Funding and performance of amateur and youth organizations in Brazil: a longitudinal analysis of a basketball league

Abstract Aim: The general aim was to analyze the profile of the teams participating in a basketball regional competition over 8 years (2012-2019). Specifically, we aimed to a) analyze the variation in the number of an organization participating, b) identify the variation in the type of funding, c) verify the existence of a relationship between the performance and the longevity of the organization, d) verify the existence of a relationship between the performance and the type of funding. Methods: The research was designed as an exploratory case study. A total of 86 organizations took part in the league during the period, with 767 different teams playing competitions between U-11 and senior. Results: Instability is the main characteristic of the league. The organizations competing are constantly changing the type of funding and unable to stay in the league for long periods. The research also showed that there is a relation between a stable source of funding and performance. Conclusion: Instability is the main problem in Brazilian youth and amateur basketball organizations. This study presents useful information for managers better understand the problems and difficulties of basketball in Brazil.

Recursos humanos, financeiros e materiais de atletas de basquetebol nas categorias de base e a percepção dos treinadores sobre a formação dos atletas / Human, financial and material resources of basketball athletes in the youth academy and coaches' perception of athletes' development

O objetivo deste estudo foi analisar os recursos humanos, financeiros e materiais de atletas de basquetebol nas categorias de base e a percepção dos treinadores sobre estes recursos no processo de formação do atleta. A amostra do estudo foi composta por: 47 atletas de categoria sub-19 anos de Minas Gerais e os respectivos treinadores e 47 atletas profissionais. Os instrumentos utilizados foram: Questionário sobre o Contexto da Prática para Atletas de Basquetebol (QCP-Basq), Versão Recursos para o Treinamento e entrevista semiestruturada. Com base nos resultados foi possível entender que os atletas profissionais treinaram em instituições com mais recursos desde a iniciação esportiva em comparação aos atletas da categoria sub-19 anos de Minas Gerais. Os treinadores de Minas Gerais indicam precariedade na estruturação dos recursos na formação do jovem atleta e ressaltam que há dificuldade em aproveitar o jogador que se destaca nas categorias de base nas equipes profissionais do Estado

The aim of this study was to analyze human, financial and material resources of basketball athletes in the youth academy and coaches' perception about these resources in the development of young athletes. This study sample was composed by: 47 Under-19 athletes of Minas Gerais and their respective coaches and also 47 professional athletes. The instruments used were: Questionnaire about Context of Practice for Basketball Athletes ("QCP-Basq", in Portuguese), Resources for Training Version and semi-structured interview. Based on the results it could be understood that professional athletes have trained, since their sports initiation, in institutions with more resources than in comparison with Minas Gerais Under-19 athletes. Minas Gerais coaches point out precariousness in structuring of resources during young athletes formation and emphasize that there is a difficulty in the professional teams of the state to utilize players that stand out at youth level

Selfish play increases during high-stakes NBA games and is rewarded with more lucrative contracts.

High-stakes team competitions can present a social dilemma in which participants must choose between concentrating on their personal performance and assisting teammates as a means of achieving group objectives. We find that despite the seemingly strong group incentive to win the NBA title, cooperative play actually diminishes during playoff games, negatively affecting team performance. Thus team cooperation decreases in the very high stakes contexts in which it is most important to perform well together. Highlighting the mixed incentives that underlie selfish play, personal scoring is rewarded with more lucrative future contracts, whereas assisting teammates to score is associated with reduced pay due to lost opportunities for personal scoring. A combination of misaligned incentives and psychological biases in performance evaluation bring out the "I" in "team" when cooperation is most critical.

The disgrace of commodification and shameful convenience: a critical race critique of the NBA.

This essay positions sport as a pedagogical social institution from which people learn about race, gender, power, and privilege. The National Basketball Association is examined closely with a critical race lens with regard to the commodification of Black masculinity. A critical race analysis reveals the sharp contradictions between the league's progressive image as an "industry leader" of racial diversity (Lapchick, Bustamante, & Ruiz, 2007, p.1) and the actualization of league discourse, policy, and practice.

More than just the mean: moving to a dynamic view of performance-based compensation.

Compensation decisions have important consequences for employees and organizations and affect factors such as retention, motivation, and recruitment. Past research has primarily focused on mean performance as a predictor of compensation, promoting the implicit assumption that alternative aspects of dynamic performance are not relevant. To address this gap in the literature, we examined the influence of dynamic performance characteristics on compensation decisions in the National Basketball Association (NBA). We predicted that, in addition to performance mean, performance trend and variability would also affect compensation decisions. Results revealed that performance mean and trend, but not variability, were significantly and positively related to changes in compensation levels of NBA players. Moreover, trend (but not mean or variability) predicted compensation when controlling for future performance, suggesting that organizations overweighted trend in their compensation decisions. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

The later evolution of modern sport in Latin America: the North American influence.

American impact on modern sports in Latin America overlaps geographically and chronologically with the European, especially British, impact. Principally baseball in the Caribbean basin, more recently basketball and volleyball across the hemisphere and occasionally American football in more limited areas illustrate a north-to-south movement executed by businessmen, educators, missionaries, military personnel, returning travelers (often students), sports entrepreneurs and television. Often initially supported by promoters of development within Latin America, this transfer has altered local recreational patterns and attracted Latin athletes to pursue careers in North America, provoking accusations of cultural imperialism and exploitation.