Bobsled is an Olympic sport that has progressed from rudimentary in the 1800’s to highly technological replete with biomechanical analyses and investment in engineering from the world’s top engineers. Little to no investigation has been carried out on all the tracks and the interrelationship between various measures of starts and sled-travel down-track. Further, little quality research has been produced in the athletic characteristics required for high-level competition in bobsled. The present manuscript investigates the reliability of, and interrelationship between, start time, start velocity, split times, and finish times in World Cup 2- and 4-man bobsled competition. A strong relationship between the three variables is found, but further research is needed to elucidate the actual effects of the push start on the sled’s travel down-track because of several confounding variables. The present manuscript also investigates the tests commonly performed by the USA Bobsled and Skeleton federation as a means of talent identification and athlete monitoring. Strength and power tests may have more validity for discriminating between higher-level push athletes, so long as a sufficient threshold of running speed is present. Speed tests only discriminate well between lower level push athletes. Recommendations are made for modifying the current testing battery in such a way as to better identify talent and better monitor traveling athletes and informing coaching decisions about athlete preparedness for fast bobsled push starts.

Expert sport performance is developed by engaging in large volumes of high-quality training, particularly among endurance athletes, which must be supported by recovery. Despite the importance of recovery for sustaining and enhancing training, the concept has been largely absent from sport expertise research due in part to a lack of identified athlete-led recovery skills. Moreover, research on recovery has focused on a limited range of modalities, informed by practitioners' perspectives, at the expense of more complex, athlete-centered perspectives of what recovery may involve. The overarching purpose of this dissertation was to explore and describe the psychology of recovery in relation to sport expertise, and in doing so answer, "What might it mean for an endurance athlete to be skilled at recovery?". This purpose was addressed in four articles, organized in an exploratory, sequential, mixed-methods design. Expert sport performance is developed by engaging in large volumes of high-quality training, particularly among endurance athletes, which must be supported by recovery. Despite the importance of recovery for sustaining and enhancing training, the concept has been largely absent from sport expertise research due in part to a lack of identified athlete-led recovery skills. Moreover, research on recovery has focused on a limited range of modalities, informed by practitioners' perspectives, at the expense of more complex, athlete-centered perspectives of what recovery may involve. The overarching purpose of this dissertation was to explore and describe the psychology of recovery in relation to sport expertise, and in doing so answer, "What might it mean for an endurance athlete to be skilled at recovery?". This purpose was addressed in four articles, organized in an exploratory, sequential, mixed-methods design. Article 1 explored what recovery means to a sample of 13 elite endurance athletes with experience at multiple World Championships/Olympics. Each athlete participated in two semi- structured interviews, separated by an intervening week of keeping an activity journal of their recovery-related thoughts/actions. Using inductive reflexive thematic analysis, the findings portrayed recovery as encompassing a wide range of potential approaches that spanned multiple dimensions of feelings, levels of focus, and personal solutions. Further, the athletes assigned meaning to recovery in a particular time and context based on processes of 'defining short and long-term purposes', 'breaking and engaging', and 'negotiating and prioritizing'. These findings suggested that recovery is highly complex and individual, and that athletes define recovery according to personal and contextual conditions. Article 2 described the process of implementing recovery from the perspective of elite endurance athletes, using data from the same interviews as Article 1. Through inductive reflexive thematic analysis, I found that these athletes felt recovery was athlete-led: it involved processes of self-knowledge and planning (captured in the theme of 'Knowing my body'), self-awareness and interpretation ('Listening to my body'), and self-control and adjustment ('Respecting my body'), all connected in on-going development ('Learning my body'). During reflexive analysis, I further found that recovery self-regulation was integrated with people and places in the athletes' environments in ways that supplemented, facilitated, and provided for aspects of recovery. I integrated the athlete-led themes and environment-influenced themes in the Athlete Recovery Regulation Model, a heuristic model outlining how athletes shape their recovery using a set of athlete-led skills of recovery self-regulation. Article 3 aimed to describe how 22 elite cyclists and triathletes implemented certain recovery self-regulation skills between two key workouts, placed 2-3 days apart in their planned training. Using experience sampling methods, participants reported their momentary use of certain self-regulatory processes, as well as states of recovery and stress, up to eight times per day, leading up to and between the workouts. These processes were strongly correlated but differed in frequency, intensity, consistency, and predictors of use, which suggested that the processes represent synergistic yet unique competencies. Greater use of recovery self-regulation processes was associated with higher perceived stress and, to a lesser extent, lower perceived recovery, but there was no association with the time remaining to or elapsed after the key workouts. These findings indicated that elite endurance athletes self-regulate their recovery frequently and dynamically, largely in response to multidimensional feelings of stress. Article 4 refined the methods of Article 3 into a more controlled, representative task to assess and describe recovery between two key workouts. Using that task, planned analyses aimed to (a) describe the patterns of recovery self-regulation employed by 16 non-elite endurance athletes, and (b) assess those patterns in relation to the recovery of performance between successive workouts. Sixteen recreationally competitive cyclists participated remotely in two prescribed workouts, 48 hrs apart, on the Zwift virtual cycling platform. Between workouts, they participated in the same experience sampling design as Article 3. Findings showed that the non- elite cyclists also self-regulated their recovery frequently and dynamically. In contrast to the elite athletes in Article 3, this sample made greater use of self-regulatory processes specifically when experiencing physical stress, following the first workout, and use declined with time between the workouts. The recovery of performance in workout 2 relative to workout 1 was associated with more frequent use of certain self-regulatory processes, although overall, various characteristics of recovery self-regulation were not associated with performance recovery. These findings indicated that non-elite athletes engage in recovery self-regulation, albeit in potentially simpler and more reactive patterns compared to elite athletes. This dissertation makes several contributions. It proposes that an athlete's role in recovery may be conceptualized through athlete-led skills, as described in the Athlete Recovery Regulation Model. Further, it suggests that recovery may be understood in relation to various processes and perspectives of self-regulated learning. Methodologically, this dissertation advances a proof of concept that recovery can be examined in a traditional expertise paradigm, using experience sampling methods employed around a representative task in the context of inter-workout recovery. Finally, this dissertation advances an athlete-centered and skills-based understanding of recovery, which provides an alternative avenue for applied practitioners and sport organizations to address recovery with endurance athletes. Overall, this dissertation centers recovery on the athletes who engage in it by describing skills they can own and hone to shape their recovery.

Title: Competitive success in the performance development of tennis players Abstract This study deals with the performance development analysis of players, in the conditions of the Czech Tennis Association enviroment (before 1993 of the Czechoslovak Tennis Association), and the aim is to find if the competitive success of Czech, or Czechoslovak players reached in the U12 and U14 age categories relates to their later top performance achievements at the international level. The prospective view analyses national rankings of best U12 and U14 players (during years 1989 - 2011) in relation to their future success at the professional level on the ATP and WTA Tour. The retrospective analysis focuses on players (born 1970 or younger) who reached a top 100 ATP or WTA ranking, and explores their performance development. The qualitative part of the research, based on structured open ended interviews with tennis experts, identifies, confirms and/or reviews the ways of achieving the top tennis performance. This part focuses on three topics of the long-term athletic development in tennis - characteristic features of training, demands on successful players and importance of sport competitions. The total number of 1791 players were involved into the prospective analysis research, and there was a success of 38,50 % of male...

In the first stages of long-term athlete development, the so-called multilateral development is recommended. It means that children should engage in a variety of different sports during their formative years. Multilateral development in children's sports training is associated with many benefits, such as injury prevention, psychosocial benefits, or transfer of motor skills. It is assumed that children with a higher level of multilateral development acquire specific sport skills faster and more easily than children with a lower level of multilateral development. However, there is a lack of prospective longitudinal studies that would prove or disprove the importance of multilateral development in children's sports training for specific sport skill acquisition. This dissertation aims to investigate the relationship between multilateral development and specific sport skill acquisition, specifically in ice hockey and athletics. This project is based on non-experimental longitudinal research and uses the tools of correlation analysis. We defined multilateral development indicators according to the study by Perič and Ružbarský (2019). For the proband selection, we used a purposive non-probability sampling method. In the first phase of the research, we assessed multilateral development in six- to...

Title: Competitive success in the performance development of tennis players Abstract This study deals with the performance development analysis of players, in the conditions of the Czech Tennis Association enviroment (before 1993 of the Czechoslovak Tennis Association), and the aim is to find if the competitive success of Czech, or Czechoslovak players reached in the U12 and U14 age categories relates to their later top performance achievements at the international level. The prospective view analyses national rankings of best U12 and U14 players (during years 1989 - 2011) in relation to their future success at the professional level on the ATP and WTA Tour. The retrospective analysis focuses on players (born 1970 or younger) who reached a top 100 ATP or WTA ranking, and explores their performance development. The qualitative part of the research, based on structured open ended interviews with tennis experts, identifies, confirms and/or reviews the ways of achieving the top tennis performance. This part focuses on three topics of the long-term athletic development in tennis - characteristic features of training, demands on successful players and importance of sport competitions. The total number of 1791 players were involved into the prospective analysis research, and there was a success of 38,50 % of male...

The organisation of elite sport systems has been the focus of a great variety of different investigations over the past ten years. In particular, many studies have compared the structure and organisation of different national elite sport systems on the macro and meso levels. A result of the existing investigations is a clear convergence of the service portfolio different elite sport systems offer their athletes and coaches. Despite this current trend to a homogeneous elite sport system design, medal tables of major sport events suggest that some nations are still more successful than others in specific sports. This suggests that more successful sport systems might have found better ways to implement the otherwise similar and conventional support portfolio. However, there is a lack of studies that focus on what practices successful elite sport systems apply in the actual delivery of the support services to their athletes and coaches; in how far these practices are related to the ,success of the sport systems; if these practices look similar across different successful sport systems; and if these practices provide useful lessons for other systems to learn from. The management tool benchmarking appears to be a useful framework to guide such comparisons at the operational level. Thus, this thesis evaluated the applicability of this management concept for furthering understanding of elite sport system management. In order to conduct this evaluation it was decided to analyse the operational processes and structures two successful elite sport systems apply for the delivery of five elements of the elite sport support portfolio. In specific, the investigation focused on the comparison of the design of the squad system, the hierarchy of coaches within the squad system, the organisation of the coach education, as well as the provision of sport science and lifestyle support, which were the Benchmarking Objects of this study. The Swedish athletics and the Norwegian cross-country skiing national team, and the general elite sport support institutions they cooperate with, were chosen as the Benchmarking Subjects, i.e. the comparison partners, for this investigation. This research was based on a series of semi-structured interviews which were conducted with about 50 key pOSition holders such as coaches, athletes, lifestyle support managers, or performance diagnosticians during two study visits to Norway and Sweden. This study concluded that benchmarking can lead to insights into the operational management of successful elite sport systems. It must however also be stressed that benchmarking is not a universal remedy for the problems managers of elite sport systems face today. As this research showed, the two Benchmarking Subjects applied unexpected solutions for the delivery of some of the chosen Benchmarking Objects - and some of these practices appeared to be heavily linked to the organisational and cultural context of the investigated sport systems. Thus, it must be carefully evaluated for each process or structure, which is identified during a bench marking exercise, if it constitutes a transferable best practice which is applicable outside the organisational context of the respective Benchmarking Subject.

MOLINARI, C. M. A formação esportiva na ginástica artística feminina: o desenvolvimento das categorias pré-infantil e infantil no Brasil. 2018. 189f. Dissertação (Mestrado) - Escola de Educação Física e Esporte de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, 2018. Quando investigamos o processo de treinamento de alto nível na ginástica artística feminina (GAF), percebemos que o desenvolvimento inicial do atleta por meio do treinamento de base deve se constituir a partir de ampla formação de habilidades básicas de controle postural e fundamentos da GA (RUSSELL, 2008a). Esses fundamentos são o alicerce para o avanço com segurança e qualidade no desempenho de alto nível esportivo. Dessa forma, o objetivo do presente estudo foi descrever e analisar como o treinamento de GAF nas categorias pré-infantil e infantil é desenvolvido no Brasil, a partir do discurso de treinadores experientes e atuantes na GAF. Os dados foram coletados a partir de entrevistas semiestruturadas, e analisados por meio da técnica de Análise de Conteúdo proposta por Bardin (2010). Ao longo do estudo, revelamos procedimentos e métodos utilizados pelos treinadores para desenvolver essas categorias. Pudemos evidenciar a influência da cultura preestabelecida na modalidade sobre diversos aspectos do treinamento, como a idade de início da especialização, carga e frequência do treinamento, e habilidades a serem desenvolvidas. Em contrapartida, notamos a preocupação constante dos treinadores com a excelência na formação de base dessas atletas, almejando o alto rendimento esportivo. Palavras-chave: Ginástica Artística Feminina. Formação de atletas. Treinamento em longo prazo. Treinamento de base. / MOLINARI, C. M. Initial sportive training in women\'s artistic gymnastics: the development of formative categories (9-12 years old) in Brazil. 2018. 189f. Thesis (Master\"s Degree) - School of Physical Education and Sports of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, 2018. When we investigate the process of high-level training in the women\"s artistic gymnastics, we realize the athlete\"s initial development and basic training should be based on the extensive preparation of elementary postural control skills and gymnastics basic movement patterns (RUSSELL, 2008a). These fundamentals are essential for advancing with safety and quality in high-level sports performance. Thus, this study intends to describe and analyze how WAG training in formative categories (9-12 years old) has been developed in Brazil, from the discourse of experienced coaches. For data collection, we performed a semi-structured interview. For data analysis, we used the Content Analysis technique proposed by Bardin (2010). Throughout this study, we revealed procedures and methods used by coaches to develop these categories. We noticed the influence of the pre-established culture in the modality on several training aspects, such as specialization age, training frequency and load, and development of skills. On the other hand, we also noticed a constant concern of the coaches with excellence in the athletes\" sportive development, aiming for high level performance. Keywords: Women\"s Artistic Gymnastics. Long-term athlete development. Initial training. Sports training.

MOLINARI, C. M. A formação esportiva na ginástica artística feminina: o desenvolvimento das categorias pré-infantil e infantil no Brasil. 2018. 189f. Dissertação (Mestrado) - Escola de Educação Física e Esporte de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, 2018. Quando investigamos o processo de treinamento de alto nível na ginástica artística feminina (GAF), percebemos que o desenvolvimento inicial do atleta por meio do treinamento de base deve se constituir a partir de ampla formação de habilidades básicas de controle postural e fundamentos da GA (RUSSELL, 2008a). Esses fundamentos são o alicerce para o avanço com segurança e qualidade no desempenho de alto nível esportivo. Dessa forma, o objetivo do presente estudo foi descrever e analisar como o treinamento de GAF nas categorias pré-infantil e infantil é desenvolvido no Brasil, a partir do discurso de treinadores experientes e atuantes na GAF. Os dados foram coletados a partir de entrevistas semiestruturadas, e analisados por meio da técnica de Análise de Conteúdo proposta por Bardin (2010). Ao longo do estudo, revelamos procedimentos e métodos utilizados pelos treinadores para desenvolver essas categorias. Pudemos evidenciar a influência da cultura preestabelecida na modalidade sobre diversos aspectos do treinamento, como a idade de início da especialização, carga e frequência do treinamento, e habilidades a serem desenvolvidas. Em contrapartida, notamos a preocupação constante dos treinadores com a excelência na formação de base dessas atletas, almejando o alto rendimento esportivo. Palavras-chave: Ginástica Artística Feminina. Formação de atletas. Treinamento em longo prazo. Treinamento de base. / MOLINARI, C. M. Initial sportive training in women\'s artistic gymnastics: the development of formative categories (9-12 years old) in Brazil. 2018. 189f. Thesis (Master\"s Degree) - School of Physical Education and Sports of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, 2018. When we investigate the process of high-level training in the women\"s artistic gymnastics, we realize the athlete\"s initial development and basic training should be based on the extensive preparation of elementary postural control skills and gymnastics basic movement patterns (RUSSELL, 2008a). These fundamentals are essential for advancing with safety and quality in high-level sports performance. Thus, this study intends to describe and analyze how WAG training in formative categories (9-12 years old) has been developed in Brazil, from the discourse of experienced coaches. For data collection, we performed a semi-structured interview. For data analysis, we used the Content Analysis technique proposed by Bardin (2010). Throughout this study, we revealed procedures and methods used by coaches to develop these categories. We noticed the influence of the pre-established culture in the modality on several training aspects, such as specialization age, training frequency and load, and development of skills. On the other hand, we also noticed a constant concern of the coaches with excellence in the athletes\" sportive development, aiming for high level performance. Keywords: Women\"s Artistic Gymnastics. Long-term athlete development. Initial training. Sports training.

No description available.

Le présent projet avait comme objectif d’évaluer, chez des adolescents participant à une équipe sportive, si l’accompagnement d’un entraîneur humaniste formé par l’organisme Pour 3 Points (P3P) était associé à des niveaux d’anxiété sociale et généralisée inférieurs comparativement à l’accompagnement par un entraîneur n’ayant pas été formé par cet organisme. À partir des études faites au Québec sur l’organisme de P3P, il était attendu que les adolescents encadrés par un entraîneur humaniste auraient moins de symptômes d’anxiété sociale et/ou d’anxiété généralisée que les adolescents encadrés par un entraîneur « régulier ». Cette hypothèse a été testée auprès d’un échantillon (n = 144) constitué d’adolescents entre 12 et 17 ans (m = 14,404, ÉT = 1,611) issus de 15 équipes sportives provenant de milieux scolaires et communautaires de la grande région de Montréal. Ces adolescents étaient répartis en deux groupes, soit les adolescents encadrés par un entraîneur formé par P3P (n = 44) et les adolescents encadrés par un entraîneur régulier (n = 100). Des variables de contrôle, telles que le sexe, l’âge et l’indice de milieu socioéconomique ont été ajoutés aux analyses ANCOVA. Les résultats obtenus ne démontrent aucune différence significative entre le groupe P3P et le groupe non-P3P. Bien que l’hypothèse de recherche n’ait pas été confirmée, il demeure pertinent d’étudier le rôle des entraîneurs sportifs relativement aux symptômes anxieux des adolescents athlètes qu’ils accompagnent. Aucune étude ne s’était penchée sur l’impact potentiel associé au fait d’être encadré par un entraîneur humaniste sur les comportements intériorisés des adolescents. Ainsi, cette étude permet d’ouvrir le sujet pour de futures recherches. / The objective of this project was to evaluate, in adolescents participating in a sports team, whether the accompaniment of a humanist trainer trained by the organization Pour 3 Points (P3P) was associated with lower levels of social and generalized anxiety in adolescents participating in a sports team compared to coaching by a coach whom P3P has not trained. Based on studies done in Quebec on the P3P organization on the subject, we expected that adolescents supervised by a humanist coach would have fewer symptoms of social anxiety and/or generalized anxiety than adolescents accompanied by a "regular" trainer. This hypothesis was tested with a sample (n = 144) of adolescents between 12 and 17 years old (M = 14.404, SD = 1.611) from 15 sports teams from school and community settings in greater Montreal. These adolescents were divided into two groups, adolescents supervised by a coach trained by P3P (n = 44) and adolescents supervised by a regular coach (n = 100). We conducted ANCOVA analyses that accounted for control variables, such as gender, age, and socioeconomic status. The results showed no significant difference between the intervention and comparison groups. Although the research hypothesis has not been confirmed, it remains relevant to study the role of sports coaches concerning athlete-adolescents' anxiety symptoms. No study had looked at the potential impact of being accompanied by a humanistic coach on the internalized behaviors of youth. Thus, this study opens up the subject for future research.