Factors Influencing the Training Process of Paralympic Women Athletes.

(1) Background: Paralympic women athletes in their training process go through a series of interrelated stages which are parallel to their evolutionary development, during which a wide variety of psychological, social, and biological factors will have an impact. The purpose of this study was to analyze the factors influencing the sports training process of Spanish Paralympic women athletes (social, sporting, psychological, technical-tactical factors, physical condition, as well as barriers and facilitators) who had won at least one medal (gold, silver, or bronze) in the 21st century Paralympic Games (from Sydney 2000 to Tokyo 2020). (2) Methods: The research involved 28 Spanish Paralympic women athletes who had won at least one medal at a Paralympic Games in the 21st century. An interview of 54 questions grouped into 6 dimensions (sport context, social context, psychological, technical-tactical, physical fitness, and barriers and facilitators) was used. (3) Results: Coaches, as well as families, were essential in the sport development of Paralympic athletes. In addition, most women athletes recognized that psychological aspects were of vital importance, as well as working on technical-tactical aspects and physical fitness in an integrated way. Finally, the Paralympic women athletes highlighted that they had to face numerous barriers, mainly financial challenges and issues with visibility in the media. (4) Conclusions: Athletes consider it necessary to work with specialists to control emotions, increase motivation and self-confidence, as well as to reduce stress and anxiety and manage pressure. Finally, the training process and sporting performance of Paralympic women athletes are conditioned by several barriers, including economic, social, architectural, and disability barriers. These considerations can be taken into account by the technical teams working with Paralympic women athletes, as well as by the competent bodies, to improve the sports training process of these athletes.

The Sport Training Process of Para-Athletes: A Systematic Review.

The aim of this systematic review was to identify the main factors affecting the training process of para-athletes, as well as the barriers they encounter. For this purpose, a systematic review was carried out in accordance with the PRISMA declaration guidelines, in which six databases were analysed (Web of Science, Scopus, SportDiscus, Pubmed, Eric, and PsycInfo). A total of 19 articles were selected for analysis after applying the inclusion criteria. The results show that the figures of the coach and families in the sporting and social contexts, respectively, had a relevant influence on the training process of para-athletes. Furthermore, in terms of psychological aspects, stress reduction, the importance of self-esteem, and motivation were highlighted. On the other hand, there are some barriers hindering the training and performance of athletes, which are related to the lack of financial support, lack of visibility in the media, and dependence on other people. These considerations can be of great help to coaches and competent institutions in the field (Paralympic committees, federations, etc.) in order to improve the training process and performance of para-athletes and to eliminate the barriers encountered by this group, promoting policies which facilitate access to sports for people with disabilities.

Effects of Sport Teaching on Students' Enjoyment and Fun: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

The methodology used in sport teaching influences not only the students' technical and tactical learning, but also psychological and social dimensions such as enjoyment. We aimed to analyze the effects of interventions using conventional and non-conventional sport teaching methodology on students' enjoyment/fun, through a systematic review and meta-analysis. The search was carried out following the PRISMA Statement in the databases of Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, SportDiscus, Eric and PsycInfo. A total of 1,481 documents were obtained, with the addition of 5 more which were identified in the reference lists of the articles found in the databases. Eleven articles were considered to meet the inclusion criteria. The meta-analysis yielded a moderate effect size of 0.72, and a 95% CI from 0.48 to 0.96 in favor of non-conventional teaching methods, highlighting the model of sports education. Nevertheless, the heterogeneity of the interventions was large and the quality of the evidence, according to GRADE, was very low. In conclusion, the use of non-conventional models in sport teaching with the aim of increasing the enjoyment/fun of boys and girls is advised. These suggestions could be useful for teachers and sport coaches to increase the enjoyment/fun of their trainees during sport practice.