Introduction/Background Elite ice hockey is a highly physiological demanding team sport of intermittent character and high levels of performance are required over 6-8 months. There are benefits by designing a training program that includes the manipulation of training through its periodization and programming to achieve peak performance at set dates. Purpose The purpose of this study was to determine whether there are differences in training program design between higher- and lower-performing teams in the Swedish Hockey League. Method Four differently performing teams were selected from a performance ranking system. The teams were divided into a higher-performing and lower-performing group. After receiving their verbal approval, an information document and a consent form were digitally sent to the teams’ representatives to obtain their written consent. Subsequently, the teams received a survey consisting of 177 questions that contained single, multiple, ranking and graded-choice questions about their training program design. Intra- and inter-group differences were analyzed with a descriptive statistical calculation of percentage. Results The intra-group analysis revealed a 77,9% difference in the lower-performing team group and 74,5% difference between teams in the higher-performing group. The inter-group difference was found to be 92,7%. The highest amount of inter-group difference (60,5%) was found in questions with no intra-group similarity, whereas 1,1% reveled intra-group different but intra-group similar results. Conclusion This study shows that there are significant differences in training program design between higher- and lower-performing teams as well as significant differences between teams in the lower-performing and higher-performing-group. Some discussed results seem to indicate that higher-performing teams tend to focus more on power, maximal strength and endurance training as well as on its individualization. However, due to the complexity of elite ice hockey, the intra- and inter-group heterogeneity and the shortcomings of the study design, these variables cannot be taken as team key performance indicators.

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.

Sport in Brno has its own great tradition, which is visible on huge stadiums situated in the sports complex Za Luzankami. Unfortunately, stadiums dilapidated and the whole areal turn to brownfield. The proposal of new multipurpose Kometa Arena, located at the site of the original, now demolished stadium, together with the planned new football stadium will initiate the reconstruction of the district, and get it back to past glories. The stadium belongs to the category of buildings where form follows function, which in this case primarily allow for a quality perspective on the pitch for a large number of spectators. In this case, the stands are also the main supporting structure of the whole stadium. On platforms anchored to the stands are located the modifiable cells containing functions related to the arena. The appearance of the stadium is determined by transparent facade that allows the neighborhood to see what is happening in the stadium and provides interesting views from high arena of the surrounding park, arboretum and the city.

Discovering the crucial factors that contribute to goal success in sports analytics, this thesis aimsto utilize Random Forest classification to predict the outcome of shots and pre-shot events in powerplay situations. Through three experiments, the study evaluated the use of shots, shots with pre-shotevents, and shots with pre-shot events over sections. The first experiment used only shots, while thesecond experiment focused on shots with pre-shot events, where both compared it with shots over anexpected goal value of 0.08 or higher. The third experiment examined shots with pre-shot events acrossdifferent sections. Our findings demonstrated that the models in our experiments achieved accuracyscores ranging from 78% to 96% and F1 scores between 0% and 24%. Notably, the models in experiment3 demonstrated lower recall scores. The feature importance analysis revealed that pre-shotevents played a significant role in the predictive models of the second and third experiments, indicatingtheir substantial impact on the outcomes. A noteworthy conclusion arising from the discussion isthe recommendation for future research to conduct a more comprehensive exploration into the impactof pre-shot events, given their demonstrated significance in predicting goals. Such an investigation isdeemed necessary and justified.

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Ice hockey, one of the most popular sports in the world, is a contact sport that is always associated with huge risks of traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) resulting from high-velocity impacts. Although technology in player protection equipment has advanced over the years, mild traumatic brain injuries (mTBIs) like concussion remain prevalent. Finite Element (FE) analysis presents a methodology to recreate accidents in an effort to study the effects of protective helmets and predict brain injuries. This study aimed at improving the response of an existing ice hockey helmet FE model during different impact conditions and reconstructing an ice hockey collision using FE simulations. First, the shear response of the Expanded Polypropylene (EPP) material for the helmet liner was improved by means of a single element simulation to replicate the experiments. Simulations of helmet drop tests were then performed to validate the helmet FE model. Two different designs of the helmet model were implemented, one with normal properties of the foam and the other with a softer foam. Actual cases of ice hockey accidents were then reconstructed using positioning and impact velocities as input from video analysis. As player to player collisions had not been reconstructed for ice hockey using two player models, it was decided to use two full body Human Body Models (HBMs) for the reconstruction. The biomechanical injury parameters for the accident reconstruction were plotted and compared with injury thresholds for concussion. The kinematic results achieved from the drop test simulations showed a considerable decrease in peak values for resultant accelerations, resultant rotational accelerations, and resultant rotational velocities. These results also exhibited better CORrelation and Analysis (CORA) scores than previously achieved. The biomechanical analysis of the accident reconstruction showed the strains in the brain for the concussed player to be more than the threshold for concussion, which confirms the validity of the reconstruction approach. The results of this study show an improved response of the helmet FE model under different impact conditions. They also present a methodology for ice hockey accident reconstruction using two full body HBMs.

Studien handlade om att ta reda på vilka faktorer det är som påverkar en människas val till att börja och fortsätta spela ishockey. Författaren blev inspirerad av Bourdieu och hans kapitala teorier och fältet. Studiens syfte är att ta del av intervjupersonernas berättelser om beslutet till att börja spela och fortsätta med ishockey i Sverige. Studien grundar sig på en hermeneutisk ansats, studien samlade in data genom intervjuer då 5 personer intervjuades. Resultatet i studien var att intervjupersonernas sociala, ekonomiska, kulturella kapital och intervjupersonernas sociala omgivning alltså deras fält bidrog till att de valde att börja och fortsätta att spela hockey.

Title: The measurement of loading forces acting on sole of the foot in ice-hockey skates and their casuistic signification Abstract This thesis describe a new construction of measuring device, which is able to detect the loading forces acting on the skates during ice-hockey. This device was calibrated and validated for detection of loading force vector, bending force vector and point of force action on the skate blade. For some cases was described a casuistic mean of measurement by new measuring device "measuring skates" and former device Footscan Insole®. The measurement of loading forces during ice-hockey may be used in practise of skating technique, predictive or protective biomechanics. Future use is also research of discomfort in ice-hockey boots or sportsengeneering. Aim of a study: Aim of a study is projected, calibrated and validated a measuring device able to detect interraction in system foot-skates-surface. After validation is neccessary to prove the practical benefit of this device. This device should make possible to find out the origin of discomfort during ice-hockey skates use. Methods: After a critical review the prototype of measuring skate was constructed. The measuring skate was calibrated a nd validated. In contend of pilot study was done the experiment to proof the casuistic mean of...

Att jobba med sitt varumärke och sin identitet har blivit en vardag för de svenska idrottsföreningarna. Under säsongen 21/22 påbörjade Djurgården IF Hockey ett förändringsarbete kring varumärket vilket efter degraderingen från SHL blev alltmer påtagligt. Syftet med studien har varit att belysa Djurgården IF Hockeys varumärkesbyggande, mer precist har det handlat om hur klubben arbetar med att ta fram och kommunicera sitt varumärke och hur detta uppfattas av partners och supportrar. För att precisera studien, har vi valt att avgränsa oss till Djurgården IF Hockey, dess partners och supporterföreningen Järnkaminerna. Studiens frågeställning är följande: 1.     Hur arbetar Djurgården IF Hockey med sitt varumärke, och varför? 2.     Hur upplevs Djurgården IF Hockeys varumärke av sina intressenter? 3.     Hur ser målbilden för Djurgården IF Hockeys varumärke/identitet ut?  För att besvara studiens frågeställningar, har vi arbetat utifrån en kvalitativ forskningsmetod, där vi som forskare intervjuat respondenter från Djurgården IF Hockey, Järnkaminerna, XXL, RSS samt en extern varumärkesexpert via semistrukturerade intervjuer. Resultatet av studien visar att Djurgården IF Hockey har ett starkt varumärke där framgångarna och den starka och långa historiken utmärker sig. Däremot upplever föreningen, supportrarna och till viss del sponsorerna att föreningen måste hitta tillbaka sina historiska attributer som gjort de sportsligt och varumärkesmässigt framgångsrika. I framtiden spelar Djurgården IF Hockey i en verksamhetsanpassad Avicii Arena med en god relation till sina supportrar och en uppdaterad affärsmodell.

The aim of this research was to produce a reliable finite element model of a helmet, that could be used to simulate approval tests as well as impacts to investigate the safety offered. A 2D and 3D mesh was generated from the CAD file of an Easton Synergy 380 with HyperWorks, and then checked referring to standard parameter values. A few specimens cut from the liner were tested with the Instron Electropuls E3000 (Instron, High Wycombe, Great Britain) machine to determine Young’s modulus, Poisson’s ratio and the density of the EPP. The numerical model was characterised with appropriate materials with Ls-PrePost, such as ABS for the shell, EPP for the liner and steel for the impact anvil. The foam was implemented both with the *063_CRUSHABLE_FOAM and the *126_MODIFIED_HONEYCOMB card, in two different configurations. The helmet model was coupled with a finite element model of a HIII head form and three impact scenarios were set up. Backward, lateral and pitched impact were simulated and results were compared with those obtained from the experimental tests carried on at the MIPS. The two configurations were tested in all the three scenarios. The correlation between numerical and experimental results was evaluated by analysing the linear and rotational acceleration, and the rotational velocity, recorded by the accelerometer positioned inside the HIII headform. The parameters used were the Pearson correlation coefficient, the peak linear acceleration score, the shape of the curves, the time occurrence of peaks and the percentage of the difference between them. The first configuration showed good correlation scores (>85%) for the backward and lateral impact, for the rotational velocity and acceleration, while lower values were recorded for the pitched impact simulation. Lower values (70.88% and 77.76%) were obtained for the peak linear acceleration score, which stress the need for modifications of the contact definition in Ls-PrePost or a more detailed material testing. Worse results were recorded for the second configuration, but the smaller computational time required suggests that more attempts should be done in this direction.