M.A. / In this study it is assumed that psychological factors are playing an increasingly important role in the success of rugby teams in a professional era. One such a factor is that of group dynamics and specifically that of group cohesion. In this study, the use of another psychological construct, personality, in the improvement of cohesion is investigated. The personality profiles of the players in a particular team are analysed to determine the possible effects that the personalities of the players could have on the cohesion in the team. In this regard, the Jackson Personality Inventory —Revised is used to plot the personality profiles of all the players. Only scales of the inventory, that are relevant to cohesion, are being used. The relevancy of these particular scales are determined by the literary review of the cohesion construct, which includes the definition and essence of cohesion. Correlation studies would have to determine the true correlation between cohesion and the selected scales of the inventory. General tendencies in the team regarding the profiles and consequent influence on cohesion are discussed as well as the individual profiles of each one of the members of the team. In this regard, the possible influence that a particular player's personality profile could have on the cohesion in the team, is indicated and discussed. It is concluded that the use of personality profiles could be seen as a framework from which coaches and managers of rugbyteams could make use of in order to improve the cohesion in the team.

Bakgrund: Knäkontroll är ett svenskt skadeförebyggande träningsprogram som visat sig ha god effekt för prevention mot främre korsbandsskador vilket är en vanlig knäskada inom fotboll både på herr- och damsidan. Idag finns det studier som utforskat tränares syn och erfarenheter av Knäkontroll och generell skadeförebyggande träning, i nuläget finns det dock en kunskapslucka om vad fotbollsspelare själva har för upplevelser och erfarenheter av att genomföra träningsprogrammet Knäkontroll.  Syfte: Att undersöka fotbollsspelande unga vuxnas upplevelser och erfarenheter av att genomföra SISU:s skadeförebyggande träningsprogram Knäkontroll. Syftet var dessutom att få kännedom om hindrande och underlättande faktorer för genomförande av programmet för att möjliggöra utveckling. Metod: Kvalitativ design i form av en semistrukturerad intervjustudie med fem deltagare från ett bekvämlighetsurval. Databearbetningen genomfördes med kvalitativ innehållsanalys.   Resultat: Fem kategorier presenterades; Hur programmet används av lagen, Vikten av kunskap, Programmets positiva påverkan på kroppen, Spelarnas roll och ansvar och Klubbarnas möjligheter och ansvar. Varje kategori bestod av två till fem subkategorier där några av de mest prominenta var; Timing på när Knäkontroll utförs, Tidsaspekten och Utbildning är essentiellt.  Slutsats: Deltagarnas upplevelser av att utföra Knäkontroll var både positiva och negativa. Deltagarna beskrev även flertalet hindrande och underlättande faktorer för att programmet skulle utföras. I linje med tidigare forskning lyftes det upp att implementering av Knäkontroll i uppvärmningen, kunskap, utbildning och tydliga instruktioner sågs som de viktigaste faktorerna för att underlätta användning av programmet. / Background: Knee control is a Swedish injury prevention training program that has been shown to have good effects on preventing anterior cruciate ligament injuries which is a common Knee injury in both men's and women's football. Today there are studies which have explored football coaches´ views and experiences of Knee control, however there is a knowledge gap on views and experiences of the program from the football players themselves.   Objective: To explore football playing young adults' experiences of utilizing Knee control from SISU to get information about facilitating factors and barriers for implementation of the program for further development. Method: A qualitative method in the form of semi-structured interviews with five participants from a convenience sample. Data processing consisted of qualitative content analysis.  Results: Five categories were presented; How the programme is used by the teams, The importance of knowledge, The programme’s positive impact on the body, The role and responsibilities of the players and The club’s opportunities and responsibilities. Every category consisted of two to five subcategories where some of the most prominent were; Timing on when Knee Control is performed, The time aspect and Education is essential. Conclusion: The participants' experiences of performing Knee control was both positive and negative. The participants also highlighted the most hindering and facilitating factors for the program to be carried out. In line with previous research, it was highlighted that implementation of Knee control in the warm-up, knowledge, education and instructions was seen as the most important factors in facilitating use of the program.

Thesis (M.Ed.)--University of South Africa, 2002.

Thesis (MSc)--University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The human body has developed an integrated antioxidant defence system to protect against free radical damage. Acute exercise may result in the increased generation of free radicals, including reactive oxygen species, and this may overwhelm antioxidant defence systems resulting in oxidative stress. However, it has been shown that individuals who undergo regular exercise training may have improved antioxidant capacity when compared to sedentary controls. Results from research regarding the association between antioxidant capacity and exercise training are however not conclusive and further investigation is required. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the association between the total plasma antioxidant status and selected plasma indicators of antioxidant status and the MnSOD Ala-9Val (-28C®T) polymorphism in trained male athletes (rugby players) and sedentary male students while controlling for dietary intake of the major antioxidants using a validated dietary assessment method. In order to address the potential confounding effect of dietary antioxidant intake on antioxidant status in the main study, a FFQ that measures vitamin C, vitamin E, carotenoid and flavonoid intake was developed. The reproducibility was assessed by the repeat administration of the FFQ (n = 38), while the va lidity was assessed using a 28-day closeended dietary record and repeated plasma vitamin C values (n = 18). Several statistical tests were conducted to compare the values obtained from the FFQ with values obtained from the various reference methods. While results from Bland-Altman plots suggested that the reproducibility and validity of FFQ was not completely satisfactory, similar mean values, moderate to strong correlation coefficients, and a high percentage of individuals classified correctly according to quartiles of intake indicated satisfactory reproducibility and validity of the FFQ in assessing antioxidant intake. Furthermore, moderate to strong validity coefficients obtained from the method of triads also indicated satisfactory validity for the FFQ. The main study involved a cross-sectional study that compared plasma vitamin C and carotenoid levels as well as total plasma antioxidant status in trained rugby players (n = 76) and sedentary male subjects (n = 39) with different MnSOD genotypes, while controlling for dietary antioxidant intake. Rugby players had significantly higher plasma vitamin C and carotenoid levels compared to sedentary students, which indicated more satisfactory plasma antioxidant status. This was also reflected in the tendency for total plasma antioxidant status (ORAC assay) to be higher in rugby players than sedentary students. MnSOD genotype did not influence plasma vitamin C and carotenoid levels or plasma total antioxidant status, with or without control for dietary antioxidant intake. Dietary vitamin C, vitamin E, carotenoid an flavonoid intake (from foods + supplements) was similar for rugby players and sedentary students and was adequate for both groups. Thus the association between antioxidant status and MnSOD genotype in rugby players and sedentary students seemed not to be influenced by dietary antioxidant intake. In conclusion therefore, rugby players undergoing regular exercise training had a more satisfactory antioxidant status compared to sedentary students. Based on this conclusion, the widespread use of antioxidant supplements by athletes is questioned. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die menslike liggaam beskik oor ‘n geintegreerde antioksidantmeganisme om dit teen vryradikaalskade te beskerm. Akute oefening kan bydra tot ‘n verhoogde produksie van vry radikale, insluitend reaktiewe suurstofspesies, wat kan veroorsaak dat die antioksidantbeskermingsmeganisme oorlaai word, wat dan kan aanleiding gee tot die ontstaan van oksidatiewe stress. Dit is aangetoon dat persone wat gereeld oefening doen verbeterde antioksidantkapasiteit toon in vergelyking met persone wat geen oefening doen nie. Die resultate van navorsingstudies wat die verband tussen antioksidantkapasiteit en oefening ondersoek is egter teenstrydig en verdere navorsing op hierdie gebied is essensieël om uitsluitsel te kry oor kontensieuse vraagstukke. Die doel van hierdie studie was dus om ondersoek in te stel na die verband tussen plasma antioksidant status, die MnSOD Ala-9Val (-28C T) polimorfisme en geselekteerde plasma antioksidantmerkers in geoefende manlike atlete (rugby spelers) en ‘n onaktiewe manlike kontrolegroep terwyl gekontroleer word vir die dieetinname van die vernaamste antioksidante. Om vir die potensiële invloed van dieetantioksidantinname op die antioksidantstatus van proefpersone in die hoofstudie te kontroleer, is ‘n voedsel frekwensievraelys wat vitamien C-, vitamien E-, karotenoïed- en flavinoïedinname meet, ontwikkel. Die herhaalbaarheid (betroubaarheid) van die vraelys is getoets deur herhaalde voltooiing daarvan deur ‘n toetsgroep (n=38), terwyl die geldighied getoets is deur gebruik te maak van ‘n 28-dag geslote dieetrekord en herhaalde plasma vitamien C bepalings as verwysingswaardes (n=18). Verskeie statistiese toetse is uitgevoer om die frekwensievraelys waardes met die verskillende verwysingswaardes te vergelyk. Alhoewel die Bland -Altman grafieke nie dui op bevredigende herhaalbaarheid en geldigheid van die voedselfrekwensie vraelys nie, dui gelyke gemiddelde waardes, matig tot sterk en betekenisvolle korrelasiekoeffisiënte en ‘n hoë persentasie individue korrek geklassifiseer volgens kwartiele van inname, wel op bevredigende herhaalbaarheid en geldigheid. Matige tot sterk geldigheidskoeffisiënte is ook verkry met die toepassing van “The method of Triads”, wat verdere steun bied vir bevredigende geldigheid. In die hoofstudie is plasma vitamien C, karotenoïedvlakke en totale plasma antioksidantstatus in manlike rugby spelers (n=76) vergelyk met dié van onaktiewe manlike kontroles (n=39). Vergelykings tussen MnSOD genotipes binne die aktiwiteitsgroepe is ook getref. Al genoemde analises is gekontroleer vir dieet antioksidantinname. Resultate dui daarop dat die plasma vitamien C en karotenoïedvlakke van rugby spelers betekenisvol hoër was as dié van die kontrolegroep, wat dui op ‘n meer bevredigende antioksidantstatus. Hierdie resultaat is ook weerspieël in die feit dat totale plasma antioksidantstatus (ORAC) in die rugby spelers oog geneig was om hoër te wees as dié van die kontrole groep. Dit het ook geblyk dat MnSOD genotipe nie ‘n effek gehad het op plasma vitamien C-, karotenoïed- of totale antioksidantstatus nie, met of sonder kontrole vir dieet antioksidantinname. Die dieet vitamien C-, vitamien E-, karotenoïed- en flavinoïedinname (vanaf voedsel en supplemente) was dieselfde vir rugby spelers en kontrole en was toereikend vir beide groepe. Dit blyk dus dat dat die verband tussen antioksidantstatus en MnSOD genotipe in die twee groepe nie beinvloed is deur antioksidantinname nie. Ten slotte kan die gevolgtrekking gemaak word dat manlike rugby spelers ‘n meer bevredigende antioksidant status het as onaktiwe manlike kontroles. Op grond van hierdie gevolgtrekking word die algemene gebruik van antioksidant supplemente deur atlete bevraagteken.

The purpose of the study was to investigate cultural transition experience in elite football. More specifically, to explore three Swedish football players experience of their first transition abroad when relocating to play professional football in Europe. A narrative inquiry approach was used, with help of the cultural transition model (Ryba, Stambulova, & Ronkainen, 2016) a semi-structured interview guide was created. The cultural transition model was also used as a lens for analyzing the data. The participants were non-randomly sampled and recruited with help from the Swedish Football Federation. Four players responded positively and initiated the interview, three was fully conducted while one dropped out. The data were analyzed with holistic-content and categorical-content analysis to show three unique pathways but also common themes of their cultural transitions. The first result showed the uniqueness of the players pathways; preparing for the worst and saved by the football bubble, taking responsibility and a key role as a foreign player to gain respect in the team, and a big step for personal development: from homesickness to being hungry for more. Secondly, the result showed that the participant shared experience in the cultural transition process which are presented in 12 themes (e.g. Pre-transition phase: satisfaction in Swedish club before leaving, Acute cultural adaptation phase: adjustment in football as first priority in host culture, and Sociocultural adaptation: perceived ability and efficacy to adjust to new cultural settings). In conclusion, adaptation in football was prioritized during the first period of relocation, that means that they fully invested to show that they were good. However, after this first phase, having a meaningful life besides football became one of the most important things to feel satisfied. Although there are still questions unanswered regarding cultural transition in elite football, implications to Swedish Football Federation were given in further working with professional players who go abroad.

The main subject of this diploma thesis was to find out and compare the motor skills level and the somatic characteristics by standard testing battery Unifittest 6-60. This research was applied on two youth football teams which are U14 category. After all, these aspects were compared with the population average and both teams among them too. Testing was done during the summer preparatory term. All facts were gained and evaluated personally. The teams were chosen deliberately from two different competitive levels and we supposed the better results for the team of the higher competition. This premise was confirmed, apart from some exceptions.

A study was conducted on the self-reported symptoms of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury sustained in Rugby Union at the pre- and post-season stages. A full sample of 30 rugby players at Rhodes University was compared to 27 non-contact sport controls. A reduced sample of 20 rugby players and 9 control participants provided improved control for education and IQ and was compared. Measures included the WAIS-III Vocabulary and Picture Completion Sub-tests to estimate IQ level, the symptom checklist on a widely used computer-based program (ImPACT), and a paper and pencil self-report 31-Item Post-Concussion Symptom Questionnaire. Independent and Dependent T-Test comparisons were conducted on the full and reduced samples. The symptoms reported by the rugby group appeared to be more pronounced on both the ImPACT Symptom Scale and the 31-Item Post-Concussion Symptom Questionnaire when compared to the control group at both the pre-and post-season stages. It was concluded that the rugby players demonstrated evidence to support the hypothesis of having sustained more previous concussions and reporting more symptoms at the pre-season stage when compared to comtrol participants. No prevalent changes for either the rugby or control groups were seen in dependent comparisons from pre-to post-season.

Neurocognitive and symptom profiles of concussed and nonconcussed adult provincial rugby union players were investigated over one rugby season, including early season (baseline), intermittent postconcussion, and end of season testing. In a non-equivalent quasi-experimental design, nonconcussed (n = 54) and concussed (n = 17) rugby groups were compared with demographically equivalent noncontact sport controls (n = 37, and n = 17, respectively). Measures included the ImPACT cognitive and symptom composites, and the WMS-III Visual Reproduction and Verbal Paired Associates subtests. The independent and dependent comparative analyses in respect of both nonconcussed and concussed groups, provided cross-validation of poorer acute and/or chronic neuropsychological outcomes for the rugby groups on the ImPACT Reaction Time, Visual Motor Speed, Impulse Control and Symptom composites, and the WMS-III Verbal Paired Associates. The finding of significantly poorer scores on Verbal Paired Associates up to 24 days post concussion for the rugby players versus controls, was longer than the 7 – 10 day recovery period frequently cited in the literature. The overall implication of the study is that even in a group with high cognitive reserve such as these provincial level athletes, there may be prolonged acute recovery, as well as permanent deleterious neuropsychological consequences of cumulative concussive injury in association with a sport such as rugby. Accordingly, the move towards careful individualised postconcussion monitoring of neurocognitive functioning is endorsed, including early identification of any significant permanent reductions in cognitive reserve. Sensitivity of the ImPACT test might be enhanced via inclusion of a verbal associate learning task.

Bakgrund: Skada på främre korsbandet (ACL) är en av de vanligaste skadorna en fotbollsspelare kan drabbas av. Anatomi och fysiologi kan förklara varför kvinnor drabbas i högre grad än män. Vid tillämpning av knäkontroll har incidensen av korsbandsskador setts minska men följsamhet till programmet har setts vara låg. Motivation och följsamhet är viktigt för att vidmakthålla ett hälsorelaterat beteende och med hjälp av en fysioterapeuts kompetenser inom beteendemedicin kan förutsättningarna optimeras för att öka tillämpningen av knäkontrollsträning. Syfte: Undersöka upplevelser av vad som motiverar och hindrar kvinnliga fotbollsspelare till genomförande av knäkontrollsträning. Metod: En kvalitativ beskrivande design med semistrukturerad intervjuguide. Sju kvinnliga fotbollsspelare inom Damallsvenskan och division 1 inkluderades. Manifest innehållsanalys med en induktiv ansats användes. Resultat: 12 underkategorier uppdelade i fyra kategorier presenterades: Spelarens attityd till knäkontrollsträning, tid, kunskap för knäkontroll, förväntningar på effekter av knäkontroll. Slutsats: Uppsatsen påvisar att det finns flera psykosociala motivatorer och hinder för genomförande av knäkontrollsträning. Beteendemedicinsk tillämpning vid implementering av programmet kan optimera förutsättningarna för att fotbollsspelare ska utföra programmet.

I idrottsvärlden är det vanligt förekommande att utövare upplever krav och press från sin omgivning, vilket vid misslyckanden ofta leder till en hög grad av självkritiska tankar. I sammanhanget har självmedkänsla visat sig vara en hjälpsam strategi för att hantera negativa tankar, men relativt lite forskning inom denna domän återfinns inom den idrottsliga kontexten. Vidare indikerar aktuell forskning att effekten av självmedkänsla påverkas av anknytningsstil. Således var syftet med denna experimentella studie att undersöka om en kortvarig intervention med fokus på självmedkänsla kan påverka grad av självkritiska tankar hos kvinnliga fotbollsspelare, samt om spelarnas anknytningsstil kan predicera förmågan att framgångsrikt ta till sig interventionen.  Urvalet bestod av aktiva kvinnliga fotbollsspelare i åldrarna 15–31 år (N=74) från sex lag som randomiserades till en interventionsgrupp, respektive kontrollgrupp. För att besvara frågeställningarna användes självskattningsformulären Self-compassion Scale Athlete Version (SCS-AV), Self-criticism Scale Athlete Version (SC-AV) samt Experiences in Close Relationships - Relationship Structures questionnaire (ECR-RS). Varians- och regressionsanalyser visade att interventionen signifikant påverkat deltagarnas upplevda grad av mindfulness och samhörighet, samt att grad av undvikande anknytning kan predicera deltagarnas upplevda omsorg och vänlighet mot sig själv. Sammanfattningsvis ger studien visst stöd till att en korttidsbaserad intervention i självmedkänsla kan ge gynnsamma effekter på kvinnliga fotbollsspelares självmedkänsla. Framtida forskning bör fokusera på vad som är verksamma mekanismer i interventioner av självmedkänsla i en idrottspopulation för att åstadkomma goda och reliabla behandlingsutfall. / In the sports world, it is common for practitioners to experience demands and pressure from their surroundings, which in the event of failure often leads to a high degree of self-critical thoughts. In this context, self-compassion has been shown to be a helpful strategy for dealing with negative thoughts, but relatively little research in this domain is found within the sporting context. Furthermore, current research indicates that the effect of self-compassion is influenced by attachment style. Thus, the aim of this experimental study was to investigate whether a short-term intervention focusing on self-compassion can affect the degree of self-critical thoughts in female soccer players, as well as whether the players' attachment style can predict the ability to successfully adopt the intervention. The sample consisted of active female soccer players aged 15-31 years (N=74) from six teams who were randomized to an intervention group and a control group, respectively. To answer the questions, the assessment forms Self-compassion Scale Athlete Version (SCS-AV), Self-criticism Scale Athlete Version (SC-AV) and Experiences in Close Relationships - Relationship Structures questionnaire (ECR-RS) were used. Variance and regression analysis showed that the intervention significantly affected the participants' perceived degree of mindfulness and common humanity, and that the degree of avoidant attachment can predict the participants' perceived self-kindness. In summary, this study provides some support that a short-term self-compassion intervention can have beneficial effects on female soccer players' self-compassion. Future research should focus on the mechanisms at work in self-compassion interventions in an athletic population to achieve good treatment and reliability outcomes.