Search Results (48)

Participation in organized sport is widely encouraged for youth development, yet positive outcomes are not guaranteed. Parents play a pivotal role in shaping young athletes’ experiences, requiring emotional support, interpersonal skills, and self-regulation. This study examines the meanings parents attribute to their children’s sports participation and how young athletes construct their experiences under parental and coaching influences. An interpretive phenomenological methodology involved semi-structured interviews with coaches, focus groups with parents, and open-ended questionnaires to young athletes. Seventeen players (M = 11.2 years, SD = 0.59), nineteen parents (M = 47.6 years, SD = 3.61), and two coaches from the same football club volunteered to participate in the study. Participants were selected through purposive sampling to ensure a homogeneous experience. The findings reveal that parental involvement balances support and pressure, while trust-building between parents and coaches significantly impacts the athletes’ experiences. The evolving role of technology and the importance of social dynamics within teams also emerged as critical factors. Intrinsic motivation, fostering emotional bonding through the sport, and adopting a developmental rather than purely competitive framework were emphasized factors identified as supporting positive youth sport experiences. These findings offer insights into how interconnected relationships among parents, coaches, and athletes influence children’s sports engagement and development. Full article

In football, local interactions between players generate long-term game trends at the global scale, and vice versa—the global trends also influence individual decisions and actions. The harmonization of local and global scales often creates self-organizing spatiotemporal patterns in the movements of players and the ball. In this study, we confirmed that, in real football games, the probability distribution of the ball-keeping duration tends to obey negative power-law behavior, exhibiting hierarchical fractal self-similarity at both the local scale (i.e., individual-player level) and at the global scale (i.e., whole-game level). Furthermore, we found that the probability distribution functions transitioned from an exponential distribution to a power-law distribution at a certain characteristic time and that the characteristic time was equal to the upper limit of the time during which the trend of the game was maintained. Full article

Air pollution is an escalating global concern with significant implications for human health and athletic performance. This narrative review synthesizes and critically compares the current literature on the impact of air pollution on health and football performance, elucidates the physiological mechanisms involved, and evaluates available mitigation strategies. Comparative studies consistently demonstrate that football players—who frequently engage in high-intensity outdoor exercise—are particularly susceptible to the harmful effects of airborne pollutants such as particulate matter (PM), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), ozone (O₃), and carbon monoxide (CO). These pollutants bypass natural respiratory defenses due to increased pulmonary ventilation during exercise, reaching deeper lung regions and triggering oxidative stress, inflammation, and impaired lung function. Evidence across studies indicates that poor air quality is associated with decreased football performance, including reduced distance covered, fewer high-intensity efforts, elevated physiological strain, and diminished training adaptation. Long-term exposure exacerbates respiratory conditions, suppresses immune function, and heightens the risk of illness and injury. Furthermore, comparative genetic research highlights inter-individual variability in pollution sensitivity, with specific gene variants conferring either increased vulnerability or resilience to adverse effects. This review also explores practical and emerging mitigation strategies—such as timing training to avoid peak pollution, utilizing air quality monitoring and antioxidant-rich diets, and promoting sustainable infrastructure—to safeguard athlete health and optimize performance. Novel approaches including respiratory training, anti-smog masks, indoor sessions, and personalized recovery protocols offer additional protection and recovery support. Full article

Sports participation according to socioeconomic status (SES) was related to children in high-income Western countries. This study aimed to examine whether family or neighborhood-level SES is associated with current and continued organized sports participation, including the types of sports, among Japanese primary school children from preschool onward. The participants consisted of 269 girls, 255 boys, and their parents. Data on the type of sports participation at the current school or preschool, parental employment, and education were collected by questionnaire. Neighborhood-level SES was evaluated by the average annual income within 4 km of each school. The odds of sports participation was higher among children with mothers identifying as housewives or those with mothers employed part-time. Among girls, the odds of continued sports participation were lower if their mothers were junior high school or high school graduates or junior college/vocational school graduates. The odds of sports type like swimming were higher for children whose mothers had part-time jobs. Lower average community income was associated with lower participation in football and higher participation in baseball. These findings suggest that mothers’ employment and academic background are important correlates of sports participation for children, with variations observed by sport type and gender. Full article

This study addresses a critical knowledge gap by providing an in-depth analysis of the characteristics of goal-scoring opportunities in the UEFA Youth League, offering valuable insights into the attacking performance of elite youth teams. The primary objective of this study was to analyze the attacking characteristics of elite youth teams competing in the UEFA Youth League. Observational analysis was conducted on 18 knock-out matches from the 2023/24 season, examining tactical and situational variables. Open play (56.7%) significantly outperformed set play (43.3%) in generating final attempts. Organized attacks proved to be more effective than counter-attacks in creating scoring opportunities. While winning teams were more likely to employ counter-attacking strategies, final attempts were more frequent when the team initiated the attack without immediate pressure and when a penetrative action was involved. Notably, an initial penetrative action also increased the likelihood of observing counter-attacks. These findings have important implications for coaching practices and youth development programs, emphasizing the need to develop players with strong technical skills, tactical awareness, and the ability to execute patient build-up play under pressure. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of attacking play in elite youth football and provides valuable insights for coaches and youth development programs. Full article

This study investigates how effectively European football clubs communicate and implement accessibility features for disabled fans, aiming to develop a comprehensive framework for evaluating these practices. Using a multi-phase research design, the study analyzes disability support systems through semi-structured interviews with representatives from eleven European football clubs and a systematic analysis of club documentation. The methodology combined traditional qualitative analysis with large language model (LLM)-assisted content analysis, enabling robust identification of thematic patterns and performance indicators. Our findings reveal significant disparities in disability support practices, with larger clubs demonstrating structured approaches through dedicated Disability Access Officers (DAOs) and comprehensive communication strategies. Analysis identified three distinct performance tiers: Elite Performers, primarily well-resourced clubs with advanced systems; Solid Performers, mid-tier clubs with established frameworks; and Developing Systems, smaller organizations with emerging support structures. We present a validated Fan Communication Model incorporating key weighted criteria, including infrastructure, dedicated personnel, engagement, specific adaptations, ticketing, challenge management, and feedback systems. This model provides a standardized framework for evaluating disability support communication in football organizations. The research demonstrates the importance of integrating technological solutions with human-centered approaches while maintaining universal design principles. Our findings contribute to the sports accessibility literature and provide evidence-based recommendations for football organizations seeking to enhance their communication with disabled fans. Full article

Background/Objectives: Football players have a high injury risk due to the physical demands of their profession, which can negatively affect their quality of life (QoL) in the long term. The aim of this study is to characterize the severe injuries that former Portuguese football players suffered throughout their professional careers and investigate the resulting impacts on the physical domain of QoL after retirement. Methods: This study includes 84 former Portuguese football players (48.8 ± 8.2 years) who underwent reform between 1988 and 2018 and played in professional leagues (15.2 ± 3.2 years of career duration), namely, first division leagues (n = 43) and secondary division leagues (n = 41). Quantitative and qualitative interview data are used by a validated interview guide and from results of the physical domain obtained by the application of the World Health Organization Quality of Life questionnaire (WHOQOL-Bref). Results: Former players had 2.1 ± 1.5 severe injuries throughout their careers. The most common injuries involve the knee (47.5%) and foot/ankle (17.2%), with the anatomical area of the knee as the most likely to require surgical intervention (60%). The association between tactical-positional status and the incidence of severe injuries is significant, with defenders sustaining less severe injuries throughout their careers. This study found a statistically significant linear model (F(1.82) = 8.089, p < 0.006) that explains 7.9% of the variation in the physical domain of QoL (R2ajuste = 0.079). For each severe injury sustained throughout a career, there is an estimated decrease of 2.7 values in QoL perception in the physical domain. Conclusions: The higher the number of severe injuries sustained during a career, the lower the perception of QoL in the physical domain of former players in their post-career. These findings highlight the need to optimize training programs and injury prevention and recovery protocols for long-term QoL improvement in the physical domain of football players. Full article

The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between perceived mother- and father-initiated motivational climates and players’ fear of failure in youth male team sports. A sample of 336 youth male players from five team sports (basketball, football, handball, volleyball, and water polo) completed the Parent-Initiated Motivational Climate Questionnaire-2 and the Performance Failure Appraisal Inventory. The results showed that perceived mother- and father-initiated motivational climates were related to fear of failure predispositions. While a mastery orientation (perceived learning-enjoyment climate) had a low association with fear of failure, an ego orientation (perceived worry-conducive and success-without-effort climates) was highly related to fear of failure. Father-initiated climates had stronger associations with fear of failure than mother-initiated ones, revealing that mothers and fathers may have different influences when considering the developmental origins of fear of failure. The relationships between mother- and father-initiated motivational climates and fear of failure varied according to the type of sport, with basketball, football, and volleyball presenting stronger associations. The dimensions “Fear of important others losing interest” and “Fear of upsetting important others” presented the highest explained variance in all sports when predicted by the father-initiated motivational climate. The findings can inform important evidence-based guidelines and recommendations for parents, coaches, and organizations, enabling them to create supportive environments that aid athletes in developing the necessary psychological skills for long-term success and well-being. Full article

The aim of this study was to compare physical activity and organized sport participation survey data between different weight classifications in children. In the cross-sectional online data collection, 677 parents (42.8 ± 6.4 years old) provided information about 677 children (10.9 ± 2.5 years old). On average, 77% of the children achieved 60 min of MVPA/day and 63% participated in a club or organized sport. Most of them (63%) were in the healthy weight category, 14% of the children were underweight, and 22% of the children were overweight or obese. The parental support for physical activity was 83%. Club or organized sport participation (OR = 0.56 CI: 0.34–0.91; p < 0.02) and a parent with a higher educational level (OR = 0.25 CI:0.14–0.43; p < 0.01) were found to be preventive for obesity. Football was the most popular and highly chosen sport activity. Regarding sport activities with parents, cycling, walking, and football were the most popular, independently of the weight classification of the child. The overweight and obese children had almost the same participation rate in sport activities than others. Increased physical activity might be explained by the daily physical education in schools and governmental support. Further studies and measures are needed to prevent overweight and obesity in children of parents with a lower educational level. Full article

Background: Data in the literature have demonstrated the crucial role that vitamin D plays in the human organism, and recent studies also emphasize this essential role of vitamin D in athletes. Indeed, vitamin D acts on the skeletal muscles and plays a fundamental role in numerous physiological processes involved in immune function. Many factors such as sun exposure, skin tone, body mass index and chronic illness affect vitamin D levels. The aim of the study is to evaluate vitamin D levels in professional football players in Italy and investigate the variations in vitamin D values in footballers who train at different latitudes. Methods: The study performed is a retrospective observational study analyzing 25-OH vitamin D values in professional football players of the Italian First Division (Serie A). Two teams during the competitive season were selected: team A (latitude of 41° N in southern Italy) and team B (latitude of 45° N in northern Italy). Three time periods were identified and were classified as follows: the first quarter (May, June, July, and August), the second quarter (September, October, November, and December) and the third quarter (January, February, March, and April). The purpose of this was to study the average values of vitamin D during the year corresponding to different levels of sunlight exposure. Each athlete was subjected to at least one sampling during the three quarters of the competitive season. Results: Both vitamin D insufficiency (10.1%) and overt deficiency (1.93%) were found in Italian Serie A players. Insufficient vitamin D values are between 20 ng/mL and 29 ng/mL and overt deficiency values <20 ng/mL. At the same time, the data demonstrated a significant variation in vitamin D values depending on the period of the competitive season and the latitude of the cities of the two teams. In detail, there was no significant difference in the first quarter, while there was a significant increase in vitamin D values in team B in the second and third quarter, at p < 0.01 and p < 0.05, respectively. Conclusions: Latitude and seasons have a significant impact on vitamin D levels. Therefore, it is essential to measure vitamin D in professional football players, especially during the spring and winter months, so as to monitor changes in levels in relation to the season and latitude and evaluate any supplements. Further studies should be performed to evaluate the relationship between vitamin D deficiency and football players’ athletic performance. Full article

The main objective of this exploratory study is to analyze the negative effects associated with the phenomenon of tokenism for Portuguese women in non-playing football roles, as well as their strategies for integration into a context where they are a minority and the social functions are dominated by men. To this end, we carried out semi-structured individual interviews with eight men and eight women, undertaking functions in the fields of coaching, psychology, medical team, planning, refereeing, and management in football organizations, and with their contents then subject to thematic analysis. Our analysis confirms how the football context strongly demarcates gender differences with women being more visible and leads to the stereotypical roles being associated with traditional femininity. The findings also observe how, in order to integrate, women align with the norms imposed by the dominant group (men) and accept being circumscribed to the spaces that hegemonic gender ideologies and practices attribute to them. Full article

The goal of this project was to explore how different types of vocabulary exposure shape the connections formed in the L2 lexicon and how these, in turn, affect L2 language processing. During L2 acquisition, words are often presented in thematic lists (e.g., food), favoring a lexicon organized by shared features (burger-hot dog). However, thematic lists offer only a partial picture of how words interconnect. For example, beer and football do not share any features and do not belong strictly to the same theme (food and sports, respectively); still, they co-occur frequently and are associated in the lexicon. A multisession training study and visual world eye-tracking tests were conducted to assess how different types of vocabulary exposure impact L2 processing. Intermediate L2 Spanish learners were trained under one of two conditions, thematic lists (TL, as in textbooks) or words presented in visual scenes (VS) with vocabulary related by co-occurrence. The VS group showed significant changes in their gaze patterns, resembling the naturalistic exposure baseline group (native speakers), more than the TL group. The results are interpreted in light of the anticipatory processing literature and the strength of representations as a result of naturalistic vs. formal exposure to L2 vocabulary. Full article

Sport-related concussion prevention strategies in collision sports are a primary interest for sporting organizations and policy makers. After-market soft-shell padding purports to augment the protective capabilities of standard football helmets and to reduce head impact severity. We compared head impact kinematics [peak linear acceleration (PLA) and peak rotational acceleration (PRA)] in athletes wearing Guardian Cap soft-shell padding to teammates without soft-shell padding. Ten Division I college football players were enrolled [soft-shell padding (SHELL) included four defensive linemen and one tight end; non-soft-shell (CONTROL) included two offensive linemen, two defensive linemen, and one tight end]. Participants wore helmets equipped with the Head Impact Telemetry System to quantify PLA (g) and PRA (rad/s²) during 14 practices. Two-way ANOVAs were conducted to compare log-transformed PLA and PRA between groups across helmet location and gameplay characteristics. In total, 968 video-confirmed head impacts between SHELL (n = 421) and CONTROL (n = 547) were analyzed. We observed a Group x Stance interaction for PRA (F_1,963 = 7.21; p = 0.007) indicating greater PRA by SHELL during 2-point stance and lower PRA during 3- or 4-point stances compared to CONTROL. There were no between-group main effects. Protective soft-shell padding did not reduce head impact kinematic outcomes among college football athletes. Full article

This work proposes a methodology based on multicriteria decision aid (MCDA) and a cluster analysis to identify ideal locations for the installation of police facilities or vehicle parking and policing around stadiums in Recife, Brazil, during potential violent sports events (criminal occurrences from football supporters or fanbases). A K-means unsupervised clustering algorithm is used to group criminal data into homogeneous clusters based on their characteristics. Each type of criminal occurrence is linked to a single cluster. The optimal location is addressed based on the PROMETHEE method (Preference Ranking Organization Method for Enrichment Evaluation), allowing clusters to be organized into a hierarchy based on the number of facilities (N), the average distance (D) from the criminal occurrence to the associated cluster, and the coverage level (C), which is the proportion of crime occurring in a location less than 500 m from the associated cluster. Through a data analysis of crimes and violence in the region, this study seeks to identify patterns of criminal behaviour and high-risk areas to determine the most strategic locations for police units and enhance the public security decision-making process. The choice for the k parameters ranged from 1 to 30, incorporating all regions of the analysis, with a computational cost of 43 min of running time using an Intel Core i3-3217U (1800 GHz and 10 GB of RAM). This approach and methodology can be useful for supporting public security policies in the region and can contribute to reducing violence around stadiums. The empirical application can help guide public managers’ decisions regarding resource allocation and the implementation of more effective security policies, with the aim of ensuring a safer environment for fans and residents in the areas near stadiums. Full article

It is often assumed that chaplains who serve in elite sports settings inhabit a position which facilitates a significant level of influence. Yet, in reality, sports chaplains routinely experience a sense of marginality within their host organizations, which is commonly perceived (both by themselves and others) as highly restrictive and constraining. Drawing upon the findings of a small-scale, qualitative study of chaplaincy within the US-based National Football League (NFL) and the English Premier League (EPL), this paper explores the contribution that a sports chaplain might make to their host organizations irrespective of the marginal position which they inhabit. Utilizing the anthropological work of Van Gennep (1960) and Turner (1969) on rites of passage, findings illustrate the level of ambiguity which often accompanies the ‘liminal’ role of the sports chaplain and the freedoms which this might afforded in terms of organizational impact. This paper concludes by suggesting that, whilst it is often viewed in a negative light, the sense of marginality which commonly characterizes chaplaincy has the potential to be re-configured as an opportunity to positively impact workplace relationships and organizational cultures. Full article