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Spielmann J, Otte F, Schumacher T, Mayer J, Klatt S. Searching for the perfect goalkeeping personality. Myth or reality? Front Psychol 2024; 15:1418004. [PMID: 39135863 PMCID: PMC11318172 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1418004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2024] [Accepted: 06/26/2024] [Indexed: 08/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Psychological factors such as personality characteristics are influential factors of the goalkeeping performance in football (soccer). Not only for individualized treatment in practice, also from a scientific point of view, profiling goalkeepers is a relevant part of understanding athletes. The aim of this study was to investigate personality traits of goalkeepers of different expertise, age, and sex. Methods Using the Five Factor Model of personality we assessed personality traits of 132 male and female football goalkeepers ranging from youth to senior and low to elite level. A series of analysis investigated differences between the groups focusing on expertise, age, and sex. Results Significant differences in the personality trait agreeableness between groups of different expertise and sex could be detected. Although a significant difference in neuroticism levels of males and females could be shown. Conclusion This study was a first step of profiling football goalkeepers of different expertise, age, and sex. The study calls for more replication in this specific field of football and goalkeeping in general to understand the influence of personality characteristics on sport performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Spielmann
- Department of Sports Sciences, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany
- TSG ResearchLab, Zuzenhausen, Germany
| | - Fabian Otte
- Borussia Mönchengladbach, Mönchengladbach, Germany
- U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF), Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Tom Schumacher
- Institute of Exercise Training and Sport Informatics, German Sport University, Cologne, Germany
| | - Jan Mayer
- Department of Sports Sciences, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany
- TSG Hoffenheim, Zuzenhausen, Germany
| | - Stefanie Klatt
- Institute of Exercise Training and Sport Informatics, German Sport University, Cologne, Germany
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Morganti G, Brustio PR, Ruscello B, Apollaro G, Padua E, Kelly AL. Birth Advantages in Male Italian Soccer: How They Influence Players Youth Career and Their Future Career Status. Sports (Basel) 2024; 12:103. [PMID: 38668571 PMCID: PMC11054811 DOI: 10.3390/sports12040103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2024] [Revised: 03/10/2024] [Accepted: 04/07/2024] [Indexed: 04/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Soccer organizations generally adopt deterministic models within their talent pathways. In this framework, early ability and results are emphasized, leading to selection biases, such as birth advantages (i.e., relative age effects and birthplace effects), which research has shown affect both early developmental experiences and continued sporting involvement. Accordingly, this study aimed to (a) provide further test of birth advantages in Italian youth soccer by exploring the birth quarter (BQ) and birthplace (BP) distribution of 1050 male Italian players born between 1999 and 2001 who competed in the national U17 championship throughout the 2015-16 season and (b) investigate how birth advantages influenced selected players' future career status. Chi-square goodness-of-fit tests revealed early born players, and players born in North Italy were overrepresented at the youth level (p-values < 0.0001). Successive prospective analysis revealed only 18% of players developed into professional-level soccer players. Chi-square tests of independence indicated that players' BP was associated with their future career status (p < 0.0001), whereas their BQ was not (p = 0.459). Odds ratios showed players born in North Italy were five times more likely to complete the youth-to-senior transition than those born in South Italy. These findings highlighted environmental factors influence Italian players' early developmental experiences and their future career status.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriele Morganti
- Department of Human Sciences and Promotion of the Quality of Life, San Raffaele Roma Open University, 00166 Rome, Italy; (G.M.); (B.R.); (E.P.)
| | - Paolo Riccardo Brustio
- Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy;
| | - Bruno Ruscello
- Department of Human Sciences and Promotion of the Quality of Life, San Raffaele Roma Open University, 00166 Rome, Italy; (G.M.); (B.R.); (E.P.)
- Department of Industrial Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, “Tor Vergata” University, 00133 Rome, Italy
- LUISS SportLab, 00197 Rome, Italy
| | - Gennaro Apollaro
- Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics and Maternal Child Health, University of Genoa, 16126 Genoa, Italy;
| | - Elvira Padua
- Department of Human Sciences and Promotion of the Quality of Life, San Raffaele Roma Open University, 00166 Rome, Italy; (G.M.); (B.R.); (E.P.)
| | - Adam L. Kelly
- Research for Athlete and Youth Sport Development (RAYSD) Lab, Centre for Life and Sport Sciences (CLaSS), Faculty of Health, Education and Life Sciences, Birmingham City University, Birmingham B15 3TN, UK
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Nieto S, Echeazarra I, Errekagorri I, Castellano J. Description of the Collective Behavior in Competition of Young Soccer Players Under-16 (U-16), Under-17 (U-17), Under-19 (U-19), and Under-23 (U-23), Considering the Areas of the Pitch and Phases of the Game. J Strength Cond Res 2024; 38:714-723. [PMID: 38088919 DOI: 10.1519/jsc.0000000000004691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/23/2024]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Nieto, S, Echeazarra, I, Errekagorri, I, and Castellano, J. Description of the collective behavior in competition of young soccer players under-16 (U-16), under-17 (U-17), under-19 (U-19), and under-23 (U-23), considering the areas of the pitch and phases of the game. J Strength Cond Res 38(4): 714-723, 2024-The objective was to employ an integrated observational-notational record to describe collective behavior (CB) in competition matches of young soccer players from 4 teams, U-16, U-17, U-19, and U-23, playing for a professional soccer club academy. A total of 1,481 possessions were registered. Collective behavior, captured by GPS devices, was described with the variables: depth, surface area, stretch index, length, and width. In addition, from the notational analysis, the behavior depending on the area of the field (Z1, Z2, Z3, and Z4) and ball possession (POS), nonball possession (nPOS), and set pieces phases were contextualized. A 2-tailed analysis of variance was applied to compare the CB of the teams. Results show that: (a) in all ages/categories, CB varied significantly in and without the possession of the ball and was conditioned by the area of the pitch where the ball was; (b) CB showed higher values with the ball and greater variability without it; and (c) depending on the age, CB presented differences with larger effect sizes in depth and length, in and without the possession of the ball, in Z1 and Z2. Integrating positional data to the moment of play and areas of the field could help a more accurate analysis of the competition to better understand the CB evolution of young soccer players.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergio Nieto
- Faculty of Education and Sport, University of Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain; and
| | - Ibon Echeazarra
- Faculty of Education and Sport, University of Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain; and
| | - Ibai Errekagorri
- Faculty of Education and Sport, University of Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain; and
- Society, Sports and Physical Exercise Research Group (GIKAFIT), Department of Physical Education and Sport, Faculty of Education and Sport, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
| | - Julen Castellano
- Faculty of Education and Sport, University of Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain; and
- Society, Sports and Physical Exercise Research Group (GIKAFIT), Department of Physical Education and Sport, Faculty of Education and Sport, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
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Rodrigues F, Monteiro D, Matos R, Jacinto M, Antunes R, Amaro N. Exploring the Dynamics of Athletes' Enjoyment and Self-Determined Motivation, and of the Motivational Climate in Youth Football: A Longitudinal Perspective. Percept Mot Skills 2024; 131:551-567. [PMID: 38096458 PMCID: PMC10924548 DOI: 10.1177/00315125231222152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/10/2024]
Abstract
We aimed to explore a short period longitudinal interplay between athletes' enjoyment and their self-determined motivation and motivational climate in youth football. We recruited 109 youth football athletes (79 males, 30 females) through a convenient sampling method. We included individuals within the 12-17-year-old age range, with a mean age of 14.31 (SD = 1.46) years. To examine these proposed associations, we performed hierarchical multiple regression analyses and found that enjoyment at pre-season assessment (T1) and self-determined motivation and a task-involving sport climate at mid-season (T2) were significant predictors of mid-season enjoyment (at T2). However, self-determined motivation and task-involving climate at T1 did not significantly contribute to the model. These findings emphasize the importance of initial enjoyment and an evolved self-determined motivation, and task-involving climate in understanding later enjoyment in sport. Coaches, practitioners, and policymakers should prioritize strategies that enhance intrinsic motivation, provide opportunities for autonomy, and cultivate a supportive and growth-oriented environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filipe Rodrigues
- ESECS - Polytechnic of Leiria, Leiria, Portugal
- Research Center in Sport, Health, and Human Development (CIDESD), Vila Real, Portugal
| | - Diogo Monteiro
- ESECS - Polytechnic of Leiria, Leiria, Portugal
- Research Center in Sport, Health, and Human Development (CIDESD), Vila Real, Portugal
| | - Rui Matos
- ESECS - Polytechnic of Leiria, Leiria, Portugal
- Research Center in Sport, Health, and Human Development (CIDESD), Vila Real, Portugal
| | - Miguel Jacinto
- ESECS - Polytechnic of Leiria, Leiria, Portugal
- Research Center in Sport, Health, and Human Development (CIDESD), Vila Real, Portugal
| | - Raúl Antunes
- ESECS - Polytechnic of Leiria, Leiria, Portugal
- Research Center in Sport, Health, and Human Development (CIDESD), Vila Real, Portugal
| | - Nuno Amaro
- ESECS - Polytechnic of Leiria, Leiria, Portugal
- Research Center in Sport, Health, and Human Development (CIDESD), Vila Real, Portugal
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Bastias E, Otte FW, Vaughan J, Swainston S, O' Sullivan M. An ecological approach for skill development and performance in soccer goalkeeper training: Empirical evidence and coaching applications. J Sports Sci 2024:1-12. [PMID: 38293847 DOI: 10.1080/02640414.2024.2306449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
Ecological approaches in sport consider that athletes adapt to properties of the task and the surrounding environment. Thus, task and environment are key constraints of performance. Yet, the influence of task and environmental constraints on athletes' performance needs empirical examination, especially in sport-specific contexts such as soccer goalkeeping. This study aimed to examine if and how task and environmental constraints influenced goalkeepers (GKs') performances. We monitored performance coefficients of two professional female GKs across 13 training tasks that varied based on 9 constraints, referring to both interactions among athletes and properties of the surrounding landscape. Results showed that constraints explain ~ 47% of the observed variability in GKs' performances. Numerical complexity (i.e., the potential interactions between athletes) showed a major influence on performance, which indicates that number of interactions among athletes may constrain GKs' perceived opportunities for action. Field dimensions and landscape representativity (including elements such as penalty area(s), target goal(s) and constraints for shooting) showed positive relationships with performance, supporting that training designs retaining closer proximity to the game may benefit GKs' performances. Overall, results supported that athlete-environment couplings could be understood as a multifactorial model and hence, a combination of task constraints are necessary for designing effective learning environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elliot Bastias
- Research and Development Department, AIK Fotboll, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | - James Vaughan
- Research and Development Department, AIK Fotboll, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Scott Swainston
- Department of Sport and Health Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Mark O' Sullivan
- Department of Sport and Social Sciences, Norwegian School of Sport Sciences, Oslo, Norway
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O'Sullivan M, Vaughan J, Woods CT, Davids K. There is no copy and paste, but there is resonation and inhabitation: Integrating a contemporary player development framework in football from a complexity sciences perspective. J Sports Sci 2023:1-10. [PMID: 38095157 DOI: 10.1080/02640414.2023.2288979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2023] [Accepted: 10/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024]
Abstract
Socio-cultural constraints shape behaviour in complexifying ways. In sport, for example, interconnected constraints play an important role in shaping the way a game is played, coached, and spectated. Here, we contend that player development frameworks in sport cannot be operationalised without careful consideration of the complex ecosystem in which they reside. Concurrently, we highlight issues associated with frameworks designed in isolation from the contexts in which they are introduced for integration, guised as trying to "copy and paste" templates from country to country. As such, there is a need to understand the oft-shrouded socio-cultural dynamics that continuously influence practice in order to maximize the utility of player development frameworks in sport. Ecological dynamics offers a complexity-oriented theoretical lens that supports the evolution of context-dependent player development frameworks. Further, tenets of the Learning in Development Research Framework can show how affordances are not just material invitations but constitute a vital component of a broader socio-cultural form of life. These ideas have the potential to: (1) push against a desire to "copy and paste" what is perceived to be "successful" elsewhere, and (2), guide the integration of player development frameworks by learning to resonate with the nuanced complexities of the broader environment inhabited.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark O'Sullivan
- Department of Sport and Social Sciences, Norwegian School of Sport Sciences, Oslo, Norway
- Sport and Physical Activity Research Centre, Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield, UK
| | | | - Carl T Woods
- Institute for Health and Sport, Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Keith Davids
- Sport and Physical Activity Research Centre, Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield, UK
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O'Sullivan M, Vaughan J, Rumbold JL, Davids K. Utilising the learning in development research framework in a professional youth football club. Front Sports Act Living 2023; 5:1169531. [PMID: 37361408 PMCID: PMC10285168 DOI: 10.3389/fspor.2023.1169531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2023] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Underpinned by an ecological dynamics rationale, the Learning in Development Research Framework (LDRF) has been suggested to introduce methodological possibilities to investigate and illuminate: (i) socio-cultural constraints within a sports organization or club, and (ii), a research gap on the need for a more contemporary framework to guide reliable ways of conducting investigations and designing practical applications. To provide a strong justification for the nature of the fieldwork and methods adopted, we present insights from a 3-year and 5-month study at a professional football club in Sweden that adapted the framework as a central feature of their Department of Methodology for player development. A phronetic iterative approach was employed to analyze the data. The findings highlight the nature of constraints acting over varied timescales, transcending contexts to manifest in other contexts (e.g., practice task designs), influencing events and experiences. This indicated a need to dampen (using probes) the influence of the pervasive organizational "control over context" approaches that were acting as "sticky" socio-cultural constraints, shaping the intentions (in session design) and attention (during practice and performance) of players and coaches. A practical implication is that the LDRF does not prescribe a universal solution to player development. Rather that it can guide how researchers, practitioners, clubs and organisations could challenge themselves to adapt strategies to design contemporary athlete development frameworks within their ecosystem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark O'Sullivan
- Department of Sport and Social Sciences, Norwegian School of Sport Sciences, Oslo, Norway
- Sport and Physical Activity Research Centre, Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | | | - James L. Rumbold
- Sport and Physical Activity Research Centre, Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Keith Davids
- Sport and Physical Activity Research Centre, Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield, United Kingdom
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8
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Schillaci G, Ivaldi M. Fitness parameters in young football players are affected by training load and somatic-anthropometric variations. SPORT SCIENCES FOR HEALTH 2023. [DOI: 10.1007/s11332-023-01054-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/06/2023]
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9
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Richard V, Cairney J, Woods CT. Holding open spaces to explore beyond: Toward a different conceptualization of specialization in high-performance sport. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1089264. [PMID: 36935971 PMCID: PMC10017444 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1089264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2022] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
This conceptual analysis aims to challenge the state of high-performance sport by questioning the concept of specialization. To start, we offer a brief, but critical overview of what specialization currently entails. Then, shifting the paradigm, we suggest an expansion rather than a reduction of developmental possibilities once an athlete reaches the "top". Specifically, rather than athletes conforming to national standards imposed by governing bodies about what it means to be "elite", we suggest sport systems consider a person-environment fit approach to support ongoing development. Drawing on an ecological dynamics rationale and various socio-cultural theories, we explore how concepts such as affordances and perspectives can be harnessed to create a better "fit" between athletes' action capabilities and the opportunities within their broader environment. Our conception of specialization requires moving away from a definition of success based on the accumulation of medals, toward one that accounts for the exploration and achievement of the possible. We argue that a person-environment fit welcomes diversity, so long as it sustains the person's health, wellbeing, and performance. This, it is suggested, is about collectively holding open spaces for each other to explore beyond the constraints of high-performance sport, encouraging all to carry on their lives in directions meaningfully impactful for them. We conclude this conceptual analysis with a brief case example demonstrating what our theorizing could look like in practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronique Richard
- School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
- *Correspondence: Veronique Richard,
| | - John Cairney
- School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Carl T. Woods
- Institute for Health and Sport, Victoria University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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Thonhauser G. Being a team player: Approaching team coordination in sports in dialog with ecological and praxeological approaches. Front Psychol 2022; 13:1026859. [PMID: 36591084 PMCID: PMC9796567 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1026859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
This paper discusses key conceptual resources for an understanding of coordination processes in team sports. It begins by exploring the action guidance provided by the environment, studied in terms of affordances. When conceptualizing sporting performances in general, we might distinguish social and object affordances, think about the spatial and temporal order of affordances in terms of nested and sequential affordances, and differentiate between global, main, and micro-affordances within an action sequence. In the context of team sports, it is crucial to understand how affordances might be given to a plurality of athletes. For that purpose, the paper defines shared, common, and collective affordances. A distinguishing characteristic of team sports is the key role of collaborative intra-team coordination which take place within a setting of antagonistic team-team interactions. A key proposal from dynamical systems theory is to conceptualize intra-team coordination in terms of synergies. Synergies are emergent systems of several athletes who coordinate their movements to achieve specific performance tasks. Many of the embodied skills that players need to develop to become suitable participants in the coordination processes of sport teams are abilities to participate in dynamic sequences of collective activity. Praxeological approaches have emphasized that training processes in team sports are aimed at transforming athletes into skillful participants in sequences of collective play. Athletes need to develop their ability-to-play-with to become proficient in contributing to the formation of suitable collectives for specific performance tasks.
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