Abstract Early sport specialization is a phenomenon that continues to be practiced in today’s youth sports environment. The purpose of this study was to explore practices around early specialization within the minor hockey context in Eastern Ontario. More specifically, the goal of this thesis was to better understand parental perspectives on specialization versus diversification relative to their child’s experience in the sport of ice hockey. Additionally, this study aimed to uncover the rates of specialization in Minor Peewee AA ice hockey players in Eastern Ontario and the factors that influence those who specialize. A concurrent embedded mixed-methods procedure was employed for this study; a total of 114 survey responses and 15 semi-structured interviews formed the study sample. Findings in the study reveal a large majority of parents foster specialization in their child as 87% (n=114) of survey participants identified as having a child who specializes in the sport of ice hockey. However, interview data revealed that parents favor development through diversification. Individual influences such as parents and coaching staff were found to be contributing factors to the phenomenon of specialization. Further, the availability of resources within the hockey context was additionally found to influence specialization. Finally, Hockey Canada’s current position was cogitated with the results to reveal a strong inclination towards elite development. Results indicate a need for parent and coach education regarding their role in early specialization and their support for diversification of sport experiences. It is of particular importance during the transitioning years in particular where stakeholders (parents, coaches, administration) foster the sense of well-rounded development of a participating child not just for the preparation for the elite stages of sport but for overall wellness of the individual.

The purpose of this dissertation was to determine if a periodized strength and conditioning program resulted in long-term adaptations in NCAA Division I women’s volleyball athletes, and if these changes related to the team’s competitive performance. Specifically, this dissertation serves to: 1.) describe the changes in body composition and performance variables of 2 female volleyball athletes over a 4-year collegiate career, 2.) determine the degree and magnitude of change in performance variables after about 1, 2, and 3 years of periodized resistance training, and 3.) infer if volleyball performance characteristics are related to a team’s competitive success. The following are major findings of this dissertation. 1.) Positive changes in vertical jump height, strength, and explosiveness may be possible throughout 4 years of collegiate volleyball training even with increased body mass and percent body fat. Moreover, impaired ability to perform heavy lower-body resistance training exercises due to chronic injury negatively impacts long-term physical performance adaptations over 4 years. 2.) A combination of traditional resistance training exercises and weightlifting variations at various loads, in addition to volleyball practice, appear to be effective at increasing maximal strength by 44% and vertical jump height by 20%-30% in NCAA Division I women’s volleyball athletes after about two and half years of training. Furthermore, these characteristics can be improved in the absence of additional plyometric training outside of normal volleyball-specific practice. 3.) A rating percentage index RPI ranking ratio and unweighted match score ratio appear to be better predictors of overall team competitive season success than a weighted match score ratio. On the contrary, a weighted match score ratio may be better for determining an association between team match performance and volleyball-specific fitness. A considerable amount of research is needed to develop a volleyball-specific performance index that best quantifies team performance and whether or not a measurable association exists between improved fitness characteristics and increased overall team competitive success. The findings of this dissertation provide evidence that analyzing and monitoring volleyball-related performance variables over time can assist the sport performance group in making training based decisions as well as promote the successful development of an athlete.

The Long Term Athlete Development (LTAD) model is an innovation created in response to the Canadian Sport Policy (Canadian Heritage, 2007). The LTAD is an “athlete centered, coach driven, and administration, sport science, and sponsor supported” (Canadian Sport Centres, 2006, p. 33) athlete-development model. Since little research has been completed focusing on this model (viz., Black & Holt, 2009) this thesis had the purpose to better understand the adoption of the LTAD by cross-country ski (XCS) coaches. Two articles present a case study of three XCS club’s coaches, and a descriptive qualitative analysis of XCS coaches (N=13). Both analyses used Rogers’ (2003) Diffusion of Innovations theoretical framework to structure the narrative-interview guide, coding structure, and thematic analysis. Two key results of the thesis were an understanding of the link between a club’s characteristics and a coach’s perceived attributes of the LTAD, and secondly a proposed classification system for XCS coaches.

The Long Term Athlete Development (LTAD) model is an innovation created in response to the Canadian Sport Policy (Canadian Heritage, 2007). The LTAD is an “athlete centered, coach driven, and administration, sport science, and sponsor supported” (Canadian Sport Centres, 2006, p. 33) athlete-development model. Since little research has been completed focusing on this model (viz., Black & Holt, 2009) this thesis had the purpose to better understand the adoption of the LTAD by cross-country ski (XCS) coaches. Two articles present a case study of three XCS club’s coaches, and a descriptive qualitative analysis of XCS coaches (N=13). Both analyses used Rogers’ (2003) Diffusion of Innovations theoretical framework to structure the narrative-interview guide, coding structure, and thematic analysis. Two key results of the thesis were an understanding of the link between a club’s characteristics and a coach’s perceived attributes of the LTAD, and secondly a proposed classification system for XCS coaches.

The Long Term Athlete Development (LTAD) model is an innovation created in response to the Canadian Sport Policy (Canadian Heritage, 2007). The LTAD is an “athlete centered, coach driven, and administration, sport science, and sponsor supported” (Canadian Sport Centres, 2006, p. 33) athlete-development model. Since little research has been completed focusing on this model (viz., Black & Holt, 2009) this thesis had the purpose to better understand the adoption of the LTAD by cross-country ski (XCS) coaches. Two articles present a case study of three XCS club’s coaches, and a descriptive qualitative analysis of XCS coaches (N=13). Both analyses used Rogers’ (2003) Diffusion of Innovations theoretical framework to structure the narrative-interview guide, coding structure, and thematic analysis. Two key results of the thesis were an understanding of the link between a club’s characteristics and a coach’s perceived attributes of the LTAD, and secondly a proposed classification system for XCS coaches.

The Long Term Athlete Development (LTAD) model is an innovation created in response to the Canadian Sport Policy (Canadian Heritage, 2007). The LTAD is an “athlete centered, coach driven, and administration, sport science, and sponsor supported” (Canadian Sport Centres, 2006, p. 33) athlete-development model. Since little research has been completed focusing on this model (viz., Black & Holt, 2009) this thesis had the purpose to better understand the adoption of the LTAD by cross-country ski (XCS) coaches. Two articles present a case study of three XCS club’s coaches, and a descriptive qualitative analysis of XCS coaches (N=13). Both analyses used Rogers’ (2003) Diffusion of Innovations theoretical framework to structure the narrative-interview guide, coding structure, and thematic analysis. Two key results of the thesis were an understanding of the link between a club’s characteristics and a coach’s perceived attributes of the LTAD, and secondly a proposed classification system for XCS coaches.

Considerable controversy and misguided information has surrounded the inclusion of weightlifting within youth-based strength and conditioning programs to develop strength, power, and speed. This article reviews the evidence to support its inclusion as a safe and effective means to enhance athletic potential. Guidelines are presented to provide coaches with a structured and logical progression model, which is associated with the theoretical concepts underpinning long-term athletic development. It is hoped that this review will serve as a useful tool to help strength and conditioning coaches integrate weightlifting exercises within training programs of young athletes in a safe and effective manner.

Critics of youth sports in the United States have lamented a system that creates issues of access and could be detrimental to the physical and mental health of its young participants. In response to these concerns, USA Hockey, using Long Term Athlete Development Theory (LTAD) as a key theoretical framework, created the American Development Model (ADM) to improve the delivery of youth hockey in the US. While USA Hockey has invested greatly in bringing ADM to scale across its constituents, it is not known to what extent the model is being implemented in its member organizations. Implementation fidelity of a prescribed treatment or curriculum is tied to better outcomes. This study leverages key concepts of program evaluation theory and survey development to produce a valid and reliable survey instrument that can be used to assess the implementation fidelity of ADM at the 12U age group across the nation. A survey instrument was developed through three waves of development. The first wave included local pilot testing and cognitive interviews. The second wave including a regional sample and utilized factor analysis coupled with item analysis to improve the instrument and to create composite scores of key constructs. The third and final wave included a national sample of 214 parents of 12U hockey players. The results of the survey produce psychometric properties indicating good reliability and validity of the instrument including face and content validity, internal reliability, and factor analysis. Analysis of composite scores for each construct of the model identified strong implementation of much of the on-ice components but was lacking in other areas such as physical development and mental skill development. The final ADM scale demonstrated statistically significant positive associations with two subscales of the Athlete Engagement Questionnaire, further validating the study and demonstrating an important association with the delivery model to key outcomes. The study concludes with a discussion of ADM’s implementation fidelity and policy recommendations regarding how the ADM curriculum may be improved given key findings.

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.

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...