Abstract Soccer is a multifaceted sport requiring game-specific intelligence and particular physiological and physical characteristics for success. Despite the wide variety of contributing factors, it has been reported that youth soccer players who are larger in size, more mature, and have superior aerobic power are favoured during team selection. The current investigation examined aerobic power and anthropometric size differences between selected and not selected elite youth soccer players; values were also compared between playing position and sexes. Twenty-three elite soccer players, 10 males and 13 females, with an average age of 14 years were recruited for the study; participants performed a graded treadmill test to exhaustion and a sport participation questionnaire. Aerobic power results from the treadmill test were expressed in absolute (l/min) and relative terms, to body mass and fat free mass (ml/kg/min & ml/kg FFM/min); values were compared between selection status, playing position and sex. No significant differences were detected for any measure of aerobic power or anthropometric size between selected and not selected athletes when sexes were combined or separated (p>0.05); males had significantly higher aerobic power levels compared to females despite scaling method (p<0.05). In females, goalkeepers had a significantly lower absolute aerobic power (p<0.05), differences were not detected when expressed relative to body mass or fat free mass (p>0.05). Males showed no significant difference between playing positions in any measurement of aerobic power (p>0.05). It appears as though Saskatchewan coaches view attributes, other than physical size and aerobic fitness, as more beneficial for team success at this level. Results are encouraging as they suggest that size and aerobic power may not be the main influencing criteria for achieving success on an elite youth Saskatchewan soccer team.

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Syfte och frågeställningar: Syfte med studien är att kartlägga förekomsten av kommersiella aktörer inom barn- och ungdomsidrotten i Sverige, och att analysera vilken verksamhet som erbjuds (inriktningar) för vem (målgrupper). Syfte är även att undersöka vilken inställning representanter för några specialidrottsförbund har till de kommersiella aktörerna. De centrala frågeställningarna är: Vilket utbud av kommersiella aktörer finns idag inom den organiserade barn- och ungdomsidrotten? Vad anser specialidrottsförbunden om dem? Föreligger det någon skillnad i utbudet mellan idrotterna och har utbudet förändrats över tid? Metod: Studien har både en kvantitativ och en kvalitativ ansats. Insamling av data gjordes genom kartläggning av kommersiella aktörer inom idrotterna basket, danssport, fotboll, gymnastik, innebandy, ishockey, ridsport och tennis med hjälp av internetsökningar. Kartläggningen kategoriserades och redovisades enligt L-M Engströms logiker med huvudprinciperna prestation, träning och upplevelse för att tydliggöra inriktningar och målgrupper. För att undersöka specialidrottsförbundens inställning genomfördes semistrukturerade intervjuer. Resultat: Antalet nyregistrerade kommersiella aktörer har ökat sedan mitten av 1990-talet. Störst ökning skedde mellan 2011 och 2015 då drygt 60 nya kommersiella aktörer registrerades, vilket är en ökning med 154 procent jämfört perioden 2006-2010. Inom alla de studerade idrotterna finns kommersiella aktörer som ett komplement för de som vill träna mer utanför ordinarie föreningsverksamhet medan det inom idrotterna danssport, gymnastik, ridsport och tennis går att förlägga all träning hos kommersiella aktörer. Kommersiella aktörer erbjuder sällan tävlingsverksamhet, men genom samarbeten med ideella föreningar finns ändå möjlighet att tävla. Företrädare för specialidrottsförbunden uttrycker viss oro eftersom de inte kan påverka de kommersiella aktörerna. Oron grundar sig i att de anser att kommersiella aktörer saknar tillräcklig kunskap för att bedriva barn- och ungdomsidrott. Förbunden menar också att kommersiella aktörer kan göra idrotten mindre tillgänglig eftersom speciella målgrupper eller ökade kostnader riskerar att utesluta grupper i samhället. Slutsats: Kommersiella aktörer inom barn- och ungdomsidrott har främst ett utbud som ger ökade träningsmöjligheter. Fri konkurrens gör att idrottsrörelsen inte kan påverka de kommersiella aktörerna vars verksamhet både konkurrerar och kompletterar föreningarnas. / Aim and research question: The aim of this study is to survey the occurrence of commercial operators within child and youth athletics in Sweden, and to analyze what activities they provide and whom they are aimed towards. The aim is also to examine the attitude of National Governing Bodies in regards to commercial operators. The central questions are: What range of commercial operators exists today within organized child and youth athletics? How has commercial interest in a range of sports and has this changed over time? What attitude do the National Governing Bodies have towards the commercial operators? Method: The study uses both a quantitative and a qualitative data collection. Data has been collected through surveying commercial operators via the internet. This study covered the sports of basketball, dance, football, gymnastics, floorball, ice hockey, equestrianism and tennis. The investigation is categorized and presented according to the logic of L-M Engström. The main areas of covered in the investigation were: playing level, training and experience in order to clarify directions and audiences. Semi-structures interviews were also conducted to underline the opinions of the National Governing Bodies. Results: The number of newly registered commercial operators within sport has increased since the mid-1990s. The largest increase occurred between 2011 and 2015 when more than 60 new commercial operators were registered, an increase of 154 percent compared to the period 2006-2010. In all the studied sports there are commercial operators as supplements for those who want to practice more outside regular sports association while athletes who take part in dance, gymnastics, equestrianism and tennis can do all the training at a commercial operator. Commercial operators rarely offer competitive activity, but through partnerships with non-profit organizations athletes could be able to compete. The concern is based in that they believe that commercial operators lack sufficient knowledge to engage children and young athletics. The unions also believe that commercial operators can make the sport less accessible because specific audiences or increased costs likely to exclude groups in society. Conclusion: Commercial actors in child and youth athletics have primarily a supply that provides increased training opportunities. Free competition means that the sports movement cannot affect the commercial operators whose activities both compete and complement the sports clubs. / Kommersialiseringstrender i barn- och ungdomsidrott

Researchers have found that 40 to 50 percent of youth's time can be classified as free or residual, which yields great opportunities for their participation in leisure and recreation activities. When all structured voluntary activities available to youth are considered, the greatest amount of time is spent participating in youth sports. Organized sports participation has been associated with positive developmental outcomes (e.g., healthier lifestyle; increases in self-efficacy; enhanced academic achievement); however, not all experiences are positive. Research has found that the context of the activity contributes significantly to participation being associated with positive or negative outcomes. Understanding important contextual elements related to sports participation, particularly as viewed by key stakeholders (e.g., coaches and players), is important in developing quality experiences that promote beneficial growth. The purpose of this study was to explore the potential of youth basketball as a positive developmental context. More specifically, it examined: (1) the outcomes associated with participation as identified by coaches of youth sport select teams; (2) the methods used by coaches to promote positive development; (3) the perceptions of the players related to coaching intentions and behaviors; and (4) the fidelity with which coaches carry out their identified coaching methods in practices and games. Findings indicated that coaches and players were able to accurately identify desired goals and methodologies along three domains: (1) player improvement; (2) development of life skills; and (3) enjoying the playing experience. One outcome theme showing inconsistency across the respondent groups was the identification of enjoying the playing experience, which was not identified by the player group. This inconsistency, however, did not show up when the respondents were identifying methodological approaches. Further analysis of sub-themes indicated considerable variation between coach and player responses. In addition, data obtained through observation corroborated the major thematic findings; however, when discrepancies existed the data revealed closer association to player responses. Player's also offered insight regarding personal goals and positive developmental outcomes they attributed to participation. Observational data also confirmed a portion of coach and player identified methodologies, but new approaches were also discovered.

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Title: Interest in Athletics and other activities for children aged 12 - 15 years. Objectives: To determine interest in athletics and other activities for children aged 12 to 15 years and to compare the responses of children from selected elementary schools and grammar schools. Methods: A questionnaire survey was used to meet the objectives. Questionnaires were distributed to two schools - Elementary School (ZS Jilovska) and Grammar School (Gymnázium Omska), of which neither one focuses on sports. Age group was between 12 to 15 years of age. Total of 359 questionnaires was collected. The main objective of the research was to determine the interest in sports and athletics beyond school physical education classes. In this study we investigated the activities in which children and young people engage in their leisure time; who motivates and supports them in sports, and how they relate to athletics. Results: The results showed that children and youth, despite the availability of today's modern techniques, are still interested in sports. Of the total number of 359 respondents, 23% of children chose sports as one of the leisure activities. They enjoy doing sport activities in their spare time as much as activities done with friends or playing games on the computer. 91% of children are involved in certain...