second purpose of the research programme was to consider the origins of perfectionism in elite junior athletes using a cross-sectional design. Initially, in study two a social learning model was supported, with 18%-26% of variance in athletes’ perfectionism predicted by parents’ perfectionism. Building upon this finding in study three, a structural equation model revealed that parenting styles, including empathy and psychological control, mediated the parent-athletic child SPP relationship. In study four, a significant pathway emerged between parents’ achievement goals and athletes’ dispositional perfectionism, offering support for a social expectations model of perfectionism development. Specifically, parents’ task and ego orientations were positively associated with athletes’ SOP. In contrast, athletes’ SPP was predicted by parents’ ego orientation. Study four also demonstrated the nature and form of motivational regulation associated with athletes’ SOP and SPP. That is, a pathway emerged between athletes’ SPP and controlled forms of regulation, while athletes’ SOP was correlated with self-determined and controlled motivation. Finally, in study five, the coach-created motivational climate accounted for approximately 19% of variance in athletes’ perfectionistic cognitions, highlighting the role of additional social agents in the development of athletes’ perfectionism. The results of this research programme contribute to existing knowledge of perfectionism by forwarding reliable measures of SOP and SPP for employment in sport, and revealing a complex array of pathways that underpin the development of perfectionism in elite junior athletes. Ultimately, by preventing the occurrence of such pathways, athletic children may be protected from the perils of perfectionism.
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Marcotte, Natalie. "National-level Governance of Elite Youth Sport Events in Canada: A Sport Development Perspective." Thesis, Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa, 2018. http://hdl.handle.net/10393/37352.
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The purpose of this dissertation was to understand how Canadian sport system stakeholders select the international youth events in which athletes will take part. The first part looked at the policies and processes consistent among all national sport organizations (NSOs) using a policy-based approach. The second part focused on how NSOs responded to these demands in conjunction with pressures stemming from their specific sport communities and stakeholders, and analyzed the NSOs’ governance structures and processes in doing so. A conceptual framework composed of the governance, stakeholder theory and policy diffusion literatures guided the study and a qualitative methodology was used. Sport Canada and Own the Podium (OTP) played a steering role within the event selection process. NSOs faced numerous pressures such as learning, coercion, imitation, and competition, which they responded to by creating policies and processes for their organization and through selecting events for their athletes that best responded to these pressures. The final findings found the policies and processes were created using a network governance approach, taking into consideration NSOs’ sport-specific needs, which included, but were not limited to, the NSO’s organizational capacity, the number of athletes competing in the sport, and the depth and field of competition within Canada.
Two key concepts outlined as best practices among successful NSOs and as an area for improvement for the Canadian sport system overall were alignment and communication.
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Lalor, Benita Jane. "Assessment of sleep characteristics of elite team sport athletes." Phd thesis, Australian Catholic University, 2021. https://acuresearchbank.acu.edu.au/download/2962d63aa9eb3419d831d5ce2293e05a56171b09c1f4c4bf4c7c6471eb62d941/12775643/Lalor_2021_Assessment_of_sleep_characteristics_of_elite.pdf.
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Despite the known restorative effects of sleep and the important role it may play in minimising fatigue and optimising adaptation from training, it has been suggested that athletes exhibit poorer sleep characteristics when compared to the general population. Whilst there have been investigations of the sleep characteristics exhibited during competition, analysis of the objective sleep characteristics of team sport athletes prior to and during important competition is limited, particularly in elite female athletes. In addition to the competition itself, there are a number of factors that may influence an athlete’s sleep. These include the training and competition schedule, phases of training and competition, internal and external training load, the athlete’s sleep environment, and domestic and international travel. However, the impact of a combination of these factors on objective sleep has rarely been explored in elite team sport athletes. Therefore, the main aim of this thesis was to investigate the objective sleep characteristics of elite male and female team sport athletes during competition. Three studies were conducted in a high performance sport environments to assess: (1) the impact of match start time and days relative to a match on sleep; (2) the relationships between sleep, training load and well-being; and (3) the impact of the quality and quantity of sleep obtained during a long-haul flight on competition sleep and perceptual measures including well-being and jetlag.
Study 1 assessed the objective sleep characteristics, via wrist worn actigraphy, of 45 elite male Australian Football (AF) players during the pre-season (habitual) and across four home matches during the competitive season. For each match start time, the 22 participants who were selected to play were assigned an activity monitor to be worn the night before (-1), night of (0), one night after (+1), and two nights after (+2) each match. Differences observed in sleep onset latency (ES=0.11 ± 0.16), sleep rating (ES=0.08 ± 0.14) and sleep duration (ES=0.08 ± 0.01) between competition and habitual periods were trivial. Sleep efficiency (%) was almost certainly higher during competition than habitual, however this was not reflected in the subjective rating of sleep quality. In many cases, the differences between match start times were trivial or unclear. The evening match start time, compared to all other start times, resulted in the clearest differences (e.g., evening matches had a likely longer sleep latency and almost certainly lower sleep efficiency). The differences in sleep characteristics based on days relative to the match were primarily trivial, however there were almost certain decreases in sleep duration for the night of the match compared to +1 and +2 nights post-match. The findings of this study indicated that, in general, elite AF competition does not appear to cause substantial disruption to sleep characteristics when compared to habitual sleep. Whilst the match start time had some impact on sleep variables, it appears that any match, regardless of match start time, may cause disruption to players’ sleep characteristics. The clearest disruption to AF players’ sleep occurred in the nights (+1 and +2) immediately following a match, which provides an ideal opportunity for intervention to optimise sleep and recovery. Importantly, the subjective ratings of sleep from shortened well-being questionnaires, used routinely in the high performance environment appear limited in their ability to accurately provide an indication of sleep quality.
It is recognised that numerous factors may influence the sleep characteristics of AF players, including player well-being and training and match day load. Nevertheless, the relationships between load, well-being and sleep prior to and following training and matches are not well understood.1 Study 2 assessed the association between objective sleep characteristics, self-reported measures of well-being and external load of 38 elite male AF players over a 15-day pre-season training period. External load was assessed during main field sessions and self-ratings of well-being were collected daily. Canonical correlations were moderate between pre training sleep and training load (r range = 0.32–0.49), pre training sleep and well-being (r = 0.32), and well-being and post training sleep (r = 0.36). Moderate-to-strong canonical correlations were observed between dimensions representing training load and post training sleep (r range = 0.31 to 0.67). Player Load TM (PL) and Player Load TM 2D (PL2D) showed the greatest association to pre and post training objective sleep characteristics and well-being. External load metrics PL and PL2D showed the greatest association between both objective sleep characteristics and well-being measures in AF players. This association was observed both prior to and following main AF training sessions. Fragmented sleep was associated with players completing the following training session with a higher PL2D, and increased wake bouts were associated with lower mood and higher soreness ratings. Our findings highlight that the relationship between objective sleep characteristics, training load and well-being are not defined by one measure (e.g., sleep duration). Instead, a complex interaction of sleep variables may influence both external load and the well-being of AF players. These findings have implications for practitioners, particularly when choosing variables to monitor AF players’ sleep to assist in the planning and evaluation of training.
The sleep characteristics for both Study 1 and 2 were assessed in players’ habitual sleep environments, however it is often a requirement for an elite team sport athlete to travel both domestically and internationally for competition.2-5 In order to investigate the impact of international travel on the sleep characteristics, well-being and performance of elite team sport athletes,6 the participant group for Study 3 was extended to elite female cricket players, as players are required to travel both domestically and internationally for competition. There have been no assessments of the objective in-flight sleep characteristics when athletes have the ability to lie flat whilst travelling in business class, however the difficulties of obtaining good quantity and quantity of sleep during long-haul travel are well documented,4,7 Study 3 assessed the impact of the quality and quantity of sleep during an international flight on subsequent objective sleep characteristics, training and match day load, self-reported well-being, and perceptions of jetlag in 11 elite female cricketers during an International Cricket Council T20 Women’s World Cup. To our knowledge, Study 3 is the first objective assessment of the in-flight sleep of elite team sport athletes seated in business class during an international flight. The results of Study 3 indicate that maximising the opportunity for in-flight sleep quality and quantity by planning the team departure time and business class seat selection appear to benefit elite female cricket players’ recovery and sleep exhibited during competition. The quality of sleep obtained in-flight had an impact on the self-reported measures of fatigue during the tournament. Players with a lower in-flight sleep efficiency reported higher levels of fatigue during the tournament. Study 2 highlighted that fragmented sleep prior to a main training session was associated with lower ratings of mood and increased ratings of soreness. This further supports that the quality and quantity of in-flight sleep may have had a positive impact on an athlete’s overall well-being and readiness to train upon arrival at the international competition destination. The preservation of both the sleep quality and quantity during long-haul travel may also be an important strategy to manage jetlag.3,8 Players that slept for longer during the flight presented with minimal perceptions of jetlag and this was maintained across the monitoring period. In contrast, players with lower in-flight sleep duration reported some perceptions of jetlag, which improved two days after arrival at the destination. It is acknowledged that the financial constraints of travelling business class may be a limitation for elite team sporting organisations, however the investment to achieve sleep quality and quantity similar to habitual values prior to an important international competition may outweigh the costs associated with the alternative approach of an arriving days earlier (e.g., accommodation) to facilitate recovery from travel.
In summary, the three studies in this thesis add to the knowledge of the objective sleep characteristics of elite male and female team sport athletes exhibited during competition. Our findings demonstrate that the sleep characteristics during competition are not compromised when compared to habitual. However, the habitual characteristics were not optimal, providing the greatest opportunity for intervention. The findings provide high performance practitioners and coaches with information to assist with the implementation of individualised and team strategies to optimise the sleep, well-being and performance of elite team sport athletes. Furthermore, preserving the sleep quality and quantity during international travel should be considered when planning travel and training upon arrival at the international competition destination.
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Hall, Tammy Kay. "Determinants of elite athletes' commitment to sport : examination of the sport commitment model in the professional sport domain." PDXScholar, 1993. https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/open_access_etds/3551.
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This study examined the applicability of the Sport Commitment Model for a group of elite, professional athletes. The model proposes that an athlete's commitment will increase as sport enjoyment, personal investments, social constraints, and involvement opportunities increase and will decrease with an increase in involvement opportunities. The influence of identification as an athlete, a determinant of commitment not included in the original model, was also examined. One hundred and eighty three professional football players from the Canadian Football League (CFL) (n = 121) and National Football League (NFL) (n = 69) participated in the study. Each subject completed a modified version of the original questionnaire developed to test the constructs in the Sport Commitment Model (Scanlan, Simons, Carpenter, Schmidt, & Keeler, 1993) during a team meeting. Internal consistency reliabilities for the final items in all seven scales were acceptable. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated marginal overall fit (AGFI = 0.757) demonstrating good construct validity and discriminant validity for each scale. Zero-order correlations between commitment and its predictor constructs were significant and in the hypothesized direction for all predictor constructs except social constraints. The correlation between commitment and social constraints was negative and nonsignificant. The simultaneous regression analysis results found the predictor constructs accounted for 38% of the variance in commitment. Identification uniquely accounted for the most variance followed by enjoyment, involvement alternatives, and involvement opportunities. Only personal investments and social constraints did not contribute a significant amount of unique variance to sport commitment. The importance and meaning of the relationships between commitment and its determinants for professional athletes are discussed, as well as directions for future research.
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Travis, Spencer Kyle, Michael C. Zourdos, and Caleb D. Bazyler. "Attempt Progressions of Elite Male Raw Powerlifters." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2019. https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu-works/5790.
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Palmer, Claire Louise. "Fitness training adherence of elite netball players." Thesis, Manchester Metropolitan University, 1999. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.302627.
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This programme of research contributed to the understanding of the process of fitness training adherence of elite netball players. It was designed to quantify fitness training adherence using a valid method of measurement, identify fitness training facilitators and barriers, examine the utility of social cognitive theories in predicting and explaining fitness training adherence and assess the efficacy of a theory-based intervention aimed at improving training adherence. In Chapter 2.1, the strong correlations between the diary measures and a 3-week recall measures for aerobic and strength training frequency (r = .64 and .70, p < .01, respectively) provided support for the construct validity of the diary method. Adherence was moderate for both aerobic (71 + 27%, M ± SD) and strength training (65 + 30%). Moreover, only 1 player (4%) managed to fully adhere to the recommended programme. Chapter 2.2 examined the utility of the Theory of Planned Behaviour and Social Cognitive Theory in predicting aerobic training adherence. Neither of the theories significantly predicted adherence behaviour. However, within both of the theories, past training behaviour accounted for a significant unique portion of the variance in training adherence. In Chapter 2.3 a cross-case analysis of semi-structured interview data revealed that the key facilitators and barriers of fitness training behaviour could be usefully viewed within the framework of the revised Theory of Planned Behaviour. Chapter 2.4 examined the utility of Social Cognitive Theory, the Theory of Planned Behaviour and the revised Theory of Planned Behaviour in predicting fitness training adherence. The revised Theory of Planned Behaviour proved to be the best predictor of training adherence, accounting for 80% (77% adjusted) of the variance. Social Cognitive Theory and the Theory of Planned Behaviour accounted for 500/0 (41 % adjusted) and 21 % (11 % adjusted) of the variance in training adherence, respectively. Chapter 2.5 investigated the efficacy of an intervention, based on the predictions of the revised Theory of Planned Behaviour, designed to improve training adherence. Large effect sizes (0.93 - 3.80) for improvements in adherence between baseline and post-intervention were found for 13 players (760/0). A follow-up assessment over 7- weeks showed that players' training adherence remained improved.
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Campbell, Joseph, and n/a. "The organisation and structure of elite junior sport in the ACT." University of Canberra. Education, 1993. http://erl.canberra.edu.au./public/adt-AUC20050809.115336.
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Cormack, Stuart J. "Neuromuscular fatigue and endocrine responses in elite Australian Rules football players." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2008. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/19.
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The first purpose of this research was to establish the reliability of numerous measures obtained from a single and short duration repeated countermovement jump (CMJ) utilising a portable forceplate (Experimental Studies 1 and 2). Secondly, the response of reliable CMJ variables and T, C and T:C to a single elite level ARF match was assessed to identify the pattern of response and highlight those measures with the greatest potential for usefulness as monitoring tools across longer periods (Experimental Study 3). Finally, those variables identified as most valuable in Experimental Study 3 in addition to T, C and T:C; were measured throughout a season of elite ARF competition in order to examine the manner of their response and assess the magnitude of change in these variables in relation to performance and training and competition loads (Experimental Study 4).
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Taylor, Jacqueline A. "Task and ego orientation and imagery use in elite sport." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 1998. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk3/ftp04/mq30828.pdf.
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Hesford, Catherine Mary. "The use of portable near infared spectroscopy in elite sport." Thesis, University of Essex, 2012. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.573739.
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Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) is a non-invasive technique which can be used to monitor changes in oxygen saturation and haemoglobin concentration in the muscle microvasculature during exercise. The recent development of reliable portable NIRS devices presents the opportunity to measure muscle oxygenation and blood flow in-vivo during simulated competition in a realistic sporting setting. Therefore, portable NIRS was used to monitor right and left leg quadriceps oxygenation and blood volume changes during simulated competition in short-track speed skating, across a range of race distances. During race simulation over 500m in male subjects, linear regression analysis revealed asymmetry between right and left vastus lateralis muscle oxygen saturation (TSI%) data: TSI% decreased to a plateau after 8s, after which right leg TSI% remained constant throughout the rest of the simulation (slope value = 0.01), whereas left leg TSI% increased steadily (slope value = 0.16), leading to a significant asymmetry (p<0.05) in the final lap. Although total muscle haemoglobin concentration decreased equally in both legs at the start of the simulation, during the course of subsequent laps there was a strong asymmetry during cornering; when skaters travelled solely on the right leg there was a decrease in its haemoglobin concentration whereas an increase was seen in the left leg. This difference was attributed to the differing technical demands placed on the two legs during cornering at high speeds. When comparisons were made between NIRS-derived changes over 3 race distances in males and females, it was shown that neither race distance nor sex had a significant effect on the magnitude of maximal muscle desaturation (~TSlmax). Linear regression analysis revealed asymmetry between right and left leg desaturation in males during the final stages of skating across each race distance, but not in females. Thus, NIRS-derived measurements of local muscle oxygenation can provide insight into velocity and pacing changes in speed skating, and technical differences between male and female skaters. Comparison between skating and cycling data revealed that NIRS-detected leg asymmetry was due to the specific demands of short-track speed skating. However, heterogeneity between individuals is not specific to the mode of exercise. Finally, the possibility of using portable NIRS to monitor adaptations to endurance training in . . elite biathletes was examined. Training did not significantly affect muscle oxygen saturation levels during submaximal treadmill running, although it did reduce blood lactate values. Comparison of data for males and females revealed a significant effect of adipose tissue thickness on magnitude of tissue saturation change during running. The results presented here suggest that the utility ofNIRS as a tool for monitoring peripheral adaptations to training interventions in elite athletes is still subject to debate. However, this thesis does show that portable NIRS can be used in a variety of sporting contexts as a viable tool to address questions relating to the supply and utilisation of oxygen in specific muscles during dynamic exercise in the field.
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Minten, John Hubert. "The effect of new provisions on non-elite sport careers." Thesis, University of Liverpool, 1994. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.387346.
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Young, Eugene Patrick. "Sport, politics and higher education : higher education's role in the network that supports elite sports development." Thesis, University of Ulster, 2001. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.365399.
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Green, Michael J. "An analysis of elite sport policy change in three sports in Canada and the United Kingdom." Thesis, Loughborough University, 2003. https://dspace.lboro.ac.uk/2134/7900.
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This thesis explores the process of elite sport policy change in three sports (swimming, athletics and sailing/yachting) in Canada and the United Kingdom (UK). The nature of policy change is a complex and multi-faceted process and a primary aim of the study is to identify and analyse key sources of policy change in four elements of elite sport programming: i) the development of elite level facilities; ii) the emergence of 'full-time' swimmers, athletes and sailors; iii) the adoption of a more professional and scientific approach to coaching, sports science and sports medicine; and iv) competition opportunities and structures at the elite level. The study focuses on the meso-level of analysis, which centres on the structures and patterns of relationships in respect of three Canadian national sporting organisations (NSOs) and three UK national governing bodies of sport (NGBs) - representing the three sports cited above. The macro-level of analysis is also considered, where the primary concern is to analyse relations of power between governmenta nd quasi-governmentasl porting agenciesa nd the respective NSOs/NGBs. A case study approach is adopted, focusing on the six NSOs/NGBs, wherein a qualitative methodology is utilised in order to elicit data in respect of policy change in the four key elements of elite sport programming set out above. Within the case study approach, the advocacy coalition framework has proved useful in drawing attention to the notion of changing values and belief systems as a key source of policy change, as well as highlighting the need to take into account factors external to the policy subsystem under investigation. In Canada, it is evident that the preoccupation with high performance sport over the past 30 years, at federal government level, has perceptibly altered over the past two to three years. In contrast, in the UK, from the mid-1990s onwards, there has been a noticeable shift towards supporting elite sport objectives from both Conservative and Labour administrations. The study concludes that it is only by exploring specific sports through a comparative-analytic framework that a better understanding of policy change, within the complex and multi-layered sport policy process, might be achieved.
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Moyle, Gene Margaret. "Psychological screening and injury among elite athletes." Thesis, University of Southern Queensland, 2005. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/69367/1/Gene_Moyle_-_Doctoral_Thesis_2005.pdf.
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The purpose of the present investigation was to evaluate the effectiveness of the psychological component of the Queensland Academy of Sport (QAS) Health Screening Questionnaire in screening for injury/illness characteristics among elite athletes. In total, 793 scholarship athletes (409 females and 384 males) ranging in age from 11 to 41 years (M = 19, SD = 4.4) across 20 sports at the QAS in Brisbane, Australia, completed the QAS Health Screening Questionnaire. Psychological risk factors examined were life stress and mood, as measured by the Perceived Stress Scale - 10 (PSS-10) and the Brunel Mood Scale (BRUMS) respectively, in addition to disordered eating behaviours and history of diagnosed psychological disorders. Medical risk factors examined included asthma and back pain. Single-factor MANOVAs showed multivaritate effects for injury, second injury, back pain, asthma, anxiety disorder diagnosis, and fasting. Discriminant function analyses demonstrated that life stress and mood scores had significant utility in correctly classifying injury and second injury status, asthma, back pain, anxiety, and eating disorder diagnosis, in addition to the use of fasting and vomiting as weight control methods. The present findings suggest that the psychology component of the QAS Health Screening Questionnaire demonstrates significant utility as a screening tool regarding injury/illness characteristics among elite athletes.
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Hong, Eunah. "An analysis of the sport policy process in the Republic of Korea : the cases of elite sport development and sport for all." Thesis, Loughborough University, 2010. https://dspace.lboro.ac.uk/2134/5886.
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This thesis aims to analyse the sport policy process in the Republic of Korea through an examination of the cases of elite sport and sport for all. This study assesses the utility of a number of theoretical frameworks all of which were created either in the North America or Europe. The following macro-level theories are discussed and assessed: Marxism, Elitism and Pluralism. At the meso-level Policy Community (Marsh and Rhodes 1992), Multiple Streams Framework (Kingdon, 1995) and Advocacy Coalition Framework (Sabatier and Jenkin-Smith, 1999) were investigated and their utility in the Korean context was evaluated. Two case studies, elite sport and sport for all, were chosen and qualitative research methods were used in order to gather empirical data. A series of forty three semistructured interviews were undertaken. The first round of interview was conducted between 22nd June 2007 and 11th July 2007 followed by more extensive second round of interviews from 29th November 2007 to 15th June 2008 in Korea. The interviewees included academics, journalists, elite athletes, senior officers in the government and sub-national government, senior officers in national government organisations such as KSC, NACOSA, SOSFO, senior officials in KISS, NGBs, the business sector, the military sector and voluntary organisations such as YMCA. Interview data was supported by extensive analysis of documents including government reports, annual Sport White Papers, newspapers and magazine articles. One of the central findings is that decision-making in relation to high performance (elite) sport policy is dominated by members of the political, business and military elite. High performance sport decision-making is tightly controlled by the government which has been consistently the core actor in Korea's elite sport policy process with there being little evidence of civil society involvement. As regard Sport For All, different levels of government and also non-government organisations were involved in promoting Sport For All. However of particular note is the lack of contact and cooperation between the government and other nongovernment organisations, for example, YMCA in terms of sharing experiences of promoting sport. Despite the involvement of different levels of government and of non-government organisations policy direction and momentum was largely set by the elite level of central government. The analysis reveals that elitism is the most appropriate framework to apply in Korean sport policy at the macro-level. As for the meso-level, none of the three frameworks were considered to be particularly useful although Policy Community appeared to be appropriate in the early stage of the research.
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James, David William George. "The nature and impact of achievement goals in elite sport competitors." Thesis, University of Exeter, 1999. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.286490.
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Seal, Emma. "Juggling identities : elite female athletes' negotiation of identities in disability sport." Thesis, University of Bath, 2015. https://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.669026.
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The focus of this thesis is the negotiation of identities by elite-level female athletes involved in disability sport. Recently, the London 2012 and Sochi 2014 Paralympic games have showcased the contemporary nature of disability sport and ostensibly suggest a growth in public interest within this field. However, there has been limited research to date conducted into the experiences of physically impaired, female athletes at the elite level of disability sport. Moreover, the existing literature fails to address the negotiation of identities within the interplay of gender, ‘disability’, body and wider socio-cultural influences. Inspired by this dearth of literature and the desire to contribute to disability sport theorisation, my research questions how elite female athletes negotiate their identities across contexts and the wider social, cultural and political values that influence this process. I address their experiences in relation to these factors alongside the intersection of gender and disability. I have explored the women’s experiences by utilising symbolic interactionism in combination with a social-relational conceptualisation of disability. This theoretical approach recognises the women’s bodies as a ‘fleshy presence’ in their interactional encounters and brings ‘impairment’ back into the theorisation of disability (Waskul and Vannini 2006). This approach allows me to interrogate the women’s unique realities in relation to wider socio-cultural values, and the ‘micro relations’ of their day-to-day lives. A life history perspective guides the methodological framework, which foregrounds and prioritises the seven elite female athletes’ subjective experiences in relation to the socio-historical context. The narratives offer a powerful and original insight into the complexity of disability, whilst addressing the multiple and fluid nature of the participants’ identities. This advances the use of the social-relational model and fosters new understandings of the social relations underpinning the effects of impairment. I have developed the concept of ‘reverse stigma’ and have highlighted the need to disrupt the social processes that create stigmatic physicality, whilst demonstrating how impairment is perceived in different social contexts. My research has provided an original contribution by generating an in-depth picture of how the women experience their lives, how they see themselves as disabled (or not) and the wider intersecting forces that shape and influence their realities. This is significant for highlighting the way disability and disabled female athletes are perceived in Western society.
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Cruickshank, Andrew. "Delivering culture change in elite sport performance teams : a first exploration." Thesis, University of Central Lancashire, 2013. http://clok.uclan.ac.uk/9233/.
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The efficient and effective management-led implementation of change is often required for successful performance across a host of organisational domains (By, 2005; du Gay & Vikkelsø, 2012; Sorge & van Witteloostuijn, 2004). However, while a major modern-day industry, elite sport organisations have seen limited development of their change management practices; particularly those deployed in the department responsible their core product: on field performance. Reflecting growing awareness of the need for elite sport performance team managers to rapidly create and sustain high performing cultures when taking over at a new team (Cruickshank & Collins, 2012a; Fletcher & Arnold, 2011; League Managers Association, 2012; Lee, Shaw, & Chesterfield, 2009), the aim of this thesis was to therefore provide the first exploration of this specific culture change process. Accordingly, interviews were undertaken with performance team managers in professional then Olympic sport as part of a grounded theory approach for developing domain-specific models of culture change best practice. Illuminating the criticality of the manger’s initial programme integration phase, both models primarily depicted a holistic, dynamic, and 360-degree process which was rooted to the manager’s power- and political-based interactions with key internal and external stakeholders. To further understanding of these features and their effective management, a case study of a successful change programme in a professional sport performance team was undertaken. This time examining multi-stakeholder perspectives (i.e., team management, players, support staff, and CEO) through a decentred theory lens, successful change was shown to have been facilitated by the team managers’ deployment of processes which proactively encouraged a “to and fro” of social power. Additionally, and falling out from the analysed data across the grounded theory and case studies, a unique change-mechanism plus a range of novel and previously overlooked leadership styles and management skills were also found to underpin optimal change in all settings. Overall, this thesis represented a long overdue study of the challenges faced by newly appointed elite sport performance team managers and, most significantly, provided the first sports team-specific, evidence-based implications on which these may be surmounted to enable consistent success.
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Adom-Aboagye, Nana Akua Achiaa. "An exploratory study of the experiences of receiving funding support for elite sport in South Africa." University of the Western Cape, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/11394/4739.
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Magister Artium (Sport, Recreation and Exercise Science) - MA(SRES)Despite government’s formation of financial support grants such as the Operational Excellence Programme to provide much needed assistance, South African elite athletes have not been performing to expectation at recent international championships, such as the Olympic Games. International experiences demonstrate the importance of a well-structured and implemented funding support system to improve elite athlete performance at international levels. This has led to questions of how to improve this situation for elite South African athletes who receive funding support from the South Africa Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee and to revisit the implementation of the funding support for elite athletes. This study will take, experiences of South African elite athletes as well as sport managers into consideration and will also look at international lessons of experience of the funding support of elite sport to provide improved options for financial support and elite athlete development. Using qualitative research methods, this study explored the underlying factors regarding funding support of elite athletes in South Africa based on experiences and perceptions of elite athletes. Within the context of the study, elite athletes would refer to senior track and field athletes and senior swimmers who had been a part of Team South Africa and represented the nation at international competitions. Data was collected in three ways: a) A literature review in the form of an analysis of the high performance policies of: the National Olympic Committee of South Africa and the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee that has governed elite sport in South Africa post 1994 and the policies that govern high performance funding support within Athletics South Africa and Swimming South Africa; b) interviews with eight preselected elite athletes to discuss career performances and funding support received and c) interviews with four coaches/managers of the preselected elite athletes to discuss their perspectives on the funding support their athletes received. Strict ethics considerations were also adhered to insofar as written consent was obtained from all participants beforehand, as the intended interviews would be either audio recorded or video recorded. Pseudonyms were also used for participants with the assurance that participation was voluntary. The eventual findings of the study brought to light that the implementation of the funding support provided by the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee was good in theory but not necessarily so in practice. Overall, participants were grateful for the support received but felt that certain changes needed to be considered going forward for the improvement of future performances.
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Venter, Rachel Elizabeth. "A model for psychophysiological regeneration of elite team athletes." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/1171.
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Thesis (PhD (Sports Science))--Stellenbosch University, 2008.There is general consensus that athletes, striving to compete and perform at the highest level, should optimally balance training and competition stress with adequate regeneration. Although a well-planned training programme is of utmost importance, the time between training sessions and competitions is critical for the modern-day athlete. It is suggested that athletes should apply a variety of recovery methods to enhance the regeneration process. Although team sport is a popular entity throughout the world, there is limited published research on the regeneration process in team athletes and recovery methods to enhance the regeneration process. The aim of this study was to develop a model that could serve as a guideline for the regeneration of team athletes within the South African context. Two phases were involved in the process of developing a model. Phase one involved a research of literature in order to assess which strategies can be implemented for athletic regeneration, and what information team athletes are given for regeneration. The second phase involved an investigation into the recovery strategies that are currently used for regeneration by elite South African team players during the competitive phase of the year. Research questions focused on the recovery methods used by players, the perceived importance of various recovery methods to the players, and the relationship between sport and level of participation in the use of recovery strategies. This study did not attempt to assess the knowledge of the players on recovery methods.
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Wang, Weiming. "The significance of hosting the 2008 Olympic Games for elite sport and sport for all in China." Thesis, Loughborough University, 2010. https://dspace.lboro.ac.uk/2134/6140.
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This thesis explores the significance of hosting the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games (OGs) on elite sport and sport for all development in China. The impacts of the OGs have received significant attention from both academics and practitioners worldwide in the last 20 years and attention has been predominantly paid to political, cultural, economic, and environmental impacts of hosting them, especially as these emerge after the event. However, little concern was given to changes in the host country s sport development that are due to games related preparations. This study identifies the characteristics of the sport system, the policy actors, and how such actors were involved in preparations for the 2008 OGs, and it also outlines the development of policy concerning elite sport and sport for all. A case study approach was adopted focusing on the 2008 OGs. Adopting a qualitative methodology, the study utilised document analysis and semi-structured interviews to elicit data regarding the significance of preparations for the 2008 OGs on elite sport and sport for all. Globalisation, governance and policy making were found to be useful lenses through which to explore the processes of the emergence of such impacts. This thesis found that central government and the General Administration of Sport (GAOS) were the two most powerful policy actors in both elite sport and sport for all development in China, and made decisions as regards how to develop China s sport taking the opportunities of hosting the 2008 OGs. The research reveals that preparations for the 2008 OGs have various impacts on the elite sport and sport for all sectors. On one hand, the impacts can be witnessed in increased funding, more attention received from central government and GAOS, more sport policies, increased number of sport venues, new and updated facilities and equipment, technological, scientific and medical support, and increased sport participation; on the other hand, through providing such support, GAOS exerted its control over non-governmental organisations and individuals, such as via the restrictions by GAOS on athletes commercial activities, and national competitions. The research found evidence that globalisation had influenced China s general governance (including sport governance) process since the 1970s, with governance becoming more privatised and decentralised. However, sport governance took a different path after China won the bid in 2001. Against the backdrop of decentralisation having been previously officially adopted for Chinese sport governance, the research revealed that in pursuit of the aim of winning more medals in the 2008 OGs temporarily recentralisation occurred as required by central government and GAOS. The research also revealed that increased numbers of policies were produced to develop both elite sport and sport for all, however the interests of the public had not always been satisfied because of China's closed policy making process. Therefore, some impacts had not turned out as expected for the public.
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Mitchell, Thomas. "Identity in elite youth professional football." Thesis, Liverpool John Moores University, 2016. http://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/4544/.
Full textAbstract:
The concepts of Athletic Identity (Brewer, Van Raalte, & Linder,1993) and identity (Erikson, 1950, 1968) both carry notions of having a clear sense of self definition. Applied practitioners in elite professional football settings (e.g. Holt & Dunn, 2004; Harwood, 2008; Nesti & Littlewood, 2010; Nesti, 2013) have championed the notion that individuals who possess a clear sense of self, (generally) cope with the demanding nature of first team football, and the daily challenges that arise from their chosen profession (i.e., injury, de-selection). Conversely, a small number of researchers have consistently argued that professional football club culture may not support the development of a clear sense of identity in (young) players, as it has been described as espousing notions of power, dominance, authority and insecurity (see e.g. Parker, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2001; Roderick, 2006, 2006a). The present thesis explores the role of identity, the impact of football club culture on its formation, and its importance in the career trajectory of youth team footballers. Across three distinct studies, this thesis explores the concepts of Athletic Identity, identity, and the creation of club culture within youth and professional football. Study one used a cross sectional approach, within and across levels of play along with distinct situational, demographic variables to assess any differentiating factors in Athletic Identity in 168 (N = 168) youth team footballers. Football club explained 30% of the variance in exclusivity among players (p = .022). Mean social identity was significantly higher for those players in the first year of their apprenticeship compared to the second year (p = .025). The range of variance for exclusivity amongst players suggested it was the cultural climate created at each individual football club that impacted this subscale of Athletic Identity. Study Two used a qualitative approach with the aim of critically exploring the perceptions of practitioners in relation to; ideal player characteristics, working practices, organisational culture and environmental conditions. These facets are influenced by practitioners within youth development programmes, all of which contribute to shaping a player’s identity (Erikson, 1968). A total of 19 youth development practitioners were interviewed during data collection. Practitioners provided an explicit and clear blueprint of the ideal player characteristics required for successful upward transition, including, self belief, dedication and self awareness, which are synonymous with notions of identity. Finally, Study three used a case study approach to critically examine how players’ experiences of a professional football environment and culture served to shape their identity and allows them to cope with critical moments. A Championship football club served as the case study in which 4 players were interviewed 3 times over the course of one season. Findings were represented as narrative stories of each player. Findings suggested that having a clear sense of identity provided players with a platform for resilience and perseverance throughout a range of critical moments. In summary, it is vital that appropriate internal (club) and external (affiliated organisations) strategies are developed and integrated into practice to ensure that players develop a clear sense of identity and meaning. It is essential that this transcends the professional football domain for players to have the best possible platform for career progression and career termination.
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Harding, Jason. "Technological Performance Assessment Innovation for Elite-Level Snowboarding." Thesis, Griffith University, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/10072/367213.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis focuses on the introduction of sport science and engineering techniques for
performance assessment in competitive half-pipe snowboarding. Performance data was
collected over three winter seasons from 2006 to 2008 including a Winter Olympic
Games and was used to establish objective key performance indicators (KPI’s) that
account for a large percentage of the variance in subjectively judged competition
scores. These findings were then applied to customise wearable sensor technology to
develop an automated performance feedback system suitable for everyday use. This
system was subsequently used to run the first electronically judged half-pipe snowboard
competition in the world. Furthermore, the impact of sport science and new technology
on the sport of snowboarding was assessed, allowing the snowboarding community to
articulate their interests in forums that convey influence. This thesis establishes that it is
no longer a question of whether the theoretical framework or technological innovation
is there to automatically provide objective, performance-based information for halfpipe
snowboarding but rather if and how coaches, athletes and competition judges plan
to utilise such capabilities. In addition, this thesis recommends that any further
development and integration of such concepts be conducted in close association with
core community members and be ultimately controlled from within the sport.Thesis (PhD Doctorate)
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Griffith School of Engineering
Science, Environment, Engineering and Technology
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Adie, Joshua M. "When in doubt, it's not out! leg-before-wicket (LBW) decision-making of elite-level cricket umpires." Thesis, Queensland University of Technology, 2022. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/232519/1/Joshua_Adie_Thesis.pdf.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis aimed to develop a deeper understanding of elite-level cricket umpires’ leg-before-wicket (LBW) decisions. The thesis analysed decisions from real professional cricket matches to determine whether umpires’ decisions were biased by contextual factors such as match format, expectations, or home team advantage. This thesis also investigated the explicit decision-making expertise and beliefs of cricket umpires through interviews with elite-level officials to develop a conceptual model of LBW decisions.
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Uys, Stefanie M. (Stefanie Margaretha). "The use of computerised games analysis to identify critical indicators of success in elite level netball." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2001. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/52585.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (MScSportSc)--Stellenbosch University, 2001.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Netball is a fast and skilful team sport in which players need to be "quickthinking", because they are required to make fast and accurate decisions in ever-changing situations. Netball is a highly tactical game. Therefore the game has to be analysed on all levels of play. During every game or training session the coach has to look for those factors that influence performance and determine success. Methods of games analysis have been improved through the development of video and computer technology, in order to help coaches gather critical data. This study will utilise games analysis as a method for gaining insight into what kinds of "critical incidents" on a netball court lead a team to either score a goal, or to allow the opponent to score against them. Four expert coaches analysed game play from three top-level international netball matches in order to identify the reasons for success/failure during game play. A computer-based games analysis system was used to identify the reasons for losing ball possession during the same games analysed by the experts. The results of computer-based games analysis was compared to the analysis provided by elite coaches in order to determine the value of the technology in providing relevant information. These identified key performance indicators were then ranked according to frequency. Additional games statistics were generated, using games analysis. This knowledge will not only contribute to an understanding of how technology can support coaching, but it will also expand our understanding of the tactics of netball and thus contribute to coaches' efforts to teach players how to make "good decisions". An important by-product of this study was the identification of the key performance indicators that influence success/failure in netball. This knowledge should help coaches determine what kinds of tactical learning situations are important to include in practice sessions. It is the coach's responsibility to develop thinking players. On court - during a game - it is the players' responsibility to read the game and make instant decisions. Also during the game - during time outs and half time- it is the coach's responsibility to give the players feedback on their decision-making and to make suggestions for improvements. Both roles require effective analysis of the game. Keywords: netball; games analysis; technology
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Netbal is 'n vinnige vaardigheidspel. Spelers moet oor die vermoe beskik om in aanhoudende veranderde situasies en spel vinnige, akkurate besluite te neem. Dit is 'n uiters taktiese spel en daarom moet dit op alle vlakke geanaliseer word. Gedurende elke oefensessie en wedstryd moet die aftigter fokus op faktore wat die sukses en prestasie van 'n speier of span kan beinvloed. Met behulp van die verbeterde rekenaar- en videotegnologie is verskillende metodes van wedstrydanalises ontwikkel - met die doel om afrigters te fasiliteer om kritiese informasie te versamel. Die doel van hierdie studie is om wedstrydanalise as 'n metode te beskryf om kritiese situasies te identifiseer wat tot gevolg het dat 'n span 'n doel wen of afstaan. Vier topvlak afrigters het drie internasionale wedstryde geanaliseer om sodoende die redes vir sukses of rnislukte pogings in die wedstryd te identifiseer. In dieselfde drie wedstryde is 'n rekenaar wedstrydanalise stelsel gebruik om die redes vir balbesit of -verlies te identifiseer. Die resultate van die rekanaar-gebaseerde spelanalises en die vier afrigters is vergelyk om die waarde van die verskil in informasie te vergelyk en te bepaal. Die kern prestasiefaktore wat deur bogenoemde geidentifiseer is, is volgens rangorde geplaas op grond van die frekwensie waarop dit voorgekom het. Hierdie inligting sal as 'n bydrae dien tot die wyse waartoe tegnologie afrigting kan ondersteun. Dit brei ook die verstaanbaarheid van taktiek in netbal uit en bevorder besluitnerning meer spesifiek. 'n Belangrike resultaat van die studie is die identifikasie van die kern prestasiefaktore. Hierdie inligting kan afrigters in verskeie taktiese leer-situasies ondersteun. Die ideaal is dat elke afrigter sy verantwoordelikheid sal besef om onafhanklike, selfdenkende spelers te ontwikkel. Op die baan is dit gevolglik die speier se eie verantwoordelikheid om die wedstryd te lees en besluite te neem. Gedurende halftyd en na die wedstryd is dit die afrigter se verantwoordelikheid om aan spelers terugvoering te gee, asook aanbevelings te maak ten opsigte van besluitneming. Beide rolle, as afrigter of speier, vereis effektiewe wedstrydanalise. Sleutelwoorde: netbal; wedstrydanalise; tegnologie
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Thrush, Andrew D. "An investigation of stakeholders and organisational capacity for elite athlete development in Australian surfing." Thesis, Griffith University, 2021. http://hdl.handle.net/10072/410152.
Full textAbstract:
International sporting success produces many benefits for countries including nationalistic pride, promotion of health through sport participation and more tangible benefits such economic impacts from tourism promotion. Consequently, many countries’ governments are continually seeking to adopt successfully proven elite sport developmental policies and practices that provide clear, efficient and effective pathways to success for their elite athletes. In recent developments, the rapid rise in popularity of, and participation in, lifestyle sports like surfing resulted in being included at the Olympics and set to make its Olympic debut in July 2021 in Japan. Research suggests that lifestyle sports may deviate from the sport development pathways of traditional sports (Kellett & Russell, 2009). Once just a lifestyle sport, surfing is now required to also offer pathways and opportunities to talented surfers to reach a level where they can qualify and compete at the Olympic Games. Given the unique predicament that surfing is faced with, the purpose of this two phase thesis was to examine the role of various stakeholders involved with sport development and their contribution to supporting elite surfer development processes. Using the attraction, retention/transition and nurturing (ARTN) framework of sport development processes (Sotiriadou et al., 2008), the first phase of this thesis adopted an organisational perspective to explain how sport organisations and stakeholders within these organisations develop, deliver or support surfing programs and strategies at different development stages. Data from 26 in-depth interviews with personnel of key stakeholder organisations such as Surfing Australia (NSO), State Sporting Organisations (SSOs) of surfing as well as surfboard riding clubs were thematically analysed to explore stakeholder involvement and how their interactions and strategies shape elite surfer pathways in Australia. The findings revealed that Surfing Australia, the SSOs, and third party organisations (TPOs) are involved in the elite surfer pathway. However, board riding clubs are the predominant stakeholders, particularly during the attraction process, with some involvement in the retention/transition process. The first phase of this thesis concluded that all stakeholders need to collaborate with each other during the sport development processes to achieve optimum outcomes for pre-elite and elite athletes (Sotiriadou et al., 2017). The second phase of this thesis was to firstly, examine the organisational capacity of a non-profit community sport club to achieve its goals, and secondly, to assess the sport club’s capacity to contribute to the foundation processes of elite surfer development. Using Hall et al.’s (2003) organisational capacity framework, data were collected from 14 in-depth interviews with representatives from Australian surfboard riding clubs. The findings revealed several strengths and weaknesses within the dimensions of human resources, financial, relationships and networks, infrastructure and process, and planning and development capacity. A key finding from the first part of the second phase of this thesis was that human resources capacity is central to the other capacity dimensions in that the level of human resource capacity can have a critical impact on the other dimensions. The second part of the second phase revealed that during the process of attraction, most board riding clubs possess strengths in all dimensions of organisational capacity to contribute to the sport development of surfers. However, during the sport development process of retention/transition, only some clubs have strengths in human resources, financial, and relationships and networking capacities, and they face challenges with infrastructure and process, as well as planning and development capacity. The second phase of the thesis concluded that if clubs are to continue being the predominant stakeholder in the elite surfer pathway, then there is need for consultation between the key organisations such as the NSO, SSOs and other relevant stakeholders regarding the level of support that clubs require to fill the gaps of the elite surfer pathway. This thesis proposes a model that combines sport development and organisational capacity and adds understanding to existing knowledge of elite sport development and the capacity building of the stakeholders or sports clubs involved with that process. The model assesses the strengths and challenges that board riding clubs face with regards to their organisational capacity to offer the foundations for elite surfer development. The subsequent identification of specific deficiencies will allow for capacity building strategies to be developed to be specifically implemented for successful elite sport development. The model was developed in the context of a lifestyle community sports club, however it is intended for wider application to be tested in different contexts, or on a sport-by-sport basis.Thesis (PhD Doctorate)
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Dept Tourism, Sport & Hot Mgmt
Griffith Business School
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Tan, Tien-Chin. "Chinese sports policy and globalisation : the case of the Olympic movement, elite football and elite basketball." Thesis, Loughborough University, 2008. https://dspace.lboro.ac.uk/2134/15139.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis seeks to analyse to what extent, in what ways and with what success does the Chinese government seek to manage its interaction with sport globalisation in Olympic Movement, football and basketball? Held et al's (1999) conceptualisation of globalisation provides the major theoretical framework for the analysis. In order to analyse the behaviour of the Chinese state we adopt Houlihan's (1994) concepts of 'reach' and 'response' which focus attention on global actors and pressures external to the country and state (reach) and the capacity of states to determine their response. A set of quantitative and qualitative indicators of globalisation have been identified. Data were collected from a number of sources including official government documents, news media, and a series of 32 interviews with Chinese officials. The analysis reveals that the Chinese government has demonstrated a desire and a capacity to manage the impact of the Olympic Movement, global football and basketball on domestic sport practices; and second, the Chinese government has attempted, with reasonable success, to manage the impact of commercial interests on Chinese domestic football, basketball and other Olympic sports practices, elite athletes and professional clubs. However, a number of tensions exist: first, between the priorities of commercial clubs and national teams' development; and second, between the highly paid and internationally mobile 'star players' and the centrally controlled elite development system.
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Kallin, Jacob Stephen, and Petter Widmark. "Fotbollsakademiers arbete med spelarutveckling av pojkar i Sverige : En kvalitativ intervjustudie om arbetet med att hitta och förädla pojkfotbollstalanger i Sverige." Thesis, Umeå universitet, Pedagogiska institutionen, 2020. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-175101.
Full textAbstract:
The purpose of this study was to examine and compare how boy football academies in two different regions in Sweden work with talent development. To answer the purpose, the following questions were formed: How are players selected to play in the academy? What are the goals of the clubs’ academies? What environment and resources do the clubs have? The method used was semi-structured interview. Interviews were conducted with sporting directors in seven different academies in two different regions. We found that there are both similarities and major differences among the academies. The academies differ in some manner in almost all the studied areas, but region A produce vastly more elite senior level players than region B. The results could be due to the fact that region A start their academies from a younger age, have better access to competent personnel and have a greater pool of players to choose from but more research is needed to confirm this conclusion.
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Misener, Laura. "Exploration of federal sport policy on youth elite sport in Canada, a case study of Gymnastics Canada Gymnastique." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 2001. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk3/ftp04/MQ62256.pdf.
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Tymowski, Gabriela Izabela. "Rights and wrongs : a philosophical consideration of children's participation in elite sport." Thesis, University of Gloucestershire, 2002. http://eprints.glos.ac.uk/3064/.
Full textAbstract:
The experiences of some children participating in the demanding and intensive world of elite sport appear to compromise one of the primary aims of both childhood and parenthood, which should be for children to arrive on the threshold of adulthood with their futures open and unlimited. A body of evidence in the medical and socio-psychologicalliterature contends that child athletes participating in elite sport are being harmed physically, psychologically, and socially by the intensive training and competition practices required of athletes in sports such as women's gymnastics, figure skating, and others. Participation by children in the highest levels of sport change attitudes and impels behaviours in ways that are unique in their extent and devastating in their consequences. As the varying and often conflicting agendas of athletes, parents, coaches, agents, and sporting bureaucracies come into conflict, considerations of care and regard for the athletes become down played or even ignored, resulting in these young athletes being harmed, and their futures compromised. Children are characterised by their vulnerability, naivety, and inability to formulate their own life-plans, necessitating a degree of parental paternalism in their relationships with adults. This paternalism is justified by the child's dependency on others for protection, and for developing the necessary skills for self-sufficiency and self-determination secured through their burgeoning autonomy as they advance towards adulthood. Under law, parents are given primary responsibility for the health and welfare of their children, because they are ideally situated to determine their child's best interests. In sport, this responsibility is regularly transferred from the parents to the coach and other involved adults. Unfortunately, however, children may be exploited by the very individuals who are entrusted with their care and nurturance. A further body of evidence claims the inescapability of paternalism in relationships between adults and children in elite sport has been exploited: it is disrespectful of the child's burgeoning autonomy, and jeopardises his or her right to an open future. The child's right to an open future is an autonomy right-in-trust saved until he or she is more fully formed and capable of exercising self-determination. This right may be violated in advance of adulthood by foreclosure of options. In this thesis, I argue that elite sport children require a form of paternalism that protects their interests while at the same time is autonomy-respectful. This is actualised by a bifurcated rights system, which works towards securing non-harmful sports practices and preventing the premature foreclosure of life opportunities for elite child athletes post-sport.
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Rusciano, Aiace. "Sport neuropsychology and biofeeback interventions for optimizing performance in elite soccer players." Doctoral thesis, Università degli studi di Trieste, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10077/10074.
Full textAbstract:
2012/2013Twenty professional soccer players (N=20) in the Italian soccer first league - Serie A - were randomly divided into 2 equal groups: Experimental group (Group 1) and Control group (Group 2). Both groups received the same physical and tactical conditioning as the weekly program. Ten players (experimental group) received integrative training based on a specific autonomic-biofeedback protocol to improve central and peripheral efficiency of the nervous system. Pre- and post- assessment were conducted with a psychophysiological assessment and a cognitive task (visual search task) to measure the improvements. This dissertation reviews evidence in support of the notion that heart rate variability are associated with individual differences in cognitive performance: heart rate variability might serve as a peripheral index of the integrity of central nervous system networks that support goal-directed behavior. It is examined evidence about the relationship between higher levels of resting heart rate variability and superior performance on cognitive tasks. By providing a common neural basis for these diverse functions, the neurovisceral integration model may serve as a unifying framework within which to examine associations among these various self-regulatory and adaptability processes. The results showed that is possible to improve through this evidence-based mental training approach based on the autonomic nervous system biofeedback central abilities as visual searching and stress control in professional soccer players.
XXVI Ciclo
1981
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Nimphius, Sophia. "Performance characteristics of elite softball players: Changes and determinants of performance related to the lower body." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2009. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/2091.
Full textAbstract:
Study 1: Relationship between ground reaction force and ball velocity during windmill softball pitching The purpose of this research was to (1) determine the reliability of measuring ground reaction force (GRF) in multiple pitching trials and (2) investigate the relationship between ground reaction forces and pitch velocity in elite fastpitch softball pitchers. Seven female softball pitchers (19.6 ± 3.9 years; 167.4 ± 7.2 cm; 77.3 ± 7.6 kg) from the state, national and international level pitched six fastballs for maximal velocity and the fastest three pitches were used for analysis. Vertical peak forces (Fz1, Fz2), anterior-posterior peak forces (FAP1, FAP2), resultant peak forces (FR1, FR2) and maximal pitch velocity (PV) were measured using a force plate (Type 9287BA, Kistler) and a JUGS radar gun. Intraclass correlation (ICC) and coefficient of variance (CV) was determined for all variables and the relationship between PV and GRF was evaluated by Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient. Statistical significance was set at α level of p < 0.05. The ICC for all GRF variables (0.922-0.985) and PV (0.914) were high. CV for GRF variables ranged from 2.2% to 4.9% and 2.4% for PV. Fz2 and PV were significantly correlated (r = 0.89; p < 0.01). Fz2 relative to bodyweight (Fz2/BW) was also significantly correlated to PV (r = .801, p < 0.05). No other GRF measures were significantly correlated to PV. A high ICC and low CV across the variables support the reliability of GRF and PV over multiple trials. The strong correlation between Fz2 and PV provides evidence that a transfer of force to the lower body has a large contribution to windmill pitching performance. This supports prescription of lower body strength exercises to improve the ability of pitchers to effectively transmit forces through the lower body for improved PV.
Study 2: Relationship between strength, power, speed and change of direction performance of female softball players The purpose of this study was to investigate (1) the cross-sectional relationship of strength, power, and performance variables in trained female athletes and (2) determine if the relationship between these variables changes over the course of a season. Ten female softball players (age = 18.1 ± 1.6 years, height = 166.5 ± 8.9 cm, weight = 72.4 ± 10.8 kg) from a state Australian Institute of Sport softball team were tested for maximal lower body strength (1RM), peak force (PF), peak velocity (PV), and peak power (PP) during jump squats unloaded and loaded, unloaded countermovement vertical jump height (VJH) one base (1B) and two base (2B) sprint performance and change of direction performance on dominant (505 D) and non-dominant sides (505 ND). The testing sessions occurred pre, mid and post a 20 week pre/in-season training period. Relationship between body weight (BW), relative strength (1RM/BW), VJH, relative PP, relative PF, PV, speed and change of direction variables were assessed by Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient at each testing session. Significant relationships were found across all time points with BW, speed and change of direction measures (r = 0.70 to 0.93) and relative strength and measures of speed and change of direction ability (r = -0.73 to -0.85). There were no significant relationships between VJH and any measure of performance at any time point. In conclusion, body weight and relative strength have strong to very strong correlations with speed and change of direction ability and these correlations remain consistent over the course of the season. However, it seems as if many relationships vary with time and their relationships should therefore be investigated longitudinally to better determine if these cross-sectional relationships truly reflect a deterministic relationship.
Study 3: Changes in muscle architecture and performance during a competitive season in female softball players The purpose of this research was to (1) examine the performance changes that occur in elite female softball players during 20 weeks of concurrent softball training and (2) examine the relationship between percentage change in muscle architecture variables and percentage change in strength, speed and change of direction performance. Ten female softball players (age = 18.1 ± 1.6 years, height = 166.5 ± 8.9 cm, weight = 72.4 ± 10.8 kg) from a state Australian Institute of Sport softball team were tested for maximal lower body strength (1RM), peak force (PF), peak velocity (PV), and peak power (PP) during jump squats unloaded and loaded, one base (1B) and two base (2B) sprint performance, change of direction (505) on dominant (D) and non-dominant (ND) sides, aerobic capacity and vastus lateralis (VL) muscle architecture characteristics including muscle thickness (MT), fascicle length (FL) and pennation angle (θp). The testing sessions occurred pre, mid and post a 20 week pre/in-season training period. Changes over time were analyzed by repeated measures ANOVA. Relationship between percentage (%) change in muscle architecture variables and strength, speed and change of direction variables from pre to post were assessed by PPM correlation coefficient. Significant improvements in PV and PP occurred at all JS loads pre-mid and pre-post. Significant increases occurred pre-post in absolute 1RM, relative 1RM, 505 ND and 2B sprint. The strongest relationships were found between % change in VL MT and 1B sprint (r = -0.800, p = 0.06), % change in VL FL and 2B sprint (r = -0.835, p = 0.02), and % change in relative 1RM and 505 D (r = -0.702, p = 0.04). In conclusion, gains in strength, power and performance can occur through the season in elite softball players and are correlated to changes in muscle architecture.
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Theron, Nicolas Charle. "Medical conditions and illness in elite football players during international competition." Master's thesis, University of Cape Town, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/9034.
Full textAbstract:
Includes bibliographical references (leaves 121-128).Background: Previous clinical research of football players participating in international tournaments has mainly focussed on documentation of injuries and risk factors for injury. However, despite anecdotal evidence that medical symptomatology, illness and medical complaints are common during travel to international competitions, the epidemiology of medical conditions before, during or after elite level football tournaments, has not been well documented. Objective: The aims of the research presented in this dissertation were: 1) to determine the prevalence of medical conditions in elite football players 2) to determine the incidence and nature of medical conditions and illness in the elite football players participating in an international tournament (2009 FIFA Confederations Cup tournament) and 3) to provide data for the medical planning and management of elite football players during future events. Methods: The first component of this dissertation consisted of a comprehensive review of the current literature describing the prevalence and incidence of medical conditions and illness in athletes. The original research component of this dissertation consisted of two parts, and both studies were conducted during the FIFA Confederations Cup tournament, which was held in South Africa in June 2009. All the players in the 8 participating teams (23 players per team – a total of 184 players) were approached by the FIFA Medical Assessment and Research Centre (F-MARC) through their team physicians and invited to participate as research subjects in the studies. Part 1 (descriptive cross-sectional study): Prior to the tournament, all the players completed a previously validated medical history and illness questionnaire. Furthermore, the questionnaire contained sections on player demographics, training history, medication and supplement use, life-style history, family history of atopy, current and past history of medical conditions and detailed sections pertaining to upper respiratory tract infections (URTI), allergies, asthma, exercise associated muscle cramping (EAMC) and history of previous surgery. Part 2 (prospective cohort study): During the 15 days of the tournament each team physician was requested to complete a daily injury, medical illness and treatment log for each player. Finally, data on the environmental conditions at each venue were collected, as recorded by the South African Weather Service. Results: The main findings in part 1 of this study were: 1) exercise associated muscle cramping (EAMC) was the most prevalent medical condition reported, with 64 (46%) of the players reporting a history of EAMC, 2) the prevalence of allergy was 27 (20%) and asthma 6 (4%), 3) the prevalence of dermatological conditions was 16 (12%), 4) the prevalence of gastro-intestinal conditions was 10 (7%) and central nervous system conditions was 6 (4%), 5) URTI one week before the tournament was reported by 7 (5%) of the players, 6) 68 (49%) of the players reported a history of previous surgery and 7) 72 (52%) of the players reported the use of supplements or vitamins and 11 (8%) the use of medication. Knee surgery was the most common anatomical area operated with 33 (24%) of the players reporting previous knee surgery. This was followed by a much lower prevalence of ankle surgery, 8 (6%). In part 2 of the study, a total of 56 injuries and 35 illnesses were recorded during the tournament. The main findings in this study were: 1) an overall injury rate of 64.4 injuries per 1000 match hours or 2.1 injuries per match, 2) an overall rate of 2.7 injuries and 1.7 illnesses per 100 player days, 3) that 0.88 days were lost per injury and 0.46 days were lost per illness, 4) the lower limb was the most commonly injured body part, 5) 11 (20%) of the injuries reported were to the thigh, 6) 15 (44%) of the injuries reported were due to a contusion, 6) 13 (37%) of the illnesses reported were due to ENT conditions, and 7) 7 (20%) were due to respiratory tract symptoms. Summary and conclusion: Illness and injury are common during an international football tournament. The pattern of injury was similar to that previously reported. However, the novel finding of this dissertation was that illness is a significant component to the medical care to a travelling team and needs to be considered by team physicians managing the medical needs of elite football teams.
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Johansson, Annika. "Deciding who is the best : Validity issues in selections and judgements in elite sport." Doctoral thesis, Umeå universitet, Pedagogiska institutionen, 2010. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-33942.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis is about selection processes and processes of measuring and judging athletes in competitions in top-level sport. The purpose was to increase the knowledge of these processes and to analyse them from a validity perspective in order to contribute to the discussion of whether the “right” athletes are selected to participate in teams, competitions and games and whether the “right” athletes win. The rule and judging systems were investigated in the judged sports acroski and rhythmic gymnastics. Information was gathered through individual interviews with two judges, two coaches, and four elite athletes from each of the sports, and in addition to this the respective sport’s rule systems, judging manuals, meeting protocols and historical documents were studied. Selections to top-level sport teams were investigated by individual interviews with 14 top-level coaches (selectors) from the national league in soccer and a national team and from national teams in alpine skiing. The results from the judging study showed that both studied sports had undergone major changes in their rule and judging regulations, changes that had a considerable impact on the sports and the judgements. The level of definition of the rules and regulations was raised to increase the opportunities for clear and reliable judgements, but this became problematic for the overall validity of the judgements. The reason for this was that the new rules and regulations did not clearly correspond to the original idea of the sport, since the specified and detailed regulations lead to less originality and freedom in the performances. In the selection study, the results pointed to great differences in how precisely defined the selection criteria were among the teams. The selectors stated that well-defined selection criteria or grounds could be helpful in many ways, but they also emphasised how important it was for them that some parts of the selections were based on their subjective valuations of the athletes. Quite a few coaches from both sports argued that they would choose an athlete with good behaviour and favourable personality over an athlete with better sports skills, if they had an opportunity to do that depending on the selection system that was used. Overall, this research displays how validity issues connected to the selection and judging criteria and these processes might affect the outcome of the processes. It is notable that high reliability is in the main focus of the measuring and judging processes, while considerably vaguer and more subjective assessments are considered important in the selection process. The thesis points to the importance of discussing and understanding the consequences of rules, rule changes, selection and judging criteria as well as how these processes are performed, if the desired outcomes and consequences of the selection and judging processes are to be reached.