On a Corresponsive Sport Science

In our societally extractive age, sport science risks being swept up in the intensifying desire to commodify the experiences of those that scientists proclaim to study. Coupled with the techno-digital revolution, this stems from a vertical (onto)logic that frames the sporting landscape as a static space filled with discrete objects waiting for us to capture, analyse, re-present and sell on as knowledge. Not only does this commodification degrade primary experience in the false hope of epistemological objectivity, it reinforces the unidirectionality of extractivism by setting inquirer apart from, and above of, inquiry. Here, we advocate for a different, more sentient logic grounded in the relationality of gifting as understood in indigenous philosophies. This foregrounds an ecological orientation to scholarship that sets out neither to objectify or describe that which is of concern, but to correspond with its becoming. On this, there are three threads we cast forward. First, in a corresponsive sport science, inhabitants are not objects of analysis, but lines in-becoming, who in answering to others, form knots in a meshwork. These knots constitute communal places in which inhabitants have joined with the differentiating coming-into-being of others. Second, knowledge is not authoritatively (re)cognitive, but humbly ecological; not produced vertically through imposition, but grown longitudinally in responsively moving from place to place. Third, research does not follow a vertically extractive (onto)logic, but is a practice of participant observation. This perspective appreciates that we, sport scientists, are also lines in-becoming that form parts of the knots in which we seek to know. In coda, our thesis is not a call for more qualitative or applied research in the sport sciences. It is a call to response-ably open up to that which sparks our curiosity, answering to what is shared with care, sensitivity and sincerity.

Relationships between physical fitness characteristics, technical skill attributes, and sports injury in female Australian football players

OBJECTIVES

To explore the relationships between physical fitness and i) technical skills and ii) time-loss from Australian football injury in female players across the talent and participation pathways.

METHODS

This study uses a subset of data from two cross-sectional and one prospective cohort studies. A total of 223 female Australian football players across five competition levels (elite/non-elite senior, high-level junior, and non-elite junior (14-17 years)/(10-13 years)) were included in this study. Comprehensive physical fitness assessments and modified Australian football kicking and handballing tests were conducted in the 2018/19 pre-seasons. During the respective competitive in-season, time-loss injuries were recorded by team personnel. Stepwise multiple linear regressions were performed to determine the relationship between physical fitness and kicking and handballing scores. Cox proportional regressions were conducted to identify physical fitness factors associated with injury.

RESULTS

Increased running vertical jump height, greater hip abduction strength, and faster timed 6 m hop speed demonstrated a relationship with kicking accuracy when adjusted for years of Australian football playing experience (adjusted R2 = 0.522, p < 0.001). Faster agility time and increased lean mass were associated with better handballing accuracy (adjusted R2 = 0.221, p < 0.001). Multivariate Cox regression revealed an increased risk for sustaining a time-loss injury in less agile players (adjusted HR 2.41, 95% CI 1.23, 4.73, p = 0.010). However, this relationship no longer remained when adjusted for age and years of Australian football experience (adjusted HR 1.68, 95% CI 0.81, 3.50, p = 0.166).

CONCLUSIONS

Physical fitness may be a significant factor contributing to development of Australian football technical skills in female players. However, its role is unclear in protecting against injury risk in this athlete population. Further research is needed to explore the multifactorial and complex phenomenon of talent development and injury risk reduction in female Australian football players.

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

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.

Examining the validity, reliability and feasibility of capturing children's physical literacy through games-based assessment in physical education

Background

Observational tools can help refine practice design and guide the creation of effective learning environments. The intention of this study was to design and validate an observational instrument for assessing physical literacy that remains more faithful to the philosophically complex and holistic nature of the concept.

Methods

Framed by concepts of ecological dynamics, the emergent games-based assessment tool enables capture of children's interactions with their environment, providing insight on the manifestation of physical literacy within physical education games. The design and validation of the instrument consisted of a multistage process: (1) design of the observational instrument and establishing face validity; (2) pilot observation study; (3) expert qualitative and quantitative review to establish content validity; (4) observation training; and (5), establishing observer reliability.

Results

Following expert qualitative and quantitative evaluation, Aiken's V coefficient was used to determine content validity. Results achieved demanding levels of validity (V ≥ 0.78) for all retained measurement variables. Cohen's κ values for inter- and intra-observer reliability ranged from 0.331 to 1.00 and 0.552 to 1.00, generally reporting "substantial" agreement during inter-observer analysis and "substantial" to "almost perfect" agreement during intra-observer analysis.

Conclusions

The final model of the emergent games-based assessment tool, with 9 ecological conceptualisations of behaviour, 15 measurement variables, and 44 categorical observational items was found to be valid and reliable, providing both educators and researchers with a useful mechanism to assess physical literacy during gameplay.

Comparison of Countermovement Jump and Squat Jump Performance Between 627 State and Non-State Representative Junior Australian Football Players

ABSTRACT

Edwards, T, Weakley, J, Woods, CT, Breed, R, Benson, AC, Suchomel, TJ, and Banyard, HG. Comparison of countermovement jump and squat jump performance between 627 state and non-state representative junior Australian football players. J Strength Cond Res 37(3): 641-645, 2023-This cross-sectional study investigated differences in lower-body power of state and nonstate representative junior Australian football (AF) players through countermovement jump (CMJ) and squat jump (SJ) performance. A total of 627 players performed the CMJ and SJ at the end of the preseason phase over a 2-week period, with each player grouped according to their age (under 18 [U18] or under 16 [U16]), and highest competition level played (state representation and nonstate representation). One-way multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA), follow up ANOVA's, and Cohen's d effect sizes were used to identify significant main effects and between-group differences. Statistical significance was set at α < 0.05. Significant small-to-moderate effect size differences were observed between competition level, with state U18 and U16 players recording greater CMJ and SJ height, and peak power (PP), compared with their nonstate representative peers, respectively. Similarly, significant small-to-moderate effect size differences existed between age groups, with nonstate U18 players recording greater CMJ and SJ height and PP than nonstate U16 counterparts. However, state U18 and state U16 only differed in CMJ PP. No differences were found between competition level or age groups for the difference between CMJ and SJ jump height (CMJSJ diff ). Together, these findings suggest that state and nonstate representative junior AFs may have a similar ability to use the stretch-shortening cycle, despite state representative players jumping higher in the CMJ and SJ.

Exploring football coaches' views on coach education, role, and practice design: An Australian perspective

Despite the importance placed on the design and delivery of formal coach education programs by Football Australia, there remains a lack of research relating to how formal coach education strategies support Australian football (i.e., soccer) coaches and their coaching practices. Through a series of semi-structured interviews, 20 highly qualified and experienced Australian senior football coaches shared their perspectives on: (i) coach education, (ii) their role as coach, and (iii) practice design. Findings revealed that formal coach education in Australia was largely ineffective in preparing senior coaches for the realities of senior football. Coaches attributed this to a number of factors, including the content's quality, structure and delivery, which they viewed as rudimentary, outdated, repetitive and lacking in relevance and depth. Coaches also revealed there was an expectation of conformity to the content and practices endorsed by the National Football Curriculum, limiting the value and impact of formal coach education in supporting the development of coaches' theoretical and practical dispositions. These findings point towards a number of broad and systemic issues relating to the conceptual, theoretical and practical foundations of the National Football Curriculum and subsequent courses. If Football Australia are to reach their goal in designing and delivering effective and meaningful coach education programs that support the highly complex and multifaceted role of senior coaching, formal coach education may need to adapt and evolve in a manner that better supports the multi-dimensional and context-specific needs of Australian senior football coaches.

Holding open spaces to explore beyond: Toward a different conceptualization of specialization in high-performance sport

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.

A Skill Acquisition Perspective on the Impact of Exergaming Technology on Foundational Movement Skill Development in Children 3-12 Years: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Sedentary, digital screen time in children represents a major concern due to its detrimental effect on children's development. Nowadays, however, advances in technology allow children to actively interact with a digital screen using their whole body (e.g., exergaming), providing potential for movement learning. Exergaming technology may prove valuable in supporting children's development of foundational movement skills (FMS).

OBJECTIVE

To examine the impact of exergaming technology on the development of FMS in children 3-12 years through a skill acquisition lens.

METHODS

Systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted following the PRISMA guidelines. Web of Science, PubMed, PsycINFO and SPORTDiscus databases were searched between 2007 and 2022. Studies were eligible if they conducted an exergaming intervention to improve FMS in typically developing children aged three to twelve with a control group, using a baseline and post-intervention assessment design. FMS outcomes were pooled with a random effects model.

RESULTS

Nine trials (4 RCTs, 2 cluster RCTs and 3 non-randomized trials) of varying methodological quality (2 had low, 6 had some concerns, and 1 had a high risk of bias) were included, with a total of 783 participants. FMS outcome measures across studies comprised object control skills, locomotor skills, coordination, agility, balance and balance-related skills. The meta-analysis included showed a small positive effect in favor of the exergaming intervention (r = 0.24 [95% confidence interval: 0.11-0.36]).

CONCLUSION

Our results indicate that screen-based technology that requires an active engagement of the child can promote the development of FMS. Considering that FMS are the foundation of a child's physical, mental, health and academic development, this finding could lead to a reshaping of the perception of digital screen-based technology and the role this should play in children's lives. We speculate that the observed benefits most likely depend upon the quality of information-movement coupling specificity and the motor learning strategies built into the exergame and/or the intervention design. We do not believe this is dependent on the type of FMS being performed or the amount of practice. We recommend therefore that future research should examine how practitioners (school teachers, coaches and parents) can facilitate the interaction between a child and exergaming technology.

Repeated Bout Effect of Two Resistance Training Bouts on Bowling-Specific Performance in Male Cricketers

To examine the repeated bout effect (RBE) following two identical resistance bouts and its effect on bowling-specific performance in male cricketers. Male cricket pace bowlers (N = 10), who had not undertaken resistance exercises in the past six months, were invited to complete a familiarisation and resistance maximum testing, before participating in the study protocol. The study protocol involved the collection of muscle damage markers, a battery of anaerobic (jump and sprint), and a bowling-specific performance test at baseline, followed by a resistance training bout, and a retest of physical and bowling-specific performance at 24 h (T24) and 48 h (T48) post-training. The study protocol was repeated 7–10 days thereafter. Indirect markers of muscle damage were lower (creatine kinase: 318.7 ± 164.3 U·L⁻¹; muscle soreness: 3 ± 1), whilst drop jump was improved (~47.5 ± 8.1 cm) following the second resistance training bout when compared to the first resistance training bout (creatine kinase: 550.9 ± 242.3 U·L⁻¹; muscle soreness: 4 ± 2; drop jump: ~43.0 ± 9.7 cm). However, sport-specific performance via bowling speed declined (Bout 1: −2.55 ± 3.43%; Bout 2: 2.67 ± 2.41%) whilst run-up time increased (2.34 ± 3.61%; Bout 2: 3.84 ± 4.06%) after each bout of resistance training. Findings suggest that while an initial resistance training bout reduced muscle damage indicators and improved drop jump performance following a second resistance training bout, this RBE trend was not observed for bowling-specific performance. It was suggested that pace bowlers with limited exposure to resistance training should minimise bowling-specific practice for 1–2 days following the initial bouts of their resistance training program.

Joining with the Conversation: Research as a Sustainable Practice in the Sport Sciences

What would it mean to consider research in the sport sciences as a sustainable practice? Taking a step back, in such a context, what would sustainability even mean? The time is ripe to address such questions, and what we lay out here are our initial thoughts on this most contemporary of issues. We start by exploring what is meant by the term ‘sustainability’. Rather than following mainstream thinking—the harnessing of earthly resources commodified and exploited as ‘renewables’—we situate it in the sport sciences as a continuing response-ability to the experiences of others. This view is rooted in ‘commoning’—an intransitive verb in which people conjoin varied experiences through correspondence. What makes this sustainable, is its ongoing open-endedness; meaning, it carries on as people (co)respond to one another. Central to this idea is a perceptual system attuned to the ebbs and flows of what or who one is corresponding with. Though, the current modus operandi of research in the sport sciences is located, not on the skilled perception of the scientist corresponding with the coming-into-being of phenomena, but on an unsustainable model of recognition that views phenomena as ‘objects of analysis’, fixed and final in form, waiting to be known about by means of reduction, fragmentation and classification. For research in the sport sciences to become a sustainable practice, we propose a scholarship that prioritises direct observation and participation with what holds our attention, corresponding within its natural ecology of relations, embedding the phenomenon itself. This re-conceptualisation of science views research as a response-able scholarship grounded in conversation. Like inquiring about the well-being of loved ones, what sustains such a scholarship is curiosity, care and hope—a curiosity about which captivates us, a care that sees us respond to what we observe, and a hope of carrying the correspondence on, together.

Physical fitness profiles of female Australian football players across five competition levels

OBJECTIVES

To examine physical fitness profiles of female Australian football players and investigate differences according to competition level.

METHODS

A testing battery of 28 physical fitness assessments was undertaken with 240 players across five competition levels: elite senior (≥18 years), non-elite senior (≥18 years), high-level junior (<18 years), non-elite junior (14-17 years), and non-elite junior (10-13 years). Physical fitness profiles were examined and competition level differences were investigated using multivariate analyses of variance.

RESULTS

Significant differences (p<0.001) were observed between competition levels in body composition (η²_p=0.225), flexibility (η²_p=0.071), muscular strength and endurance (η²_p=0.238), balance (η²_p=0.093), reaction time (η²_p=0.103), and whole-body locomotor performance (η²_p=0.200). Elite seniors and high-level juniors were stronger (p<0.001-0.043), faster (p=0.001-0.022), more responsive (p<0.001-0.048), and had better cardiorespiratory fitness (p<0.001) compared to the non-elite groups. Additionally, body composition and muscular strength and endurance differences were common between the senior and non-elite junior groups.

CONCLUSIONS

This is the first study to comprehensively profile physical characteristics of female Australian footballers across a broader development pathway. These preliminary findings may assist sport practitioners to better understand athlete development, provide insight on talent identification and development programs, and injury management in this population.

Profiling the kicking and handballing accuracy of female Australian football players across five competition levels

OBJECTIVES

To profile the kicking and handballing accuracy of female Australian football (AF) players and investigate potential differences across five competition levels.

METHODS

Female AF players were classified into five competition levels: elite senior (≥18 years) (n=35), non-elite senior (≥18 years) (n=58), high-level junior (<18 years) (n=32), non-elite junior (14-17 years) (n=38), and non-elite junior (10-13 years) (n=42). Modified AF kicking and handballing tests examined accuracy outcomes. Competition level differences in accuracy were modelled using multivariate analysis of variance.

RESULTS

A large, significant difference between the competition levels was noted (F=11.508, p<0.001, Wilk's Λ=0.462, η²_p=0.227), with significant differences (p<0.001) observed in the modified AF kicking (ω²=0.514) and handballing (η²_p=0.150-0.250) tests. Elite seniors and high-level juniors performed the modified AF kicking test more accurately than all non-elite competition levels (p≤0.001). Elite seniors were also more accurate in the modified AF handballing test (dominant hand) compared to all non-elite competition levels (p≤0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

This study is the first to report technical skill characteristics in female AF across a broader participation pathway. These exploratory findings could be used as reference data for player development and inform training designs, namely by incorporating non-dominant handballing competitive play situations to develop this skill in female AF players.

From a Technology That Replaces Human Perception-Action to One That Expands It: Some Critiques of Current Technology Use in Sport

Information technology has been integrated into most areas of sport, providing new insights, improving the efficiency of operational processes, and offering unique opportunities for exploration and inquiry. While acknowledging this positive impact, this paper explores whether sufficient consideration has been directed towards what technology risks detracting from the learning and developmental experiences of its users. Specifically, viewed through the philosophical lens of the device paradigm, and considering a more ecological account of technological implementation, we discuss how technology use in sport could subtly disengage educators and applied sports scientists from performance environments. Insights gleaned from such an ecological account of technology implementation could lead sports science and educational teams to ask and reflect on tough questions of current practice: i.e. has too much control been given to technological devices to ‘solve’ problems and communicate knowledge (about) in sport? Has technology improved the skills of players and performance staff? Or are performance staff at risk of becoming over-reliant on technology, and as a result, reducing the value of experiential knowledge (of) and intuition? Questions like these should be asked if technological devices, purported to support aspects of practice, are continually integrated into the sporting landscape.

Physical and Anthropometric Characteristics Do Not Differ According to Birth Year Quartile in High-Level Junior Australian Football Players

The aim of this study was to explore differences in the physical fitness and anthropometric profiles between birth year quartiles of players attending the Australian Football League (AFL) National Draft Combine. Date of birth, anthropometric, 20 m sprint, vertical and running vertical jump, AFL planned agility, and 20 m Multi-Stage Fitness Test (MSFT) data were obtained for players selected to attend the Combine between 1999 and 2019 (n = 1549; Mage = 18.1; SDage = 0.3). The underlying density distributions of the data were visually explored using violin plots overlaid with box and whisker plots. A multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was then used to model the main effect of birth quartile (four levels) on the physical and anthropometric scores. Results showed that physical and anthropometric test scores did not significantly differ according to birth quartile (V = 0.008, F = 0.880, p = 0.631). We conclude that the physical and anthropometric profiles of high-level junior Australian Football players were similar according to birth year quartile across the modeled period. Therefore, how players utilize their physical and anthropometric attributes during game-play via contextualized, representative assessments, such as small-sided games, should be considered when examining potential causes of a RAE.

Weaving Lines of Inquiry: Promoting Transdisciplinarity as a Distinctive Way of Undertaking Sport Science Research

The promotion of inter- and multidisciplinarity - broadly drawing on other disciplines to help collaboratively answer important questions to the field - has been an important goal for many professional development organisations, universities, and research institutes in sport science. While welcoming collaboration, this opinion piece discusses the value of transdisciplinary research for sports science. The reason for this is that inter- and multidisciplinary research are still bound by disciplinary convention - often leading sport science researchers to study about a phenomenon based on pre-determined disciplinary ways of conceptualising, measuring, and doing. In contrast, transdisciplinary research promotes contextualised study with a phenomenon, like sport, unbound by disciplinary confines. It includes a more narrative and abductive way of performing research, with this abduction likely opening new lines of inquiry for attentive researchers to follow. It is in the weaving of these lines where researchers can encounter new information, growing knowledge in-between, through, and beyond the disciplines to progressively entangle novel and innovative insights related to a phenomenon or topic of interest. To guide innovation and the development of such research programmes in sport science, we lean on the four cornerstones of transdisciplinarity proposed by Alfonso Montuori, exemplifying what they could mean for such research programmes in sport science.

"Learning by Design": What Sports Coaches can Learn from Video Game Designs

There have been multiple calls made in the sport science literature for the promotion of interdisciplinarity to progress some of sports’ most prevailing challenges. Designing practice environments that support learning represents one such challenge, particularly given contemporary perspectives of skill acquisition and motor learning calls for coaches to realign their role—progressing toward the designers of practice tasks that promote athlete-environment interactions. In doing so, performers learn through exploration, deepening a relationship with their performance environment as they solve problems based on changing and interacting constraints. This paper illustrates an interdisciplinary approach to the area of learning through sport practice by adapting established principles embedded in video game designs. Specifically, 13 principles common to good video game designs are described, with practical examples of each provided across different sports. Fundamentally, this paper aims to offer sports practitioners with an overview and application of key principles that could support learning by design. Beyond this, the ideas presented here should further illustrate the value of interdisciplinarity in sports research and practice.

Enskilment: an Ecological-Anthropological Worldview of Skill, Learning and Education in Sport

The aim of this paper is to explore a different, more relational worldview of skill, learning and education in sport. To do this, we turn to the work of social anthropologist, Tim Ingold, leaning on the notion of enskilment, which proposes that learning is inseparable from doing and place. From this worldview, what is learned is not an established body of knowledge, transmitted into the mind of a passive recipient from an authorised being, but is a progressively deepening embodied-embedded attentiveness, where an individual learns to self-regulate by becoming more responsive to people and environmental features by ‘looking, listening and feeling’. As we discuss, Ingold’s perspectives on enskilment are rooted in the etymological connotations of education—ex-ducere, which roughly means ‘to lead out’. In applying this notion to sport, we unpack three of its entangled components, taskscapes, guided attention, and wayfinding, detailing the implications of each for the growth of enskilled sports performers. To promote the translation of these ideas, in addition to encouraging their inquiry beyond the scope of what is discussed here, sporting examples are threaded throughout the paper.

Methodological Considerations for Furthering the Understanding of Constraints in Applied Sports

Commonly classified as individual, task or environmental, constraints are boundaries which shape the emergence of functional movement solutions. In applied sport, an ongoing challenge is to improve the measurement, analysis and understanding of constraints to key stakeholders. Methodological considerations for furthering these pursuits should be centred around an interdisciplinary approach. This integration of methodology and knowledge from different disciplines also encourages the sharing of encompassing principles, concepts, methods and data to generate new solutions to existing problems. This narrative review discusses how a number of rapidly developing fields are positioned to help guide, support and progress an understanding of sport through constraints. It specifically focuses on examples from the fields of technology, analytics and perceptual science. It discusses how technology is generating large quantities of data which can improve our understanding of how constraints shape the movement solutions of performers in training and competition environments. Analytics can facilitate new insights from numerous and complex data through enhanced non-linear and multivariate analysis techniques. The role of the perceptual sciences is discussed with respect to generating outputs from analytics that are more interpretable for the end-user. Together, these three fields of technology, analytics and perceptual science may enable a more comprehensive understanding of constraints in sports performance.

Applications of a working framework for the measurement of representative learning design in Australian football

Representative learning design proposes that a training task should represent informational constraints present within a competitive environment. To assess the level of representativeness of a training task, the frequency and interaction of constraints should be measured. This study compared constraint interactions and their frequencies in training (match simulations and small sided games) with competition environments in elite Australian football. The extent to which constraints influenced kick and handball effectiveness between competition matches, match simulations and small sided games was determined. The constraints of pressure and time in possession were assessed, alongside disposal effectiveness, through an association rule algorithm. These rules were then expanded to determine whether a disposal was influenced by the preceding disposal. Disposal type differed between training and competition environments, with match simulations yielding greater representativeness compared to small sided games. The subsequent disposal was generally more effective in small sided games compared to the match simulations and competition matches. These findings offer insight into the measurement of representative learning designs through the non-linear modelling of constraint interactions. The analytical techniques utilised may assist other practitioners with the design and monitoring of training tasks intended to facilitate skill transfer from preparation to competition.

'Knowing as we go': a Hunter-Gatherer Behavioural Model to Guide Innovation in Sport Science

Where do novel and innovative ideas in sport science come from? How do researchers and practitioners collectively explore the dynamic landscape of inquiry, problem, solution and application? How do they learn to skilfully navigate from current place and practice toward the next idea located beyond their current vantage point? These questions are not just of philosophical value but are important for understanding how to provide high-quality support for athletes and sport participants at all levels of expertise and performance. Grounded in concepts from social anthropology, and theoretically positioned within an ecological dynamics framework, this opinion piece introduces a hunter-gatherer model of human behaviour based on wayfinding, situating it as a conceptual guide for implementing innovations in sport science. Here, we contend that the embedded knowledge of a landscape that guides a successful hunting and gathering party is germane to the pragmatic abduction needed to promote innovation in sport performance, leading to the inquisition of new questions and ways of resolving performance-preparation challenges. More specifically, exemplified through its transdisciplinarity, we propose that to hunt 'new ideas' and gather translatable knowledge, sport science researchers and practitioners need to wayfind through uncharted regions located in new performance landscapes. It is through this process of navigation where individuals will deepen, enrich and grow current knowledge, 'taking home' new ideas as they find their way.

Wayfinding: How Ecological Perspectives of Navigating Dynamic Environments Can Enrich Our Understanding of the Learner and the Learning Process in Sport

Wayfinding is the process of embarking upon a purposeful, intentional, and self-regulated journey that takes an individual from an intended region in one landscape to another. This process is facilitated through an individual’s capacity to utilise temporally structured, functional actions embedded within a particular environmental niche. Thus, individuals learn of their performance landscapes by experiencing them through interactions, detecting and exploiting its many features to ‘find their way’. In this opinion piece, we argue that these ecological and anthropological conceptualisations of human navigation can, metaphorically, deepen our understanding of the learner and the learning process in sport, viewed through the lens of ecological dynamics. Specifically, we consider sports practitioners as (learning) landscape designers, and learners as wayfinders; individuals who learn to skilfully self-regulate through uncharted fields (composed of emergent problems) within performance landscapes through a deeply embodied and embedded perception-action coupling. We contend that, through this re-configuration of the learner and the learning process in sport, practitioners may better enact learning designs that afford learners exploratory freedoms, learning to perceive and utilise available opportunities for action to skilfully navigate through emergent performance-related problems. We conclude the paper by offering two practical examples in which practitioners have designed practice landscapes that situate learners as wayfinders and the learning process in sport as wayfinding.

Analysis of styles of play according to season and end of season rank in the National Rugby League

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to identify styles of play in the National Rugby League (NRL) relative to season and end of season rank (position on the NRL ladder) across the 2015-2019 seasons.

DESIGN

Retrospective, longitudinal analysis of performance indicators.

METHODS

Forty-eight performance indicators (e.g. runs, tackles) from all NRL teams and matches during the 2015-2019 seasons (n=2010) were quantified. Principal component analysis (PCA) was then used to identify styles of play based on dimensions (Factors) of performance indicators. Multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) was then used to explain these emergent styles of play relative to 'season' and 'end of season rank'.

RESULTS

The PCA revealed nine Factors (six attacking, two defensive and one contested style) accounting for ∼51% of seasonal team performance variance. These nine Factors differed across 'seasons', with four showing an effect against 'end of season rank'. From these four, two Factors (ball possession and player efforts) impacted upon the combined effects of 'season' and 'end of season rank'.

CONCLUSIONS

The PCA identified nine Factors reflecting a spread of attacking, defensive and contested styles of play within the NRL. These styles differed relative to season and a team's end of season ranking. These results may assist practitioners with the recognition of more contemporary styles of play in the NRL, enabling the development of strategies to exploit competition trends.

The relationship between physical fitness attributes and sports injury in female, team ball sport players: a systematic review

BACKGROUND

Understanding the relationships between physical fitness characteristics and sports injury may assist with the development of injury minimisation programs. The purpose of this systematic review was to investigate the association between physical fitness attributes and sports injury in female, team ball sport players.

METHODS

Four scientific databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, SPORTDiscus, Scopus) and reference lists of relevant research were searched for eligible studies up to September 2, 2019. Full-text articles examining the relationship between physical fitness and sports injury in female, team ball sport players were included. A modified Downs and Black checklist was used to assess methodological quality. Data synthesis determined summary conclusions based on the number of significant relationships divided by the total relationships investigated and reported as a percentage. Level of certainty was identified for summary conclusions based on level of evidence. Sub-analyses regarding competition level, age, and single injury types were also conducted.

RESULTS

A total of 44 studies were included. Data synthesis revealed no associations (low to moderate certainty) between body composition (1/9; 11%), flexibility (18-20%), and balance (2/8; 25%) and 'any injury' classification. No associations (mostly of moderate certainty) were found between flexibility (0-27%), muscular strength (0-27%), and body composition (14-33%) and various body region injury classifications, whereas mixed summary conclusions were shown for balance (0-48%). Many associations between physical fitness and sports injury were deemed 'unknown' or with an insufficient level of certainty. Sub-analyses revealed no association between strength and noncontact ACL injuries (0/5; 0%) or ankle sprains (0/12; 0%), and between flexibility and ankle sprains (1/5; 20%); however, insufficient certainty of these results exists. Clear associations were concluded between balance and lower body injuries in female, non-elite (10/16; 63%) and junior (9/12; 75%) team ball sport players, with moderate and insufficient certainty of these results, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Limited evidence is available to demonstrate relationships between physical fitness and sports injury in female, team ball sport players. High-quality evidence investigating the multifactorial nature of sports injury, including the interactions physical fitness qualities have with other injury determinants, is needed to better understand the role of physical fitness in minimising sports injuries in female, team ball sport players.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

CRD42017077374 (PROSPERO on September 14, 2017).

Sport Practitioners as Sport Ecology Designers: How Ecological Dynamics Has Progressively Changed Perceptions of Skill "Acquisition" in the Sporting Habitat

Over two decades ago, Davids et al. (1994) and Handford et al. (1997) raised theoretical concerns associated with traditional, reductionist, and mechanistic perspectives of movement coordination and skill acquisition for sport scientists interested in practical applications for training designs. These seminal papers advocated an emerging consciousness grounded in an ecological approach, signaling the need for sports practitioners to appreciate the constraints-led, deeply entangled, and non-linear reciprocity between the organism (performer), task, and environment subsystems. Over two decades later, the areas of skill acquisition, practice and training design, performance analysis and preparation, and talent development in sport science have never been so vibrant in terms of theoretical modeling, knowledge generation and innovation, and technological deployment. Viewed at an ecological level of analysis, the work of sports practitioners has progressively transitioned toward the facilitation of an evolving relationship between an organism (athlete and team) and its environment (sports competition). This commentary sets out to explore how these original ideas from Davids et al. (1994) and Handford et al. (1997) have been advanced through the theoretical lens of ecological dynamics. Concurrently, we provide case study exemplars, from applied practice in high-performance sports organizations, to illustrate how these contemporary perspectives are shaping the work of sports practitioners (sport ecology designers) in practice and in performance preparation.

The Relationship Between Physical Fitness Qualities and Sport-Specific Technical Skills in Female, Team-Based Ball Players: A Systematic Review

Background

Understanding the relationships between physical fitness attributes and sport-specific technical skills may assist with the establishment of beneficial training interventions. The aim of this systematic review was to determine if physical fitness qualities were associated with performance of sport-specific technical skills in female, team-based ball players.

Methods

Five databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, SPORTDiscus, ProQuest, and Scopus) were searched for relevant studies up to April 15, 2019. Full-text articles investigating relationships between physical fitness and sport-specific technical skills in female, team-based ball players were included. Methodological quality of included studies was appraised using a modified Downs and Black checklist. Data synthesis was conducted to determine the summary of evidence based on the number of significantly associated relationships divided by the total relationships assessed. An individual relationship was defined as a reported result examining the association between a single physical fitness variable and a single sport-specific technical skill.

Results

Data synthesis of grouped female ball players from 41 included studies revealed three clear associations: (i) body composition and defensive technical skills (19/29; 66%), (ii) agility and movement with a ball (4/6; 67%), and (iii) coordination and movement with a ball (3/5; 60%). An uncertain association exists between cardiorespiratory fitness and defensive technical skills (2/5; 40%). No association or an unknown conclusion (< 5 relationships reported) exists between all remaining physical fitness attributes and sport-specific technical skills. Sub-analyses revealed clear associations between body composition and throwing/shooting (using hands) in junior ball players (15/15; 100%) and with movement with a ball in elite (6/9; 67%) and senior (6/6; 100%) ball players. Three uncertain associations were found between offensive technical skills and agility in elite ball players (3/8; 38%), and with speed in elite (6/14; 43%) and junior (7/18; 39%) female ball players.

Conclusion

There is limited evidence available to demonstrate relationships between physical fitness qualities and sport-specific technical skills in female, team-based ball players. This lack of association is possibly due to reductionist methods in available literature and a lack of research in female ball players globally.

Registration

CRD42017065339 (PROSPERO on 12 May 2017).

Examining the evolution and classification of player position using performance indicators in the National Rugby League during the 2015-2019 seasons

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to: 1) examine recent seasonal changes in performance indicators for different National Rugby League (NRL) playing positions; and 2) determine the accuracy of performance indicators to classify and discriminate positional groups in the NRL.

DESIGN

Retrospective, longitudinal analysis of individual performance metrics.

METHODS

48 performance indicators (e.g. passes, tackles) from all NRL games during the 2015-2019 seasons were collated for each player´s match-related performance. The following analyses were conducted with all data: (i) one-way ANOVA to identify seasonal changes in performance indicators; (ii) principal component analysis (PCA) to group performance indicators into factors; (iii) two-step cluster analysis to classify playing positions using the identified factors; and (iv) discriminant analysis to discriminate the identified playing positions.

RESULTS

ANOVA showed significant differences in performance indicators across seasons (F=2.3-687.7; p=0-0.05; partial η²=0.00-0.075). PCA pooled all performance indicators and identified 14 factors that were included in the two-step cluster analysis (average silhouette=0.5) that identified six positional groups: forwards, 26.7%, adjustables, 17.2%, interchange, 23.2%, backs, 20.9%, interchange forwards, 5.5% and utility backs, 6.5%. Lastly, discriminant analysis revealed five discriminant functions that differentiated playing positions.

CONCLUSIONS

Results indicated that player's performance demands across different playing positions did significantly change over recent seasons (2015-2019). Cluster analysis yielded a high-level of accuracy relative to playing position, identifying six clusters that best discriminated positional groups. Unsupervised analytical approaches may provide sports scientists and coaches with meaningful tools to evaluate player performance and future positional suitability in RL.

Lunge exercises with blood-flow restriction induces post-activation potentiation and improves vertical jump performance

PURPOSE

This study examined the post-activation potentiation effects of body-weight lunge exercises with blood-flow restriction on jump performance. Eighteen anaerobically trained men took part in this study across 3 weeks.

METHODS

During the first week, participants were familiarised with the lunge exercises with blood-flow restriction and the drop-jump protocol. In the second and third week, participants were randomly allocated to complete body-weight lunges (three sets of eight repetitions) either with or without blood-flow restriction (occlusion set at 130% of systolic blood pressure) to induce post-activation potentiation. Drop-jump performance was assessed between blood-flow conditions, and prior to, and at the third, sixth, ninth, twelfth and fifteenth minute following each lunge exercise. Relationships between mechanical contributors of jump performance and final jump performance were examined via Pearson correlation coefficients.

RESULTS

Lunges with blood-flow restriction significantly improved jump height (~ 4.5% ± 0.8%), flight time (~ 3.4% ± 0.3%) and power (~ 4.1% ± 0.3%) within 6-15 min post-exercise (p < 0.05) with the magnitude of effect between blood-flow conditions, moderate-large (0.54-1.16). No significant changes (p > 0.05) were found in jump performance measures following lunge exercises without blood-flow restriction. Significant correlations (p < 0.05) between mechanical contributors of jump performance and jump performance highlighted the potential of blood-flow restriction to enhance stretch-shortening cycle mechanics in the current study.

CONCLUSION

Lunge exercises with blood-flow restriction improved subsequent jump performance in anaerobically trained men. The use of blood-flow restriction may be a practical alternative to heavy resistance training equipment during warm-up protocols.

Differences between Elite and Semi-Elite Australian Football Conceptualised through the Lens of Ecological Dynamics

This study explored the differences in match play between elite and semi-elite Australian football (AF) conceptualised through the lens of ecological dynamics. We sampled naturalistic constraints from match play across two AF competitions (elite and semi-elite) and heuristically classified them into task, environmental and individual classes. Data was extracted from 22 Australian Football League (AFL) games, and 18 semi-elite AF games, with a total of six constraints being sampled from each game. Match play within the AFL generated a greater percent of total disposals in general play within a processing time of 0–1s (d = 1.24 (0.64–1.80)), a greater opposition density surrounding the ball carrier (d = 0.82 (0.26–1.37)), and more disposals being performed while running (dynamic; d = 0.89 (0.33–1.45)). This data highlights differences with regards to the informational sources available to players across both competition standards to inform their movement choices. Specifically, a greater proportion of disposals within the AFL appear to be shaped by pronounced temporal and spatial constraints relative to a semi-elite competition. Coaches are encouraged to consider these results when developing representative training activities for both AFL and prospective AFL players.

Training programme designs in professional team sport: An ecological dynamics exemplar

Ecological dynamics is a contemporary theory of skill acquisition, advocating the mutuality of the performer-environment system, with clear implications for the design of innovative training environments in elite sport. It contends that performance behaviours emerge, and are adapted, by athletes satisfying a confluence of constraints impacting on their structural and functional capacities, the physics of a performance environment and the intended task goals. This framework implicates contemporary models of coaching, training design and sport science support, to stimulate continuous interactions between an individual and performance environment, predicated on representative learning designs (RLD). While theoretical principles of RLD in ecological dynamics are tangible, their practical application in elite and high level (team) sports need verification. Here, we exemplify how data sampled from a high-performance team sport setting could underpin innovative methodologies to support practitioners in designing representative training activities. We highlight how the use of principles grounded within ecological dynamics, along with data from performance analytics, could suggest contemporary models of coaching and preparation for performance in elite sport.

Physical, Anthropometric, and Athletic Movement Qualities Discriminate Development Level in a Rugby League Talent Pathway

Pearce, LA, Sinclair, WH, Leicht, AS, and Woods, CT. Physical, anthropometric, and athletic movement qualities discriminate development level in a rugby league talent pathway. J Strength Cond Res 32(11): 3169-3176, 2018-This study compared the physical, anthropometric, and athletic movement qualities of talent-identified rugby league (RL) players within a development pathway. From a total of 174 players, 3 developmental levels were defined: under 18 (U18; n = 52), under 20 (U20; n = 53), and state league (SL; n = 69). All players performed a test battery that consisted of 5 physical assessments, 2 anthropometric measurements, and an athletic movement assessment. A multivariate analysis of variance modeled the main effect of developmental level (3 levels: U18, U20, and SL) on test criterion variables. Receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curves were then built for the criterion variables that showed a significant developmental level effect. A significant effect was noted (V = 0.775, F = 5.43, p ≤ 0.05), with the SL players outperforming their U18 and U20 counterparts for measures of body mass, peak and average lower limb power, double lunge (left side), single-leg Romanian deadlift (left and right sides), the push-up, and total athletic ability assessment score (p ≤ 0.05; d = 0.35-1.21). The ROC curves generated an area under the curve of greater than 65% for each test criterion, indicating greater than chance discrimination. These results highlight the physical, anthropometric, and athletic movement qualities discriminant of development level within a RL talent pathway. Practitioners are encouraged to consider the thresholds from the ROC curves as an objective guide to assist with the development of physical performance qualities that may augment player progression in Australian RL.

Manipulating Field Dimensions During Small-sided Games Impacts the Technical and Physical Profiles of Australian Footballers

Brock, F, Christopher, J, Harry, B, and Carl, WT. Manipulating field dimensions during small-sided games impacts the technical and physical profiles of Australian footballers. J Strength Cond Res 32(7): 2039-2044, 2018-This study investigated the effect of manipulating field dimensions on the technical and physical profiles of Australian football (AF) players during small-sided games (SSGs). A total of 40 male players (23.9 ± 3.5 years) participated in 3, five-a-side SSGs; defined as "small" (20 × 30 m; 600 m), "medium" (30 × 40 m; 1,200 m), and "large" (40 × 50 m; 2,000 m). Notational analyses enabled the quantification of technical skill indicators, whereas physical activity profiles were measured using microtechnology, resulting in 18 criterion variables. A multivariate analysis of variance modeled the main effect of field dimension on the criterion variables. A significant main effect was observed (V = 1.032; F38, 102 = 2.863; p ≤ 0.05), with the "small" and "medium" SSGs generating more turnovers and ineffective handballs relative to the "large" SSG. Furthermore, the "small" SSG generated more tackles and fewer bounces compared with the "large" SSG. The "large" SSG generated a greater absolute distance, relative distance, maximum velocity, PlayerLoad, and distance >4.16 m·s compared with the "small" and "medium" SSGs. These results provide AF coaches with insights into how task constraint manipulation impacts the technical and physical profiles of players during small-sided game-play. Thus, coaches and physical performance specialists could use this information to assist with the tactical periodization of technical complexity and physical load at different phases of the AF season.

Team and seasonal performance indicator evolution in the ANZ Championship netball league

Analysis of netball has received scant attention in the literature and there is little understanding of the dynamics of netball game-play. This study aimed to analyse team and seasonal performance indicator (dis)similarity in the ANZ Championship (netball). Total season values for nine performance indicators were analysed for the ten ANZ Championship teams from 2009 to 2016. The data were analysed using a multivariate, distance-based, approach. Specifically, non-metric multidimensional scaling was used to examine seasonal and team (dis)similarity. After declining from 2009, shooting percentage, goal assists, centre pass receives, penalties and turnovers began to rise from 2011. Both penalties and turnovers declined from 2015, in addition to attempts at goal. The two-dimensional multivariate ordination plot showed relative similarity between each team and season over the observational period, suggesting stagnant game-play dynamics. Further, despite idiosyncratic seasonal profiles, teams generally followed similar directional progression across the ordination surface. Despite being observed in other team invasion sports, league-wide synchronous evolutionary tendencies were not observed within the ANZ Championships between the 2006 to 2016 seasons. However, certain teams did display seasonal fluctuation in their observed multivariate profile, with these seasonal idiosyncrasies being discussed relative to coaching and playing roster changes specific to the analysed team.

Identifying the Physical Fitness, Anthropometric and Athletic Movement Qualities Discriminant of Developmental Level in Elite Junior Australian Football: Implications for the Development of Talent

Gaudion, SL, Doma, K, Sinclair, W, Banyard, HG, and Woods, CT. Identifying the physical fitness, anthropometric and athletic movement qualities discriminant of developmental level in elite junior Australian football: implications for the development of talent. J Strength Cond Res 31(7): 1830-1839, 2017-This study aimed to identify the physical fitness, anthropometric and athletic movement qualities discriminant of developmental level in elite junior Australian football (AF). From a total of 77 players, 2 groups were defined according to their developmental level; under 16 (U16) (n = 40, 15.6 to 15.9 years), and U18 (n = 37, 17.1 to 17.9 years). Players performed a test battery consisting of 7 physical fitness assessments, 2 anthropometric measurements, and a fundamental athletic movement assessment. A multivariate analysis of variance tested the main effect of developmental level (2 levels: U16 and U18) on the assessment criterions, whilst binary logistic regression models and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were built to identify the qualities most discriminant of developmental level. A significant effect of developmental level was evident on 9 of the assessments (d = 0.27-0.88; p ≤ 0.05). However, it was a combination of body mass, dynamic vertical jump height (nondominant leg), repeat sprint time, and the score on the 20-m multistage fitness test that provided the greatest association with developmental level (Akaike's information criterion = 80.84). The ROC curve was maximized with a combined score of 180.7, successfully discriminating 89 and 60% of the U18 and U16 players, respectively (area under the curve = 79.3%). These results indicate that there are distinctive physical fitness and anthropometric qualities discriminant of developmental level within the junior AF talent pathway. Coaches should consider these differences when designing training interventions at the U16 level to assist with the development of prospective U18 AF players.

Explaining Match Outcome During The Men's Basketball Tournament at The Olympic Games

In preparation for the Olympics, there is a limited opportunity for coaches and athletes to interact regularly with team performance indicators providing important guidance to coaches for enhanced match success at the elite level. This study examined the relationship between match outcome and team performance indicators during men's basketball tournaments at the Olympic Games. Twelve team performance indicators were collated from all men's teams and matches during the basketball tournament of the 2004-2016 Olympic Games (n = 156). Linear and non-linear analyses examined the relationship between match outcome and team performance indicator characteristics; namely, binary logistic regression and a conditional interference (CI) classification tree. The most parsimonious logistic regression model retained 'assists', 'defensive rebounds', 'field-goal percentage', 'fouls', 'fouls against', 'steals' and 'turnovers' (delta AIC <0.01; Akaike weight = 0.28) with a classification accuracy of 85.5%. Conversely, four performance indicators were retained with the CI classification tree with an average classification accuracy of 81.4%. However, it was the combination of 'field-goal percentage' and 'defensive rebounds' that provided the greatest probability of winning (93.2%). Match outcome during the men's basketball tournaments at the Olympic Games was identified by a unique combination of performance indicators. Despite the average model accuracy being marginally higher for the logistic regression analysis, the CI classification tree offered a greater practical utility for coaches through its resolution of non-linear phenomena to guide team success.

A comparison of game-play characteristics between elite youth and senior Australian National Rugby League competitions

OBJECTIVES

To compare game-play characteristics between elite youth and senior Australian National Rugby League (NRL) competitions.

DESIGN

Longitudinal observational.

METHODS

The dataset consisted of 12 team performance indicators (e.g., 'all runs', 'offloads' and 'tackles') extracted from all 2016 national under 20 (U20) competition (elite youth; n=372 observations) and National Rugby League (NRL) (elite senior; n=378 observations) matches. Data was classified according to competition (Two levels: U20 and NRL) and modelled using two techniques. Firstly, non-metric multidimensional scaling resolved multivariate competition (dis)similarity, visualised using a two-dimensional ordination. Secondly, a conditional interference (CI) classification tree was grown to reveal the performance indicators most capable of explaining competition level.

RESULTS

Non-metric multidimensional scaling revealed high competition dissimilarity, with U20 and NRL teams orienting distinctive positions on the first dimension of the ordination surface. Five team performance indicators were retained within the CI tree ('all runs', 'tackle breaks', 'tackles', 'missed tackles', and 'kicks'), which correctly classified 79% of the U20 observations and 93% of the NRL observations.

CONCLUSIONS

Multivariate differences between elite youth and senior rugby league competitions were identified. Specifically, NRL game-play was classified by a greater number of 'all runs', and 'tackles' and a lower number of 'missed tackles' relative to the U20 competition. Given the national U20 competition is purported to assist with the development of prospective NRL players, junior coaches may consider training interventions that primarily aid the tackling capacities of players. This may subsequently assist with talent development and player progression in Australian rugby league.

Transferring an Analytical Technique from Ecology to the Sport Sciences

BACKGROUND

Learning transfer is defined as an individual's capability to apply prior learnt perceptual, motor, or conceptual skills to a novel task or performance environment. In the sport sciences, learning transfers have been investigated from an athlete-specific perspective. However, sport scientists should also consider the benefits of cross-disciplinary learning to aid critical thinking and metacognitive skill gained through the interaction with similar quantitative scientific disciplines.

OBJECTIVE

Using team sports performance analysis as an example, this study aimed to demonstrate the utility of a common analytical technique in ecology in the sports sciences, namely, nonmetric multidimensional scaling.

METHODS

To achieve this aim, three novel research examples using this technique are presented, each of which enables the analysis and visualization of athlete (organism), team (aggregation of organisms), and competition (ecosystem) behaviors.

RESULTS

The first example reveals the technical behaviors of Australian Football League Brownlow medalists from the 2001 to 2016 seasons. The second example delineates dissimilarity in higher and lower ranked National Rugby League teams within the 2016 season. Lastly, the third example shows the evolution of game play in the basketball tournaments between the 2004 and 2016 Olympic Games.

CONCLUSIONS

In addition to the novel findings of each example, the collective results demonstrate that, by embracing cross-disciplinary learning and drawing upon an analytical technique common to ecology, novel solutions to pertinent research questions within sports performance analysis could be addressed in a practically meaningful way. Cross-disciplinary learning may subsequently assist sport scientists in the analysis and visualization of multivariate datasets.

Identifying the physical and anthropometric qualities explanatory of paddling adolescents

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to identify the physical and/or anthropometric qualities explanatory of adolescent surf lifesavers participating in paddling activities.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional observational study.

METHODS

A total of 53 (14-18years) male participants were recruited and classified into two groups; paddlers (n=30; actively participating in paddling), non-paddlers (n=23; not actively participating in paddling). All participants completed a testing battery that consisted of 16 physical (isometric strength and muscular endurance) and anthropometric (height, mass, segment lengths and breadths) assessments. Binary logistic regression models and receiver operating characteristic curves were built to identify the physical and/or anthropometric qualities most explanatory of paddling status (two levels: 1=paddlers, 0=non-paddlers).

RESULTS

Significant between group differences were noted for 14 of the 16 assessments (P<0.05; d=0.59-1.29). However, it was the combination of horizontal shoulder abduction isometric strength, body mass, and sitting height that provided the greatest association with paddling status (Akaike Information Criterion=47.13). This full model successfully detected 87% and 70% of the paddlers and non-paddlers, respectively, with an area under the curve of 84.2%.

CONCLUSIONS

These results indicate that there are distinctive physical and anthropometric qualities that may be advantageous for prospective paddling athletes to possess. Practitioners should integrate assessments of horizontal shoulder abduction isometric strength, body mass, and sitting height, as well as their subsequent cut-off thresholds, into talent detection programs focused toward the recognition of performance potential in paddling-oriented sports.

The association between fundamental athletic movements and physical fitness in elite junior Australian footballers

This study investigated the associations between fundamental athletic movement and physical fitness in junior Australian football (AF). Forty-four under 18 players performed a fundamental athletic movement assessment consisting of an overhead squat, double lunge, single leg Romanian deadlift and a push up. Movements were scored on three assessment criterions using a three-point scale. Additionally, participants performed five physical fitness tests commonly used for talent identification in AF. A Spearman's nonparametric correlation matrix was built, with correlation coefficients being visualised using a circularly rendered correlogram. Score on the overhead squat was moderately positively associated with dynamic vertical jump height on left (r_s = 0.40; P ≤ 0.05) and right (r_s = 0.30; P ≤ 0.05) leg take-off, stationary vertical jump (r_s = 0.32; P ≤ 0.05) and negatively associated with 20-m sprint time (r_s = -0.35; P ≤ 0.05). Score on the double lunge (left/right side) was moderately positively associated with the same physical fitness tests as well as score on the multistage fitness test. Results suggest that improvements in physical fitness qualities may occur through concurrent increases in fundamental athletic movement skill, namely the overhead squat and double lunge movements. These findings may assist with the identification and development of talent.

Discriminating Talent Identified Junior Australian Footballers Using a Fundamental Gross Athletic Movement Assessment

Talent identification (TID) is a pertinent component of the sports sciences, affording practitioners the opportunity to target developmental interventions to a select few; optimising financial investments. However, TID is multi-componential, requiring the recognition of immediate and prospective performance. The measurement of athletic movement skill may afford practitioners insight into the latter component given its augmented relationship with functional sport specific qualities. It is currently unknown whether athletic movement skill is a discriminant quality in junior Australian football (AF). This study aimed to discriminate talent identified junior AF players from their non-talent identified counterparts using a fundamental gross athletic movement assessment. From a total of 50 under 18 (U18) AF players; two groups were classified a priori based on selection level; talent identified (n = 25; state academy representatives) and non-talent identified (n = 25; state-based competition representatives). Players performed a fundamental gross athletic movement assessment based on the Athletic Ability Assessment (AAA), consisting of an overhead squat, double lunge (left and right legs), single leg Romanian deadlift (left and right legs), and a push up (six movement criterions). Movements were scored across three assessment points using a three-point scale (resulting in a possible score of nine for each movement). A multivariate analysis of variance revealed significant between group effects on four of the six movement criterions (d = 0.56 - 0.87; p = 0.01 - 0.02). Binary logistic regression models and a receiver operating characteristic curve inspection revealed that the overhead squat score provided the greatest group discrimination (β(SE) = -0.89(0.44); p < 0.05), with a score of 4.5 classifying 64% and 88% of the talent identified and non-talent identified groups, respectively. Results support the integration of this assessment into contemporary talent identification approaches in junior AF, as it may provide coaches with insight into a juniors developmental potential.

The relationship between game-based performance indicators and developmental level in junior Australian football: Implications for coaching

Identifying performance differences between juniors at different stages of a talent pathway may assist with the development of prospective talent. This study investigated the relationship between game-based performance indicators and developmental level in junior Australian football (AF). Players were categorised into 2 groups according to developmental level; U16 and U18. Physical and technical skill performance indicators were collated for all U16 (n = 200) and U18 (n = 244) participants of their respective 2014 national championships. Data were acquired from all 28 games (12 U16, 16 U18); resulting in 1360 player observations (568 U16, 792 U18). Microtechnology and a commercial provider facilitated the quantification of 15 performance indicators. Generalised estimating equations (GEEs) modelled the extent to which these performance indicators were associated with developmental level. The GEE model revealed that "contested marks" and "contested possessions" had the strongest association with the U16 level, while "total marks" and "clearances" had the strongest association with the U18 level. The remaining performance indicators were not developmentally discriminant. These results indicate that there are distinctive features of gameplay more associated with the U16 and U18 levels in AF. Coaches may wish to consider these results when constructing training drills designed to minimise developmental gaps.