Relative age effect: implications for effective practice.

Physical and psychological differences related to birthdate amongst athletes of the same selection year have been characterised as the "relative age effects" (RAEs). RAEs have been identified in a variety of sports, both at youth and adult level, and are linked with dropout of athletes and a reduction of the talent pool. This study examined the existence, mechanisms and possible solutions to RAEs using qualitative methodology. Seven experts in the field of talent identification and development were interviewed. Inductive analysis of the data showed that, while there was mixed evidence for the existence of RAEs across sports, the eradication of RAEs was attributed to controllable features of the development environment. The factors reported included the structure of "categories" used to group athletes within the sport (e.g. age, weight, size, skills), recognition and prioritisation of long-term development over "short term win focus." Education of relevant parties (e.g. coaches, scouts, clubs) about RAEs and the nature of "talent" within a long-term context was suggested, along with careful consideration of the structure of the development environment (e.g. delayed selection, provision for late developers, focus on skills not results, use of challenge). Implications for research and practice are discussed.

Injury occurrence and mood states during a desert ultramarathon.

OBJECTIVE: To describe injuries and illnesses presented and profile mood states and sleep patterns during a desert environment ultramarathon. DESIGN: Prospective study gathering data on mood states and injury patterns. SETTING: : Gobi Desert, Mongolia. PARTICIPANTS: Eleven male competitors (mean mass, 83.7 ± 7.1 kg; body mass index, 24 ± 1.79 kg/m; age, 33 ± 11 years). INTERVENTIONS: Injuries were clinically assessed and recorded each day. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Mood state was assessed using the Brunel Mood Scale. RESULTS: All subjects presented with abrasion injuries, dehydration, and heat stress. Vigor decreased over the first 6 days while fatigue increased (P < 0.05). Fatigue and vigor recovered on the final morning. The observed recovery was set against increasing levels of depression, tension, and confusion, which peaked at days 5/6 but returned to day 1 levels on the 7th day morning (P < 0.05). Mean sleep duration (6:17 ± 00:48 hours:minutes; lowest on day 6, 4:43 ± 01:54 hours:minutes) did not vary significantly across the 7 days but did correlate with mood alterations (P < 0.05). Increased anger and fatigue correlated strongly with sleep disruption (r = 0.736 and 0.768, respectively). Vigor and depression displayed a moderately strong correlation to sleep (r = 0.564 and -0.530). CONCLUSIONS: Injury patterns were similar to those reported in other adventure/ultradistance events. Consistent with previous work, data show increased fatigue and reduced vigor in response to an arduous physical challenge.

Development of the talent development environment questionnaire for sport.

As sporting challenge at the elite level becomes ever harder, maximizing effectiveness of the talent development pathway is crucial. Reflecting this need, this paper describes the development of the Talent Development Environment Questionnaire, which has been designed to facilitate the development of sporting potential to world-class standard. The questionnaire measures the experiences of developing athletes in relation to empirically identified "key features" of effective talent development environments. The first phase involved the generation of questionnaire items with clear content and face validity. The second phase explored the factor structure and reliability. This was carried out with 590 developing athletes through application of exploratory factor analysis with oblique rotation, principal axis factoring extraction and cronbach alpha tests. This yielded a 59-item, seven-factor structure with good internal consistency (0.616-0.978). The Talent Development Environment Questionnaire appears to be a promising psychometric instrument that can potentially be useful for education and formative review in applied settings, and as a measurement tool in talent development research.

'Nobody will put baby in the corner!': A qualitative evaluation of a physical activity intervention to improve mental health.

Physical activity is beneficial for mental health, but people with mental health issues are less likely to be physically active than the general population. Socially prescribed programmes of activity are rarely adhered to, with high levels of drop out, and the proportion of people who continue after programmes have finished is even smaller. Lasting change therefore needs a fundamental change in behaviour, so an intervention grounded in behaviour change theory may be more likely to succeed. The aim of this original study was to understand the facilitators and barriers to participation and adherence to a supportive, personalised, physical activity programme for patients with mental health conditions. The intervention entailed a 16-week programme of activity, tailored to individual capability, supported by a dedicated 'behaviour change' practitioner trained in motivational interviewing. Fourteen people who had completed the intervention were interviewed in three focus groups in 2018. Data were transcribed verbatim then analysed for barriers and facilitators using Framework Analysis and the Theoretical Domains Framework. Twenty-five overarching themes were identified, which mapped onto 11 domains from the framework. Ten themes were barriers and 15 facilitators. Barriers included stigma, negative self-beliefs and difficulty trusting others. The facilitators reframed these negative attributes. For example, participants described feeling confident as a function of achieving personalised goals and learning something new. The intervention changed the way participants thought and acted. This original intervention has succeeded where many have failed, as it changed the way these participants with mental health conditions thought about physical activity. By reframing it as personally achievable and physically beneficial, participants' attitudes and behaviour changed as well, making it more likely they would sustain physical activity in future. These unique findings are likely to translate internationally due to the simplicity of the intervention, and the potential to improve lives of the most vulnerable.

Physical self-presentation and competitive anxiety in male master divers.

This study investigated the link between physical self-presentation and competitive anxiety in male, master-level, high-board divers (N=84, M age = 29.3 yr., SD = 14.3). Competitive trait anxiety, social physique anxiety, and physical self-presentation confidence were assessed using the Sport Anxiety Scale, Social Physique Anxiety Scale, and the Physical Self-presentation inventory. Stepwise regression analyses indicated that variance in competitive anxiety was accounted for by the physical self-presentation variables and that these variables were more strongly associated with the cognitive anxiety subscale Worry, and to a lesser extent, Somatic Anxiety. The results of this study provide support for the argument that physical self-presentation is associated with competitive anxiety in male athletes.