Motivation Differences between Youth Single-Sport, Multi-Sport, and Single-Sport Specialized Athletes in the Western United States

The motivation for youth sport involvement may differ for single-sport (non-specialists), multi-sport, and single-sport specialized athletes. To investigate differences between adolescent single-sport athletes (NSSA), multi-sport athletes (MSA), and single-sport specialized athletes (SSSA) on measures of sport enjoyment and motivation. A secondary aim was to compare these variables between age groups. Adolescent sport participants in 6th, 7th, and 8th grade from the Western United States (n=306, age=13.0±1.0 yrs) completing the Sources of Enjoyment in Youth Sport Questionnaire (SEYSQ) that assesses sport enjoyment in the subscales of self-referenced competency (SRC), other-referenced competency and recognition (ORCR), effort expenditure (EE), competitive excitement (CE), affiliation with peers (AP), and positive parental involvement (PPI). The participants also reported their age, gender, grade, years of sport participation and sport status (NSSA, MSA, SSSA). SSSA reported significantly more enjoyment in all subscales except PPI when compared to NSSA (p<0.05; ES 0.4 – 0.99). MSA and SSSA showed significant differences in the subscales of SRC and EE; however, effect size was small (0.37 and 0.33, respectively). Overall scores for intrinsic and extrinsic motivation were significantly lower among NSSA compared to MSA and SSSA (p<0.01) with no differences between MSA and SSSA (p>0.05). Results revealed no significant differences in the SEYSQ’s subscales for age (p>0.05). Within the parameters of this study, adolescents that specialize in a single sport or those who compete in multiple sport both rely on intrinsic and extrinsic sources of enjoyment for motivation in very similar ways; whereas adolescent NSSA are less motivated and experience less enjoyment from sport participation compared to MSA and SSSA. Keywords: adolescent, enjoyment, SEYSQ, motivation, sport psychology

An Ex-Post Analysis of the 2004 Olympic Effect

This paper evaluates the effects of the Olympic Games of 2004 hosted in Athens on Greece’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), as estimated in Papanikos (1999). The estimates were made in 1997 for a period of fourteen years, 1998-2011, based on various scenarios. During this period two events have had a great impact on GDP that could have been predicted in 1997. Firstly, Greece adopted the euro in 2002, and even though this was pretty much a possibility in 1997, but not of course a certainty, the most important effect of the euro would have come from its exchange value vis-a-vis major currencies of countries with Greece was trading. This included tourism. Despite what many economists thought at the time, the introduction of the euro was not accompanied by a devaluation, but by unprecedented overvaluation. This had a negative impact on Greek GDP. Secondly, the Great Recession hit the Greek economy hard starting in 2008. These two effects had a negative impact on Greek GDP, wiping out the expected positive effects of the Olympic Games. Keywords: Olympic Games, GDP, Athens 2004, euro, great recession

No Home Bias in Ghost Games

Because of the COVID-19-pandemic the men’s first German football league (Bundesliga) had to take a break before it was permitted to finish the season 2019/20. However, only ghost games without spectators in the stadiums were allowed in this finishing phase. Comparing these 83 games without spectators with the corresponding 83 regular games between the same teams with spectators before, we find that the normal advantage for the home team disappears. There were 48.2% home wins with spectators and only 32.5% without. This decrease is statistically significant. There were 32.5% away wins before the break and 44.6% thereafter, while the draws increased from 19.3% to 22.9%. However, these increases are not statistically significant. One reason for the lost home advantage is the disappearance of a home bias by the referees, who gave significantly less extra time and also less yellow and red cards to the away team. Keywords: Bundesliga, COVID-19, football, ghost games, home bias

Gender Equality and Institutions as the Driving Force of Football Performance: Women vs Men

Gender equality should be a necessity in every developed economy of the world. Despite this assumption, this is not the case. The field of sports is no exception. This study addresses the relationship between gender equality, institutions and football performance of national teams. Correlation and regression analysis is used to determine the relationship between variables. The results suggest that higher gender equality leads to better performance for footballers on the fields. Countries with higher gender equality perform better (more FIFA points). The economic condition of the country has a similar effect on performance. Estimates have shown a statistically significant positive relationship between economic prosperity and performance on the pitch. Climate and age of players do not affect the performance of national teams. Institutional factors significantly affect players’ performance. Members of the European Union perform significantly higher than those that are not in the EU. As well as countries in which there was no communist regime in the past . Keywords: gender inequality index, FIFA ranking, men, women, institutions

Reliability and Differences of Jump Kinetics Related to Different Load in College Male Athletes

The purpose of this study was to explore reliability and differences of jump kinetics related to different training load in college male athletes. The subjects were required to perform countermovement jump (CMJ) and loaded countermovement jump (LCMJ-0%, LCMJ-20% and LCMJ-80% of one-repetition maximum squat) three times for each load which were recorded by a force plate. One-way repeated measures ANOVA and the LSD post hoc method were employed to evaluate the results. The results reveled that jump kinetics-related parameters increased/decreased by the load. Compared with the loading jumps, the CMJ incorporate with an arm swing directly led to an increase in eccentric contraction duration during jumping. Most of the jump mechanical parameters under substantially different load conditions fall within the good to excellent reliability. It appears that the CMJ and CMJ with extra load were reliable in explore the kinetics related parameters. Keywords: countermovement jump, one-repetition maximum, arm swing, eccentric contraction

Top Bins: An Exploration of Qatar’s Use of Sport and Capital to Strengthen Diplomatic Visibility

Globalization has given new life to previously benign leisures and vices, allowing states and their respective cultural industries to export (and import) their agenda and visibility. Cultural industries have long played an important role in exercising soft power, and the advent of new communication technologies and newfound spending power amongst the world’s working class has only strengthened and opened opportunities on this front. Sports, particularly ones that translate well to global competition, have become a new frontier for states to leverage assets and wealth to construct more prominent messaging surrounding their larger diplomatic work around the globe. By examining Qatari investment in football, track & field, and other international sports — especially through vehicles like the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the Qatar Investment Authority, Aspire Academy, Paris Saint-Germain, etc. — we are offered a clear understanding as to how Qatar uses its wealth to exploit the global cultural marketplace and entrench itself as an important component of global sporting culture, and the diplomatic utility they aim to reap with such investments. Keywords: Qatar, FIFA, diplomacy, football, capital

Opposition Relationship in Handball and the Constant Reversibility of Attack and Defense

In opposition to the principles of traditional pedagogy which values the acquisition of gestural models through a technical approach, this article develops a theory of intervention based on the opposition between two teams, involving a logic of tactical decision-making and a succession of relevant tactical choices in attack and defense. By focusing on the fluctuations in the links between attack and defense, it thus presents a system of the main actions in handball, that is to say in this case a set of principles closely dependent on each other, constituting a whole of deep logical unity. With its functional character, this approach is based on a modeling of game play where the opposing relationships are characterizable. It is thus possible to reduce all game play situations to a few categories with stable characteristics. Keywords: handball, tactical decision, matrix of play, understanding, student-centered approach

Athletes’ and Coaches’ Impressions of Questionable Coaching Practices and Bullying (Emotional Abuse)

Coaches have a profound and long-lasting impact on the athletes they coach. Coaches’ behavior affects athlete anxiety, stress levels, burnout, and eventually, their mental health. This study aimed at gathering relevant information on coaches’ use of inappropriate behaviors towards athletes as reported by athletes and to make comparisons between the responses of the athletes in this study with those of coaches in a previous study. Participants were 251 college students from ten midwestern states who completed a 25-item survey that included a listing of coaching actions described as bullying. Three specific research questions guided the study: 1) has your coach ever done the identified action to you, 2) do you think this is an inappropriate coaching action, and 3) do you consider this bullying. Results indicate that athletes and coaches’ interpretation of the frequency of inappropriate actions, if the actions are considered inappropriate, and if the actions are considered bullying are markedly different. Athletes were more likely to report that the various physical, relational, and verbal actions occurred than were coaches. Keywords: coaching, bullying, athletes, inappropriate

Sport and Cultural Events: Willingness to Pay, Facial Expressions and Skin Response

The topic of this particular study is to combine facial expressions, skin response and willingness to pay (WTP) using an iMotions Platform. This software solution combines biosensors in human behaviour research. A useful method to estimate WTP is contingent valuation method (CV) (Mitchell and Carson 1989). The method has been widely used in cultural economics (Noonan 2003) and sport economics (Walker and Mondello 2007, Wicker et al. 2016a). CV method is made up of using surveys to elicit a willingness to pay for hypothetical changes in some good or service. Galvanic skin response (GSR), also known as electro dermal activity measures electrical activity conducted through sweat glands in the skin. It is an indication of the intensity of an emotion experienced (iMotions). GSR in an indication of stress (arousal of the sympathetic nervous system) in the body by appearing as continuous variation in the electrical characteristics of skin (De Brito and Mitchell 2019). Only joy and surprise are positively related to WTP, while the other emotions do no reveal anything. In addition, heart rate (GSR) and gender are significantly associated with WTP. Keywords: facial expressions, skin response, willingness to pay, sport events, cultural events

An Analysis of Coaches’ Perceptions of Inappropriate Coaching Behaviors

The use of inappropriate coaching behaviors has been an ongoing concern for many years. However, not yet well researched is the use of inappropriate and bullying behaviors by coaches toward student-athletes. The purpose of this study was aimed at gathering relevant information on coaches’ use of inappropriate behaviors towards athletes, as reported by coaches. Participants for this study included 488 public/private school sport coaches, males (N=332) and females (N=153), from eight states. Data were gathered via an on-line survey in which participants identified if they had engaged in any of 22 listed actions among three types of bullying (physical, relational, verbal). Participants identified three actions (‘poking fun at an athlete’, ‘embarrassed an athlete in front of others’, and ‘name calling without hurtful intent’) as having been done by at least 30% of them. In summary, most actions were reported to have not been used by most coaches, three-fourths of the actions were considered inappropriate, and less than half were considered bullying. Keywords: coaching, bullying, sports