COVID-19, networks and sport

Global Breakdowns and Transformations in the World of Sports After Covid-19

The world has spent the first phase of the crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, which is powerful and invisible, threatening the lives of every person without discrimination, with the struggle in the field of health. The second stage, which we are still in, is the period in which the economic crisis that occurred as a result of the measures taken is tried to be overcome. The third stage is a new order that Covid-19 has begun to shape. The-sports world has been affected by the crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic in the first two stages. It is clear, then, that it will be heavily affected by the third stage. The strategies it will have globally after the Covid-19 pandemic will determine the new role of sports in the global order. In this section, considering these three stages, the breaks, challenges and transformations that may take place in the world of sports after the Covid-19 pandemic are discussed and evaluated.

Sport Prosumer Networks: Capital and Value of American Sports During Covid-19

Prosumption capital is underexplored within social media sites, especially within sports. This article explores how the Covid-19 disruptions were used to extract prosumption capital from Twitter. Adopting an economic sociology perspective to measure prosumption capital, 2.3 million tweets were analyzed across the National Basketball Association, Major League Baseball, National Hockey League, and Major League Soccer sports properties. This article applies social network analysis measures, indegree, domain, and proximity prestige to measure prosumption capital and shows how media organizations and other public figures capitalized on the Covid-19 disruptions. It also shows how the structure and those capitalizing through prosumption on Twitter are similar across the sports properties.

Sport and academic engagement of 1,387 Slovenian dual-career athletes before and during COVID-19 lockdown-what did we learn?

Introduction

Since the coronavirus disease outbreak in 2019, there have been several preventive measures and restrictions applied to minimize the transmission of the virus. While lockdown has affected our everyday lives, it has negatively impacted sport and athletes as well.

Methods

1,387 Slovenian dual-career (DC) athletes (47.4% females, 52.6% males) participated in the 22-item questionnaire to gather information on their sports and academic engagement before and during COVID-19 lockdown period. Half of the athletes were enrolled in education at the secondary level (n = 819, aged 15-18  years), while the others were enrolled in primary (n = 301, 8-14 years) and tertiary (n = 267, 19-36  years) education. All participants in the current study have a valid athlete categorization by the Slovenian Olympic Committee and are competing at either junior (31.7%), national (26.9%), prospective (29.5%), international (8.5%), world (2.3%) or Olympic (1.2%) level.

Results

DC athletes spent less time on training (-4.7 h; p < 0.001), learning (-1.0 h; p < 0.001), exams (-0.9 h; p < 0.001), laboratory work (-0.6 h; p < 0.001), and other educational activities (-0.3 h; p < 0.001) during COVID-19 lockdown compared to period before the lockdown. Their training environment was changed so they trained either at home or outdoors. Results showed that indoor (-3.7 h; p < 0.001) and team sport athletes (-1.3 h; p < 0.001) trained less than outdoor and individual sports. Male athletes spent more time on training both before (1.3 h; p < 0.001) and during lockdown (1.3 h; p < 0.001) and other sport-related activities (1.3 h; p < 0.001). On the other hand, female athletes spent more time on studying both before (1.5 h; p < 0.001) and during lockdown (2.6 h; p < 0.001). Both sport and educational activities were influenced by athletes' age (p ≤ 0.017).

Conclusion

Indoor and team sport athletes were more affected by the governmental measures than outdoor and individual sport athletes. Male athletes experienced a greater decline in learning time compared to female athletes. DC is shown to be beneficial for athletes even in times of COVID-19 lockdown, as DC athletes report smaller decline in motivation, shifting attention from sport to study and having fewer mental problems due to uncertain sports future. The feedback of the preventive measures could serve to assist policy makers and athlete's support staff to form and apply preventive measures that are more effective for DC athletes' training and education.

Sports entrepreneurship during COVID-19: Technology as an ally to maintain the competitiveness of small businesses

The sports sector, specifically the field of personal trainer entrepreneurship, has been severely affected by the COVID-19 crisis. However, there are still few empirical studies that analyze how the actions taken before and during this crisis can affect sports entrepreneurs' performance. This research aims to analyze which combinations of sports entrepreneurs' personal characteristics and actions performed have been most and least effective in minimizing the negative impact of COVID-19 on their businesses. A validated online questionnaire was administered to personal trainer entrepreneurs from May to June 2020 before they reopened their facilities. Fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) was performed to assess the impacts. The results show that both post-COVID measures (adaptation of the business model) and previous strategic orientation seemed essential. Specifically, high levels of sports entrepreneurs' resilience and innovation/R&D when competing against their closest competitors before the COVID-19 pandemic and the increased use of technologies (sports services digitization) during the pandemic have been essential to maintaining the performance of the sports business. Thus, improvements in the digital competencies of personal trainers' sports entrepreneurs, the development of strategic plans and activities related to innovation/R&D and process improvements are important measures to maintain the competitiveness of small sports businesses during crises.

A scoping review of the risk factors and strategies followed for the prevention of COVID-19 and other infectious diseases during sports mass gatherings: Recommendations for future FIFA World Cups

Objective

Sports mass gatherings of people pose particular concerns and place an additional burden on the host countries and the countries of origin of the travelers. It is imperative to identify how countries dealt with various communicable diseases in the context of previous world cups and identify possible advice for protection from outbreaks.

Methods

A scoping review was employed in this study and a PRISMA extension for scoping reviews was employed to guide the reporting of this study. A systematic search was performed using PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, SCOPUS, SportDiscus, and Google scholar. The search strategy included two main strings viz "communicable disease" AND "sport" AND "setting" as keywords for each string. A total of 34 studies were included in this review.

Results

Information on risk factors for infectious diseases during FIFA, and recommendations for disease prevention in various stages of the event: pre-event, during, and post-event were charted. These strategies can be achieved with the empowerment of the public by enhancing their social responsibility and the coordination between the healthcare system, the ministry of public health, and other stakeholders.

Conclusion

The findings will support planning for protection strategies to prevent any outbreak while having the FIFA World Cup or any other sports gatherings. A model was constructed to present the findings and recommendations from this review.

Attending sporting mega events during COVID-19: mitigation and messaging at UK EURO 2020 matches

The UEFA EURO 2020 football tournament was one of the largest Sporting Mega Events (SMEs) to take place during the COVID-19 pandemic. Mitigating the risk of virus transmission requires a multi-layered approach for any large event, more so in this case due to staging the tournament across eleven host countries. Yet, little is known about COVID-19 risks and mitigation from attending an event of this scale and nature. We examined the implementation of mitigation and messaging at EURO 2020 matches hosted at venues in the UK. The tournament was postponed from the summer of 2020 and played in June and July of 2021. Structured observations were conducted by 11 trained fieldwork-supporters at 10 matches played at Wembley Stadium, London, or Hampden Park, Glasgow. Fieldwork-supporters observed one-way systems and signage, and hand sanitizing stations inside the stadia, but reported significant variation in the implementation of staggered timeslots, testing upon entry, and procedures for exit. Adherence to planned measures by ticket holders and implementation by stewards waned as the tournament progressed culminating in an absence of enforced measures at the final. The non-compliance with COVID-19 mitigation measures was likely to have led to a significantly increased risk of transmission. Future events should consider how COVID-19 mitigation measures could become 'new norms' of fan behaviour, learning from what is already known about football fandom. Tournament organizers of SMEs can use these findings to promote clearer messaging on pandemic-driven changes in fan behaviour and best practices in mitigating risk at future sporting and cultural events.

A robust tracking system for COVID-19 like pandemic using advanced hybrid technologies

In order to track patients in coronavirus (COVID-19) like pandemic, this paper proposes a novel model based on hybrid advance technologies, which is capable to trace and track COVID-19 affectees with high accuracy. The hybrid technologies include, cellular, cyber and low range wireless technologies. This technique is capable to trace patients through call data record using cellular technology, voice over Internet protocol calls using cyber technology and physical contact without having a call history using low range wireless technologies. The proposed model is also capable to trace COVID-19 suspects. In addition to tracking, the proposed model is capable to provide surveillance capability as well by geo tagging the patients. In case of any violation by the patients an alert is sent to the concerned department. The proposed model is cost effective and privacy preserved as the entire process is carried out under the umbrella of a concerned government department. The potential outcomes of the proposed model are tracking of COVID-19 patients, monitoring of isolated patients, tracking of suspected ones and inform the mass about the safest path to use.

Community extension MSME's entrepreneurial activities in relation to poverty reduction

Introduction

Higher Education Institutions play a role in poverty reduction by implementing community extension programs focusing on capacity building and entrepreneurship training. Cebu Technological University programs offer these programs through various skills training to its targeted beneficiaries. This study aims to assess the community extension Micro-, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) entrepreneurial activities concerning poverty reduction. The research participants are beneficiaries of community extension programs that primarily focus on capacity building and entrepreneurship training, and they eventually become entrepreneurs.

Method

Using a cross-sectional survey, 172 valid responses were analyzed, with entrepreneurship education (EE), budgeting financial literacy (BFL), access to credit facilities (ACF), and entrepreneurial performance (EP) as predictors of poverty reduction (PR). Results from Partial Least Squares - Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) generate insights from the seven hypothesized paths of the proposed model.

Results and discussion

Findings revealed that entrepreneurship education (β = 0.258, p < 0.05), budgeting financial literacy (β = 0.147, p < 0.05), and access to credit facilities (β = 0.541, p < 0.001) help reduce poverty. However, no significant relationship was found between entrepreneurial performance and poverty reduction (β = 0.132, ns) whose cause may be directly pointed to the pandemic's significant impact on MSME's entrepreneurial activities.

Conclusion

This study confirms the importance of entrepreneurship education, budgeting, financial literacy, and credit access in promoting entrepreneurial success and reducing poverty.

Role of fake news and misinformation in supply chain disruption: impact of technology competency as moderator

Studies show that COVID-19 has increased the effects of misinformation and fake news that proliferated during the continued crisis and related turbulent environment. Fake news and misinformation can come from various sources such as social media, print media, as well as from electronic media such as instant messaging services and other apps. There is a growing interest among researchers and practitioners on how fake news and misinformation impacts on supply chain disruption. But the limited research in this area leaves a gap. With this background, the purpose of this study is to determine the role of fake news and misinformation in supply chain disruption and the consequences to a firm's operational performance. This study also investigates the moderating role of technology competency in supply chain disruption and operational performance of the firm. With the help of theories and literature, a theoretical model has been developed. Later, the conceptual model has been validated using partial least squares structural equation modeling. The study finds that there is a significant impact of misinformation and fake news on supply chain disruption, which in turn negatively impacts firms' operational performance. The study also highlights that firms' technology competency can improve the supply chain situation that has been disrupted by misinformation and fake news.

Effect of a 12-week non-contact exercise intervention on body composition and health-related physical fitness in adults: a pilot test

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of a 12-week non-contact exercise intervention on body composition and health-related physical fitness in adults.[Methods] One hundred adults were initially enrolled; however, ninety-seven participants (men: n = 41, women: n = 56) completed the study. The non-contact exercise was performed for 12 weeks using a smart tracker (Charge 4, Fitbit, USA) and mobile phone applications. The non-contact exercise program included resistance, aerobic, and flexibility exercises.[Results] The results showed that percent body fat (<i>F</i>=4.993, <i>p</i>=.016, η_p²=.049), fat-free mass (<i>F</i>=4.690, <i>p</i>=.024, η_p²=.047), and skeletal muscle mass (<i>F</i>=5.623, <i>p</i>=.004, η_p²=.055) significantly changed during the intervention period. Further, significant increases were seen in hand grip strength (<i>F</i>=12.167, <i>p</i><.001, η_p²=.112), sit-and-reach (<i>F</i>=20.497, <i>p</i><.001, η_p²=.176), sit-ups (<i>F</i>=42.107, <i>p</i><.001, η_p²=.305), and VO_2max (<i>F</i>=4.311, <i>p</i>=.037, η_p²=.043).[Conclusion] Our findings suggest that 12 weeks of non-contact exercise improves body composition and health-related physical fitness. Wearable technologies encourage individuals to modify their lifestyles by increasing physical activity and achieving the goal of maintaining health conditions among adults.

When 'the show' cannot go on: An investigation into sports mega-events and responses during the pandemic crisis

This article examines the relationship between sports mega-events and the coronavirus disease-2019 pandemic. Focusing primarily on the 2020 Summer Olympics and Union of European Football Associations Euro 2020 in football - representing two mega-events that were postponed due to the pandemic - this article explores the emerging discourses from sport governing bodies, and how these organisations communicated their initial responses to the pandemic between February and May 2020. The article takes a digital qualitative research approach and draws upon frame analysed media sources and public communications. As it proceeds, this article first illuminates how global sports entered a temporary standstill and, second, how sport governing bodies positioned themselves with regard to responding to the global crisis from within the sporting sphere. Subsequently, this article emphasises how the relevant responses, as communicated by sport governing bodies, reflected the broader reactive and adaptive pandemic responses apparent within socio-political fields.

COVID-19 Confinement Effects on Game Actions during Competition Restart in Professional Soccer Players

The main objective of the present study was to compare high-intensity actions in a week of three matches before and after the COVID-19 lockdown. The observational methodology was used. This study analysed 551 professional soccer players from 22 different Spanish teams (LaLiga Smartbank 2019−2020) by a multi-camera tracking system and associated software (Mediacoach®, Spain). Variables of distances per minute and totals, travelled at High Intensity (HIR), Very High Intensity (VHIR), Sprint (HSR), player’s maximum speed, average speed, and the number of efforts in VHIR and HSR were analysed in the first and second half of the games, the full match, as well as in relation to the playing position. Players who participated in the same number of matches pre- and post-COVID-19 showed an increase in the total minutes played, p < 0.05, and small decreases in game actions, p < 0.05, with an effect size between 0.21 and 0.45, while players who participated in different number of matches pre- and post-COVID-19 showed a performance decrease, p < 0.05, with a size effect between 0.13 and 0.51; this was evident, particularly, for midfielders, p < 0.05, with a size effect between 0.39 and 0.75. The results seem to show that the playing intensity after COVID-19 confinement did not lead to large performance losses, except for midfielders who were the most involved players and showed a higher decrease in performance. The main findings of this study could provide insight to football coaches for rotations in starting line-ups and game substitutions, so as not to affect the intensity levels of the competitions.

Lockdowns and Physical Activities: Sports in the Time of COVID

As aging causes challenges in several countries globally, more and more people are suffering from bad health conditions. Nowadays, COVID-19 causes many problems—and one of the root causes of these problems is the isolation of people from each other. The aim of our article is to investigate the effects of COVID-19 on people’s physical activity. Physical activity is strongly correlated with health status and health preservation is very important to minimize the negative effects of the pandemic. In order to investigate this topic, we prepared an extended literature review, citing the most important sources of COVID-related health-preservation issues. Our results showed that the negative economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic have caused a decrease in physical activities in several cases. A reduction in possible physical activities has a potential negative effect on the life expectancies of elderly people. In order to underline the importance of physical activities, we prepared an extended literature review, aiming to summarize the available knowledge related to COVID-19. As a conclusion we recommend to strengthen, maintain, and develop available sporting possibilities for people. The most important of these recommendations is the development of physical activities that are available for free.

Sociodemographic Determinants of Poles' Attitudes towards the Forest during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Attitudes towards forest ecosystems have been changing together with human needs, which is amplified with society's increasing need to spend recreation time in the forest. The phenomenon has been particularly visible during the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of this study was to determine the attitude of Poles to forests during the COVID-19 pandemic. The research was based on (1) a sociodemographic background questionnaire that consisted of questions about the independent variables and (2) the LAS scale-an independently prepared tool for measuring attitudes towards the forest. In the survey, 1025 people participated (673 women). The age of the subjects was between 19 and 68. The attitude towards the forest was analysed in three dimensions: Benefits, Involvement, and Fears. The Mann-Whitney U test and Kruskal-Wallis one-way analysis of variance by ranks were used for statistical analysis. Women and people with primary education expressed the most fears connected with going to the forest. Men and people living in the countryside and in small towns, as well as respondents who were professionally active and performing work connected with forests were the most involved in exploring the forest and working for its benefit. Concerning the forest, concerned women, people from the highest age group, respondents with university education, and white-collar workers notice the most benefits from recreational activities in the forest.

Resilience as a protective factor for well-being and emotional stability in elite-level football players during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic

Background: In Denmark, the first COVID-19 pandemic lockdown resulted in a compact season finisher for elite footballers, potentially impacting their mental health.Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the protective role of resilience and the impeding role of trait anxiety on elite footballers' level and variability of well-being and emotional stability.Material and Methods: One hundred and twenty-five male elite-level players (M_age = 25.04 ± 4.82) completed baseline measures on trait anxiety and resilience. Additionally, well-being and positive and negative affect were assessed before games (n = 24) over 62 days. Separate two-level regression analysis using Bayesian statistics was conducted to test potential relationships. Results: Results show a credible positive relationship between the average level of well-being and within-person variability over time as well as the average level in positive affect. This indicates that resilience might be a protector for mental health. In addition, higher levels of trait anxiety (i.e., subscale concentration disruption) were associated with higher levels of negative affect and higher variability over time. This indicates that trait anxiety might facilitate negative affect. No other credible relationships were found. Conclusion: High resilience and low trait anxiety are identified as relevant factors for mental health within elite footballers during COVID-19. Implications for practice are discussed.

The influence of a transport process on the epidemic threshold

By generating transient encounters between individuals beyond their immediate social environment, transport can have a profound impact on the spreading of an epidemic. In this work, we consider epidemic dynamics in the presence of the transport process that gives rise to a multiplex network model. In addition to a static layer, the (multiplex) epidemic network consists of a second dynamic layer in which any two individuals are connected for the time they occupy the same site during a random walk they perform on a separate transport network. We develop a mean-field description of the stochastic network model and study the influence the transport process has on the epidemic threshold. We show that any transport process generally lowers the epidemic threshold because of the additional connections it generates. In contrast, considering also random walks of fractional order that in some sense are a more realistic model of human mobility, we find that these non-local transport dynamics raise the epidemic threshold in comparison to a classical local random walk. We also test our model on a realistic transport network (the Munich U-Bahn network), and carefully compare mean-field solutions with stochastic trajectories in a range of scenarios.

How the hospitality industry reacts to COVID-19: structural, managerial and tactical factors

This paper investigates hoteliers’ short-term recovery strategies during the pandemic. Stemming from management crisis theory and the resource-based view of the firm, this article focuses on two environments differently hit by COVID-19, i.e. London and Munich. The findings show that hotels with a more managerial approach have more proactively applied dynamic pricing strategies. When dealing with high severity levels of the pandemic, hoteliers make use of a more streamlined booking portfolio to cope with the crisis. We provide theoretical implications and actionable managerial levers for hoteliers and the wider pricing community on how to maximize revenues during the pandemic.

Role of Technological Knowledge and Entrepreneurial Orientation on Entrepreneurial Success: A Mediating Role of Psychological Capital

This study pursues to build the conceptual model of entrepreneurial success (ES) that discusses the concept and phenomenon of ES and its perquisites and outcomes. This proposed mode anticipated that factors technological knowledge (TK), entrepreneurial orientation (EO), and psychological knowledge influence ES. This paper explains previous literature on perquisites, the phenomenon of TK, EO and psychological knowledge, and ES. This conceptual paper targets the scholarly works that provide support for the proposed model. A significant contribution of this paper is to propose an original relationship between prerequisites, phenomena, and consequences in ES. The proposed model shows a novel conceptualization of how these constructs may be connected to affect ES outcomes. This study enhances the literature by providing the theoretical literature of forerunners and outcomes for ES. In addition, this study has important implications for practitioners and entrepreneurs to generate success in entrepreneurial activities. Based on new insights, this study also developed and suggested new approaches and opportunities for future research.

Measuring the Economic Impact of COVID-19 on the UK’s Leisure and Sport during the 2020 Lockdown

This research evaluates the effect of the SARS-CoV2 pandemic on sport Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and consumer expenditure in the leisure sector in the United Kingdom (UK). The leisure sector is divided into leisure at home and away from home, examining in this way the different patterns that emerged because of the national lockdown in 2020. The effect on sport GDP is examined using the Office for National Statistics (ONS) surveys and the UK Sport Satellite Account (SSA). The study found that, because of its reliance on human contact, sport GDP is likely to decline by more than twice the rate of the overall economy. Furthermore, this finding is consistent with the 2020 consumer expenditure on leisure that shows increases in spending on home leisure but also a huge decline in spending on out-of-home entertainment. The decline in GDP is extremely likely to put pressure on profit margins and hence threaten the survival of private enterprises, raising issues of sustainability under conditions of a pandemic. Increases in long-term public funding for reducing sport inequalities should be considered along with short-term relief packages for the sport sector. Additional policy suggestions are offered to address these issues.

The impact of the Covid-19 crisis on socioeconomic differences in physical activity behavior: Evidence from the Lifelines COVID-19 cohort study

Covid-19 and measures to contain spreading the disease have led to changed physical activity behavior. This study aims to investigate the relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and changes in the amount of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) during the Covid-19 crisis. Using the Dutch Lifelines Covid-19 cohort study (n = 17,749), the amount of MVPA was measured at 15 time-points between March and December 2020, and compared with the amount before the Covid19 pandemic. For SES, the population was stratified in three education and income levels. Logistic regression models were used to estimate the odds ratio (OR) and confidence interval (CI) of altered MVPA for low and high SES groups, with the middle SES category as the reference group. A clear socioeconomic gradient in changes in MVPA behavior was observed. Low educated individuals had significantly higher odds (OR = 1.14; CI: 1.03-1.27) of decreasing MVPA, while the high educated had significantly lower odds of decreased MVPA (OR = 0.84, CI: 0.79-0.90). Both low education (OR = 0.87; CI: 0.77-0.98) and low income (OR = 0.85; CI 0.78-0.92) had significantly lower odds to increase MVPA, while high education (OR = 1.21, CI: 1.12-1.30) and high income (OR = 1.17; CI: 1.07-1.28) had significantly higher odds to increase MVPA. Most findings were consistent over the full research period. Socioeconomic inequalities in MVPA have increased during the Covid-19 pandemic, even when Covid-19 containment measures were relaxed. Our findings suggest that future public health policies need to increase efforts to improve physical activity behavior with an even larger focus on low SES groups.

A qualitative assessment of entrepreneurship amidst COVID-19 pandemic in Pakistan

This study aims to explore the support and impede factors of entrepreneurial activities amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. By using the qualitative method, 18 in-depth interviews were conducted with entrepreneurs operating micro-, small- and medium-scale enterprises. Interviews were transcribed for content analysis to generate themes using NVivo 12. COVID-19 has adversely affected the entrepreneurial activity in Pakistan was a key theme found after analysis. Three main categories were found as situations provoking business decline and their manifestation, entrepreneurial actions and reactions to COVID-19 crisis, and their futuristic plans amidst COVID-19. This research highlights issues entrepreneurs face to follow protocols of lockdown, social distancing, and operational hours. The findings of this study contribute to the scholarship of entrepreneurship and areas for the empirical investigation to develop efficient ecosystems to support entrepreneurs. This study suggests government and non-government stakeholders devise strategies for entrepreneurial revival post-COVID-19. This is probably one of the first qualitative assessment of the likely effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on entrepreneurship. It also recommends interesting related research areas and suggestions on how to empower entrepreneurs to overcome it.

Tourism Getting Back to Life after COVID-19: Can Artificial Intelligence Help?

Measures aimed at keeping physical and social distance during the COVID-19 pandemic have started to be a big challenge for service industries all over the world. The utilization of new technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI robots) in hospitality and tourism can be imposed as a potential safety-related problem solver. This study explores consumers’ intentions to use hospitality services once all restrictions related to COVID-19 have been relaxed as well as their perception of how important they find some of the safety-related protective measures when visiting accommodation facilities. Respondents find that more rigorous cleaning techniques, additional disinfection, and hand sanitizer stations are the most important safety-related protective measures when staying at the accommodation facility. Although the respondents do not perceive AI robots as an important protective measure or beneficial in delivering a catering service, the results indicate some significant differences between more and less risk-averse travelers suggesting some potential strategic pathways during the crisis but also in the post-coronavirus future.

Gauging the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns on atmospheric pollution content in select countries

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Recommencement of Sport Leagues With Spectators at the Adelaide Oval During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Planning, Experience, and Impact of a Globally Unprecedented Approach

Non-pharmaceutical interventions including physical distancing and restriction on public gatherings were the cornerstone in controlling the COVID-19 pandemic, in the absence of effective vaccines and available treatment options. Many sport mega-events and sport leagues were canceled or indefinitely postponed, leaving stadiums globally empty or converted to be used as part of the COVID-19 response. There were calls for exit strategies to be developed. With the early containment of COVID-19 in South Australia, various restrictions were lifted in a staged and controlled manner, including the reopening of the Adelaide Oval for recommencement of sport leagues with spectator attendance. This involved the collaboration between public health authorities, other governmental agencies, Adelaide Oval Stadium Management Authority, various sporting leagues etc. Recommencement of sport leagues with staged increase in number of attending spectators allowed various measures to be introduced, revisited, and implemented accordingly, demonstrating that a case-by-case risk assessment can be conducted for mega-events during COVID-19, accounting for the epidemiological context at the time. Economic impacts and non-economic benefits of this recommencement were documented. This globally unprecedented, staged and controlled approach in returning spectators to sporting events during the COVID-19 pandemic could inform the reopening strategy of stadiums, recommencement of sport leagues and mega-events all over the world before herd immunity is achieved or in the event of future outbreaks.

Bubble concept for sporting tournaments during the COVID-19 pandemic: Football Club World Cup

Objectives

To report the person-to-staff transmission of COVID-19 with the implementation of a bubble concept that included testing, hygiene, distancing and monitoring strategies to mitigate risks.

Methods

A prospective case series included all staff on-site involved in the Football Club World Cup. The tournament was conducted within ‘bubbles’. All personnel travelling to the tournament were required to be in possession of a negative RT-PCR test within 72 hours of arrival and subjected to a testing schedule during the tournament. Each location was assigned a COVID-19 protocol enforcement officer to ensure adherence to regular testing, hygiene measures, physical distancing and daily symptom reporting (via ScribePro app).

Results

The study involved 70 recruited staff with a combined 1321 test days on the symptom checker app. The mean number of days completed on the symptom checker app was 18.87 days (range: 7–28). Of the five questions asked as part of the daily symptom checker, only one was answered positively (0.015%). This individual was isolated, assessed within 20 min and tested. The initial diagnosis was likely a non-COVID-19-related viral illness. Further testing returned three negative tests during the remainder of the tournament.

Conclusions

There was no person-to-staff transmission of COVID-19 during the tournament within our sample. The organisation of a sporting tournament during the COVID-19 pandemic is possible with risk mitigation strategies. These strategies include setting up a bubble with regular testing, hygiene measures, physical distancing and daily symptom reporting.

Return to Basketball Play Following COVID-19 Lockdown

Due to concerns regarding the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19), major sporting events and activities have been temporarily suspended or postponed, and a new radical sports protocol has emerged. For most sports there are few recommendations based on scientific evidence for returning to team-game activities following the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions, the extended duration of lockdown, and self-training or detraining in the COVID-19 environment, and this is especially true for basketball. A post-lockdown return to the basketball court ultimately depends on the teams-coaches, trainers, players, and medical staff. Nevertheless, our current scientific knowledge is evidently insufficient as far as safety and return-to-play timing are concerned. This situation presents a major challenge to basketball competition in terms of organization, prioritization, maintaining physical fitness, and decision-making. While preparing an adequate basketball return program, the players' health is the major priority. In this article we briefly discuss the topic and propose multiple strategies.

Physical Activity during the First Lockdown of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Investigating the Reliance on Digital Technologies, Perceived Benefits, Barriers and the Impact of Affect

The measures to fight the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic have been concentrated on inviting people to stay at home. This has reduced opportunities to exercise while also shedding some light on the importance of physical health. Based on an online survey, this paper investigated physical activity behaviours of a Belgians sample (n = 427) during the lockdown period between the end of May 2020 and the beginning of June 2020 and found that, during this period, the gap between sufficiently and insufficiently active individuals widened even more. This paper analysed important moderators of physical activity behaviours, such as barriers and benefits to exercise, digital support used to exercise, and individuals’ emotional well-being. Descriptive analysis and analyses of variance indicated that, generally, individuals significantly increased their engagement in exercise, especially light- and moderate-intensity activities, mostly accepted the listed benefits but refused the listed barriers, increased their engagement in digital support and did not score high on any affective measures. A comparison between sufficiently active and insufficiently active individuals during the lockdown showed that the former engaged even more in physical activity, whereas the latter exercised equally (i.e., not enough) or even less compared to before the lockdown. By means of a logistic regression, five key factors of belonging to the sufficiently active group were revealed and discussed. Practical implications for government and policies are reviewed.

Entrepreneurship and Resilience in Spanish Sports Clubs: A Cluster Analysis

Entrepreneurial orientation can be an effective response by sports clubs to manage a recession, such as the COVID-19 crisis. Therefore, its study can be fundamental to understand different ways of managing a recession. This study analyzes the entrepreneurial orientation of Spanish non-profit sports clubs to identify different groups and their profiles. The sample is composed of 145 Spanish non-profit sports clubs. Different validated scales have been used to analyze entrepreneurial orientation, business model adaptation, service quality, and economic and social performance (performance in social impact and performance in social causes). Entrepreneurial orientation is the variable used to differentiate the groups. This is made up of three dimensions: innovation, risk-taking, and proactivity. According to the results obtained, there are three groups of sports clubs according to their entrepreneurial orientation: non-entrepreneurs (n = 11), moderate entrepreneurs (n = 85), and strong entrepreneurs (n = 45). There are substantial differences between the three groups according to the adaptation of the business model, the perceived impact of COVID-19, and the returns analyzed. Strong entrepreneurs have considerably higher levels of business model adaptation, economic performance, social performance, and perceived service quality than non-entrepreneurs. Theoretical and practical implications have been drawn that can bring new information to the sports and organizational sector. For example, the diagnosis of the different profiles according to the level of entrepreneurship can be useful to propose strategies to improve performance. In this way, it can help to evaluate the return on the investment made by sponsors or governments in the organization.

Using distance learning as a strategy for maintaining income of Physical Education professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic

The period of social distancing caused by the COVID-19 pandemic is characterized as an effective proposal to control the spread of the coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), however, it changes the social dynamics of individuals in society. Based on this question, the present study aimed to understand how was the performance of Brazilian physical education professionals during this period. The sample consisted of 400 Physical Education professionals from Brazil, 224 women (56.0%) and 176 men (44.0%), selected at random, by filling out a questionnaire. Sports activities were predominant among professionals, followed by bodybuilding activities or functional training. Most professionals performed their activities at home (71%) and used different digital platforms as work tools, noting that distance learning was a strategy used and well regarded by professionals. However, even with the use of specific intervention strategies, professional income showed fluctuations during the pandemic, with academic degrees being one of the factors responsible for changing the workload.

Impact of the 2019 Coronavirus Disease Pandemic on Health-Related Quality of Life and Psychological Status: The Role of Physical Activity

This study investigated the impact of the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and psychological status among Saudi adults, and whether physical activity modifies this association. The participants were 518 adults aged ≥18 years (67.4% men). Using an online survey, data regarding demographic information, the impact of COVID-19 (assessed by the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-5), HRQoL (Short Form-8), psychological distress (Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale), and physical activity behavior (International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form) were collected. The results demonstrate that adults reporting moderate or high levels of impact of COVID-19 had a lower HRQoL and higher psychological distress than adults reporting a low impact. HRQoL was higher for adults reporting any level impact (low, moderate, or high) of COVID-19 when they participated in recommended levels of physical activity (≥600 metabolic equivalent (MET)-min/week of total physical activity). Psychological distress was lower for adults reporting a high level of impact when they participated in recommended physical activity. Moderate or high levels of impact of COVID-19 were associated with a significantly lower HRQoL and higher psychological distress than the low impact of COVID-19. However, these associations were moderated by the recommended levels of physical activity.

Professional football clubs and empirical evidence from the COVID-19 crisis: Time for sport entrepreneurship?

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has spread worldwide in a short period and has developed into one of the biggest public health issues of the last decade. The actions initiated by governments to minimize person-to-person contact have also severely affected professional football clubs (PFCs) in the season 2019/20. Given the role of football in Europe, football clubs gained massive public and political attention during the COVID-19 crisis. Based on an exploratory multiple case study approach involving PFCs from five European football leagues, this study investigates the responses of these clubs to the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings show the relevance of solidarity with certain stakeholders during the pandemic, but also reveal the fragility of PFCs due to their financial structure and underdeveloped managerial and entrepreneurial strategies to cope with the crisis. This study contributes theoretically and empirically to the literature on the entrepreneurial behavior and crisis management of elite sport organizations and illustrates a holistic map of a dense, high solidary stakeholder network.

The Impact of COVID-19 on High School Student-Athlete Experiences with Physical Activity, Mental Health, and Social Connection

COVID-19 restrictions led to reduced levels of physical activity, increased screen usage, and declines in mental health in youth; however, in-depth understandings of the experiences of high school student-athletes have yet to be explored. To describe the experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic on student-athletes' physical activity, social connection, and mental health, 20 high school student-athletes living in Calgary, Alberta participated in semi-structured interviews, designed using phenomenography. Participants reported variations in physical activity, social connections, and mental health which were influenced by stay-at-home restrictions and weather. Access to resources, changes to routines, online classes, and social support all influenced engagement in physical activity. School and sports provided opportunities for in-person social connections, impacted by the onset of the pandemic. Participants reported their mental health was influenced by social connections, online classes, and physical activity. Findings from this study will inform the development of resources for high school student-athletes amidst COVID-19.

Impact of social isolation on the level of physical activity in young Brazilian athletes caused by COVID-19

Social detachment to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 pandemics in the year 2020 can significantly contribute to the physical inactivity of citizens worldwide. The study aimed to analyze the level of physical activity by identifying the training methods used during the social isolation resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Sixty-eight Brazilian athletes (both sex, 14.7 ± 1.68 years) answered and adapted the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (I-PAQ) through an online platform. Participants were asked to report their level of physical activity before and during the period of social distance. 67.7% of the interviewed athletes said they were able to adapt their sports training to the isolation environment under the guidance of a distance physical education professional. Only 4.38% of the sample was not training under such supervision and, therefore, inactive. Among the activities performed in the isolation environment, calisthenics was the primary practice (Effect Size: ƒ2 = 0.50, p <0.0001) and the sport practiced at home was the secondary practice (Effect Size: ƒ2 = 0.27, p = 0.004). During the pandemic, the training hours of athletes reduced significantly from ~ 3h to ~ 1h per day (Effect size: 1.74, p <0.0001), as well as, the perceived intensity decreased from "high" to "moderate" (Effect size: 1.38, p <0.0001). The weekly training frequency decreased from ~ 6 to 7 days to ~ 3 to 5 days (Effect size: 0.40, p = 0.03). Therefore, despite the social distance and the reduced pace of training, the young Brazilian athletes analyzed managed to remain physically active during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sporting Resilience During COVID-19: What Is the Nature of This Adversity and How Are Competitive Elite Athletes Adapting?

The COVID-19 pandemic is a global health issue which has severely disrupted and deferred several landmark international sporting competitions. Like the general population, athletes have faced direct psychological consequences from COVID-19 in addition to cancelation of events, loss of support, lack of training, loss of earnings, hypervigilance, and anxiety among others. The aim of the present research was to identify the adversity experiences of athletes caused by COVID-19 (study 1) and explore the process of resilience used by competitive elite athletes for positive adaptation (study 2). Research has indicated psychological resilience to be a protective factor against similar adversities in the sporting context. The study uses an across-cases qualitative design comparing the real-time lived experiences of athletes during COVID-19 using narrative analysis. Data were collected from 10 competitive elite athletes from various countries, as part of a larger doctoral dissertation study during the lockdown period, using in-depth experiential interviews. Study 1 presents detailed narratives on the loss and incongruence, which were the two major adversities experienced. Study 2 outlines the process of resilience as narrated by the participants through the emergent and minimal-impact resilience trajectories. We discuss recommendations for interventions and the role of sports psychologists, coaches, and sporting organizations in ensuring athletes' mental health and their rehabilitation into post-COVID sports life.

COVID‐19 and entrepreneurship: Future research directions

Innovation and futuristic thinking are needed to derive better policies to address the COVID‐19 pandemic. Policy considerations in terms of entrepreneurship will help understand the importance of future research on digital transformation, leadership, business impact, and social inclusiveness. The societal shifts due to COVID‐19 impacts unveil opportunities for entrepreneurial adjustments to achieve competitiveness and growth.

Covid-19 and entrepreneurship education: Implications for advancing research and practice

This article aims at critically examining the linkage between entrepreneurship education and COVID-19 in order to help understand future research and practice paths. Due to the large global impact COVID-19 has had on society, new entrepreneurial education management practices are required to deal with the change. To do this, this article discusses why COVID-19 can be a transformational opportunity for entrepreneurship education research due to the new thought processes raised by the pandemic. The article suggests several assumptions that have changed as a result of COVID-19 and how entrepreneurship education is required in order to help solve the pandemic. By doing this, the article suggests that more entrepreneurship education research embedding a COVID-19 context is required to breakthrough new frontiers and reset the research agenda. By taking an entrepreneurial stakeholder perspective that looks at entrepreneurship education as a holistic process, an enhanced analysis of how response mechanisms including recovery and change are conducted can be made. This enables a way to view the COVID-19 crisis as an opportunity for more attention placed on the importance of entrepreneurship education for society.

Active Video Games for Improving Mental Health and Physical Fitness-An Alternative for Children and Adolescents during Social Isolation: An Overview

The aim of this study was to synthesize the evidence on the effects of active video games (AVGs) on mental health, physical fitness and body composition of children and adolescents. A search was conducted in the following databases: PubMed; MEDLINE (by Ovid); SportDiscus, Cochrane library systematic reviews (CENTRAL) and EMBASE with no language restrictions during October 2020. Reviews on the use of AVGs were included in the study. We use the AMSTAR (A MeaSurement Tool to Assess systematic Reviews) scale to analyze the methodological quality of the studies. Seventeen systematic reviews and meta-analyzes were included on the effects of AVGs with 30 to 4728 children and adolescents of both sexes with ages ranging from 6 to 19 years. In five studies, the population was overweight or obese. Regarding the quality, 12 studies were of moderate quality, two had high quality, two had low quality and one showed very low quality. The analyzed data indicate that the use of AVGs with a frequency of 1 to 3 times a week with durations of between 10 and 90 min per day shows positive effects on mental health and physical functioning. There was moderate quality evidence that AVGs can result in benefits for self-esteem, increased energy expenditure, physical activity and reduced body mass index in children and adolescents who used AVGs in the home environment. Further research is needed on this tool to help in the process of social isolation and consequently in promoting health and well-being.