TRENDS OF “FIRE SOULS” MOTIVATIONAL FACTORS RELATED TO SPORT CLUB ESTABLISHMENT

The analysis was performed while participating and doing research in a project “Villages on the Move Go (VOMGO)” which is focused on one of the main objectives of EU sport policy: promote awareness and healthenhancing physical activity (HEPA). Motivation is widely-researched in sport psychology and other fields. Motivation for participation in sport is an important object of sport research, therefore it is important to apply reliable research tools. Aim of the research – to identify trends of “Fire Souls” motivational factors related to sport club establishment. Method. This paper analyses the results of open-ended questions, which are presented in quantitative terms (descriptive statistics) and statistical correlation analysis. Participants. The study involved 43 persons who are strongly related with the activities of sport clubs. They have established these clubs and are currently the enthusiasts of these clubs, as they represent them by participating or managing their activities, organizing various activities at the national and / or international level. In the “Villages on the Move Go” project and in this article, they are named as “Fire Souls”. Fire Souls are representing seven European countries: Finland, Lithuania, Cyprus, Slovenia, Hungary, Belgium and Portugal. All of the “Fire Souls” involved in this study were experts with extensive experiences in sport and physical activity. Results. The most frequently mentioned motivational factors for “Fire Souls” to run the sport clubs were participation in sport activities from childhood and search for innovative sport activities or benefits to the community. “Fire Souls” who once volunteered at the sport clubs practiced winter sports. The factor “personal life changes” is related to activities with vulnerable groups, implication of the sport education is related to gymnastics, acrobatics, active lifestyle and achievements are related with cycling. The factor “search for the innovative sport activities for the community” correlates with dancing, search for the innovative sport activities for the community is related with the occupation as physical education teacher. The most common motivational factors for men and women “Fire Souls” are participation in sport activities from childhood, search for innovative sport activities and benefits to the community. Intrinsic and extrinsic motivational factors were almost indistinguishable from “Fire Souls” experience in sport activities. Conclusions. Intrinsic and extrinsic motivational factors of “Fire Souls” determine sport and active leisure activities for individuals seeking professional and nonprofessional athletic performance, contributing to the promotion of public health and quality of life.

Finnish late adolescents’ physical activity during COVID-19 spring 2020 lockdown

Background Physical activity (PA) is recognised as one of the leading and effective strategies to prevent non-communicable diseases that boosts the immune system to fight against diseases. Closures of schools, sport clubs and facilities because of COVID-19 reduced the opportunities to participate in PA. We aimed to examine physical activity levels of late adolescents, the contexts to be physical active and its changes during the spring 2020 lockdown. Methods A national representative sample of late adolescents in general upper secondary school (n = 2408, females = 64%, mean age = 17.2y, SD = 0.63) completed self-report online surveys on PA behaviours between March and June 2020. Multinominal logistic regression analyses were performed to identify correlates with PA, and decision tree analyses to ascertain the perceived changes on PA during lockdown based on sport club aspirations and levels of PA. Results Among the late adolescents, the distribution of PA frequency was 23% (0-2 days/week), 35% (3-4 days/week), 30% (5–6 days/week) and 12% (7 days/week), and differences between males and females were not statistically significant. Participation in both indoor and outdoor PA were 50 times more likely to report daily PA (OR = 54.28, CI = 15.16–194.37) than non-participation. A quarter of late adolescents were not part of a sports club, yet their PA levels increased. Although sports club members generally perceived they did less PA during lockdown, over a third of sport club members with competitive aspirations reported daily PA. Conclusions Overall, most late adolescents reported their PA levels decreased during lockdown. Findings from this study continue to demonstrate factors associated with PA in the context of the COVID-19 lockdown.

Did COVID-19 Pandemic Change People’s Physical Activity Distribution, Eating, and Alcohol Consumption Habits as well as Body Mass Index?

This cross-sectional study aimed to evaluate whether COVID-19 had an impact on people’s (aged 18–74) physical activity distribution, eating, and alcohol consumption habits as well as body mass index. We interviewed 6369 people (4545 women and 1824 men) in Lithuania before the COVID-19 pandemic started and 2392 during COVID-19 (1856 women and 536 men). They were aged 18–74 years. We found that both genders had not stopped their physical activity (PA) completely because of lockdown imitations (for example, prohibition from attending sport clubs), but they started doing different physical exercises at sport clubs. We determined the PA distribution according to the Danish Physical Activity Questionnaire (DPAQ). Despite increases in independent PA and the quantity of light PA, the amount of total energy used in metabolic equivalent of task (MET) units per day decreased significantly for both genders irrespective of age. Although the amounts of sedentary behavior, moderate PA (MPA), vigorous PA (VPA) or a combination of MPA and VPA (MVPA) did not change significantly. Surprisingly, lockdown reduced the duration of sleep for older women but increased their amount of intense VPA (>6 METs). However, the amount of intense VPA decreased for men. Both genders reported overeating less during the pandemic than before it, but did not start consuming more alcohol, and their body mass index did not change. Thus, the COVID-19 in Lithuania represented ‘good stress’ that mobilized these individuals to exercise more independently and overeat less.

Aiming at Optimal Physical Activity for Longevity (OPAL)

Although even small volumes (15–20 min) of daily physical activity (PA) are associated with health benefits, the optimal volume for healthy aging and longevity is substantially larger, amounting to about 100 min of daily moderate PA. The accomplishment of this objective likely requires the development of an appropriate PA lifestyle at an early age. Research initiatives are necessary addressing the motivational contribution of families, school surroundings and sport clubs, perhaps combined with role model effects and instructions for the specific implementation. Such approaches would need an enlarged agreement in readdressing this new aim followed by the launch of a new research strategy in order to develop specific offers for the respective age cohorts.

Common Language of New Era in Sport Clubs: Emojis

<em><span>Defined as an easy and automated way of expressing emotions in the digital age, emojis are emerging as a new language in the social media world and sports clubs also. For sports clubs, it is of vital importance to communicate and establish effective relations with fans or followers. Hence, almost all professional sports clubs use social media and shape their social media accounts to interact with fans/followers and effectively maintain marketing communication efforts.</span></em><span> <em>The aim of this study was to determine the content of emoji usage in tweets of Turkish sports clubs (Besiktas JK, Fenerbahce SK, Galatasaray SK, Istanbul Başakşehir FK, Trabzonspor SK). Since Twitter is one of the most heavily used social media networks of sports clubs, so in this study was preferred</em>. <em>Content analysis method was used to examine emojis used by sports clubs. The study found that sports clubs use emojis that create positive and neutral connotations. Emojis used are heavily determined to be visuals depicting the colors and symbols of sports clubs. The study is the first to examine sports clubs' emojis used. Hence, the study included important results for the management of communication and marketing strategies of sports clubs on social media.</em></span>