Affordance-based control of braking in cycling: Experience reveals differences in the style of control.

We investigated whether in an in-situ collision avoidance experiment cyclists regulate braking by adopting an affordance-based control strategy. Within an affordance-based control strategy for braking, deceleration is controlled relative to the maximum achievable deceleration rather than by nulling out deviations from ideal deceleration, and potentially allowing for different braking styles. Twenty active- and eighteen inactive-cyclists were asked to cycle on a straight path in an indoor gym and to stop as close as possible in front of a stationary obstacle. Maximum achievable deceleration was manipulated by loading the bike: no-load, load-5 kg, and load-10 kg. Two approach distances were used to vary cycling speed. Participants in both groups stopped farther from the obstacle when approaching with long- than short-initial distance conditions. No systematic effects of loading on braking performance and control were found across the two groups. However, both groups did increase the magnitude of brake adjustments as ideal deceleration increased and got closer to the action boundary, even when current deceleration approached the ideal deceleration. This indicates that participants adopted an affordance-based control strategy for braking. Two braking styles were identified: an aggressive style, characterized by a late braking onset and a high, steep peak in ideal deceleration, and a conservative style, characterized by an early braking onset and gradual, linear increase in ideal deceleration. The aggressive braking style was more prevalent among the active-cyclists. We suggest that the braking styles emerge from differences in calibration between information and action. The novelty of our work lies in confirming that cyclists adopt an affordance-based control strategy in an in-situ experiment and in demonstrating and explicating how affordance-based control can incorporate the emergence of different styles of braking.

Different Aspects of Physical Load in Small-Sided Field Hockey Games.

ABSTRACT: Wilmes, E, de Ruiter, CJ, van Leeuwen, RR, Banning, LF, van der Laan, D, and Savelsbergh, GJP. Different aspects of physical load in small-sided field hockey games. J Strength Cond Res 38(2): e56-e61, 2024-Running volumes and acceleration/deceleration load are known to vary with different formats of small-sided games (SSGs) in field hockey. However, little is known about other aspects of the physical load. Therefore, the aim of this study was to gain a more thorough understanding of the total physical load in field hockey SSGs. To that end, 2 different SSGs (small: 5 vs. 5, ∼100 m 2 per player; large: 9 vs. 9, ∼200 m 2 per player) were performed by 16 female elite field hockey athletes. A range of external physical load metrics was obtained using a global navigational satellite system and 3 wearable inertial measurement units on the thighs and pelvis. These metrics included distances covered in different velocity ranges (walk, jog, run, and sprint), mean absolute acceleration/deceleration, Hip Load, and time spent in several physically demanding body postures. The effects of SSG format on these external physical load metrics were assessed using linear mixed models ( p < 0.05). Running volumes in various speed ranges were higher for the large SSG. By contrast, mean absolute acceleration/deceleration and time spent in several demanding body postures were higher for the small SSG. This study shows that changing the SSG format affects different aspects of physical load differently.

Self-Controlled Video Feedback Facilitates the Learning of Tactical Skills in Tennis.

Purpose: This study aimed to examine the effect of self-controlled video feedback on the learning of tactical motor skills in tennis, and additionally, whether this was affected by learners' self-efficacy and self-regulative skills. Method: Twenty-three intermediately skilled tennis players were assigned to either a self-controlled group that was provided video feedback on request or a yoked group that received an identical, externally controlled video feedback schedule. In three training sessions participants practiced serve and volley play. Video feedback with attentional cueing and transitional statements that focused solely on individual tactical gameplay was provided by a licensed tennis coach. Individual tactical performance was measured with a custom designed Tactical Tennis Tool (TTT) in a pretest, posttest and in a one-week retention test. Before each test self-efficacy was measured, and a questionnaire was administered to measure self-regulative skills. Results: Analyses revealed significantly larger improvements in tactical performance relative to the pretest for the self-controlled group than for the yoked group in both the posttest and the one-week retention test. No differences were found in self-efficacy. Finally, the improvements in tactical performance were not predicted by self-efficacy and/or self-regulative skills. Conclusion: The advantage of self-controlled video feedback extends to the learning of a complex tactical task in tennis. Future research should verify the observed benefits of a self-controlled learning environment in comparison to a coach-controlled learning environment.

Examining the effect of task constraints on the emergence of creative action in young elite football players by using a method combining expert judgement and frequency count.

In adult football, small-sided games are associated with increased action variability and suggested to promote more creative actions compared to regular 11v11 formats. This aligns with predictions from an ecological approach to perception and action that creative actions emerge in environments that grant variability in action, instead of being an expression of the individual player's ability to generate ideas. To further evidence for this prediction, the current study aimed to expand this observation to elite youth football players. To this end, the number of different and creative actions in 4v4 small-sided game and a 11v11 regular-sided game among 10- to 12-year-old elite football players were examined. We analyzed a total of 7922 actions, which were categorized for type and creativity. Based on a subset of these actions, a panel of elite football coaches judged action types occurring below 0.5% as significantly more creative than more frequent action types. Hence, we used an occurrence of 0.5% as threshold to distinguish creative actions from non-creative actions. The results showed that the total number of actions, the number of different action types, the number creative actions and the number of different creative action types was significantly higher for the small-sided game format than the regular-sided game. In conclusion, this study confirms that in elite youth football, small-sided games induce a more variable and creative action repertoire. This shows that practitioners can design learning environments that promote the emergence of creative actions.

New training load metrics in field hockey using inertial measurement units.

Field hockey players are exposed to high biomechanical loads. These loads often cannot be adequately estimated with global navigational satellite systems (GNSS) since on-field displacements during these movements are often small. Therefore, this study aims to explore the potential of different proxies of biomechanical load in field hockey with use of a simple inertial measurement unit (IMU) system. Sixteen field hockey players performed a range of field hockey specific exercises, including running with stick on the ground, running upright, and different types of shots and passes. All exercises were performed at two different frequencies (i.e. number of actions per minute). A variety of proxies of biomechanical load (time spent with forward tilted pelvis, time spent in lunge position, time spent with flexed thighs, and Hip Load) were obtained using wearable IMUs. In addition, total distance was quantified using a GNSS system. Linear mixed models were constructed to determine the effects of the different exercises and action frequency on all quantified metrics. All metrics increased approximately proportional to the increase in action frequency. Total distance and Hip Load were greatest for the running exercises, but the different types of shots and passes had greater effects on specific on the times spent in the demanding body postures. This shows that these proxies of biomechanical load can be used to estimate field hockey-specific biomechanical loads. The use of these metrics may provide coaches and medical staff with a more complete view of the training load that field hockey players experience.Highlights New proxies of biomechanical load derived with inertial measurement units were used to quantify field hockey specific biomechanical loads.These new biomechanical metrics are complementary to metrics obtained with global navigation satellite systems and increased proportionally to a doubling of the exercise intensity.The presented biomechanical load metrics can help field hockey coaches to achieve a better balance between load and recovery for their players.

Skilled deceivers are better action perceivers and vice versa.

Skilled actors rely on deception to disrupt the perceptual ability of opponents who seek to anticipate action intentions. Common-coding theory (Prinz, 1997) purports that action and perception share common origins in the brain, and therefore it seems plausible that the ability to 'see through' a deceptive action would be associated with a capacity to perform the same action. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the ability to perform a deceptive action would be related to the ability to perceive the same type of action. Fourteen skilled rugby players performed deceptive (side-step) and non-deceptive actions while running towards a camera. The deceptiveness of those participants was determined by testing the ability of a separate group of eight equally skilled observers to anticipate the impeding running directions using a temporally occluded video-based test. Based on the overall response accuracies, participants were separated into high- and low-deceptiveness groups. These two groups then themselves took part in a video-based test. Results revealed that the skilled deceivers had a significant advantage in their ability to better anticipate the action outcomes of highly deceptive actions. The skilled deceivers' sensitivity to discriminate deceptive from non-deceptive actions was significantly better than that of less-skilled deceivers when viewing the most-deceptive actor. Moreover, the skilled perceivers performed actions that appeared to be better disguised than those of the less-skilled perceivers. These findings suggest that, consistent with common-coding theory, the perception of deceptive and non-deceptive actions is associated with the capability to produce deceptive actions and vice versa.

Construct Validity and Test-Retest Reliability of Hip Load Compared With Playerload During Football-Specific Running, Kicking, and Jumping Tasks.

PURPOSE: To determine the test-retest reliability of the recently developed Hip Load metric, evaluate its construct validity, and assess the differences with Playerload during football-specific short-distance shuttle runs. METHODS: Eleven amateur football players participated in 2 identical experimental sessions. Each session included 3 different shuttle runs that were performed at 2 pace-controlled running intensities. The runs consisted of only running, running combined with kicks, and running combined with jumps. Cumulative Playerload and Hip Loads of the preferred and nonpreferred kicking leg were collected for each shuttle run. Test-retest reliability was determined using intraclass correlations, coefficients of variation, and Bland-Altman analyses. To compare the load metrics with each other, they were normalized to their respective values obtained during a 54-m run at 9 km/h. Sensitivity of each load metric to running intensity, kicks, and jumps was assessed using separate linear mixed models. RESULTS: Intraclass correlations were high for the Hip Loads of the preferred kicking leg (.91) and the nonpreferred kicking leg (.96) and moderate for the Playerload (.87). The effects (95% CIs) of intensity and kicks on the normalized Hip Load of the kicking leg (intensity: 0.95 to 1.50, kicks: 0.36 to 1.59) and nonkicking leg (intensity: 0.96 to 1.53, kicks: 0.06 to 1.34) were larger than on the normalized Playerload (intensity: 0.12 to 0.25, kicks: 0.22 to 0.53). CONCLUSIONS: The inclusion of Hip Load in training load quantification may help sport practitioners to better balance load and recovery.

The Effects of Number and Separation of Support Lines on the Size, Velocity, and Smoothness of Handwriting.

We examined the effects of number of and separation between support lines on handwriting characteristics of primary school students with satisfactory and unsatisfactory handwriting. Students (mean age 7.9 years) copied a text on paper with a baseline and with two or four support lines with a separation of 3 or 4 mm between the central lines. Handwriting size, velocity, and smoothness were determined for the four conditions relative to baseline. Children with unsatisfactory handwriting wrote larger and had more lifts during baseline condition. Writing between support lines, especially with small separation, immediately reduced the size of handwriting, but also adversely affected velocity and smoothness. Future research is needed to assess long-term effects.

Predictors of selection into an elite level youth football academy: A longitudinal study.

Talent identification in football is complex. Research regarding talent indicators that predict selection into professional academies is increasingly multi-disciplinary, though is typically cross-sectional, failing to consider whether the rate of change of those indicators influences selection. The aim of this study was to determine if longitudinal changes in talent indicators are associated with selection into a professional football academy. A total of 110 Dutch male football players (aged 8-12) playing in a youth development programme of a professional club were included in the study. Players were assessed regularly on their anthropometry, physical fitness, gross motor coordination, technical ability, and psychosocial capacities over four years. A subset of players was then selected into the academy. Cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses revealed the indicators that best predicted selection. The best indicator was the 30 m sprint speed, with prediction not improving when including other predictors or their rate of change. The individuals that the club ultimately selected at age 12 could have been predicted well above chance levels using the sprint speeds at age nine or ten. The relative consistency of the rate of improvement in indicators across participants meant that the rate at which they developed played little role in selections.

The Association Between Stress and Injury: A Prospective Cohort Study Among 186 First-Year Contemporary Dance Students.

The demanding environment that contemporary dance students are exposed to could result in high stress levels, which can influence injury susceptibility. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the association between stress and injuries. In the period between September 2016 and March 2020, four cohorts of first-year dance students (N = 186; mean age 19.21 ± 1.35 years) were followed for one academic year. Each month, general stress was assessed on a 0-100 visual analogous scale. The Oslo Sports Trauma Research Center Questionnaire on Health Problems was used on a monthly basis to monitor injuries. Injuries were defined as "all injuries" (i.e., any physical complaint irrespective of the need for medical attention or time-loss from dance) and "substantial injuries" (i.e., leading to moderate/severe/complete reductions in training volume or performance). Mann-Whitney tests were performed to measure differences in general stress levels between injured and injury-free students, while repeated-measures ANOVA were performed to investigate whether general stress scores increased before and during injury occurrence. The overall average monthly general stress score over all cohorts for all students was 39.81. The monthly general stress scores ranged from 31.75 to 49.16. Overall, injured and substantially injured students reported higher stress scores than injury-free students, with significant differences in 3 out of the 9 months for all injuries (September, October, March, p < 0.05), and in 5 months for substantial injuries (September, October, November, December, April, p < 0.05). Within the 3-month period before and during injury occurrence, a (marginally) significant linear effect of general stress across the time periods was found for all injuries [F(1.87,216.49) = 3.10, p = 0.051] and substantial injuries [F(2,138) = 4.16, p = 0.018]. The results indicate an association between general stress and injuries. Future research should focus on effects of varying stress levels on injury risk using higher sampling frequency, for instance by measuring weekly since stress levels are likely to fluctuate daily. Practically, strategies aiming at stress reduction might have the potential to reduce the burden of dance injuries and may have positive outcomes for dancers, teachers, schools, and companies.

Associations between Hamstring Fatigue and Sprint Kinematics during a Simulated Football (Soccer) Match.

PURPOSE: Neuromuscular fatigue is considered to be important in the etiology of hamstring strain injuries in football. Fatigue is assumed to lead to decreases in hamstring contractile strength and changes in sprinting kinematics, which would increase hamstring strain injury risk. Therefore, the aim was to examine the effects of football-specific fatigue on hamstring maximal voluntary torque (MVT) and rate of torque development (RTD), in relation to alterations in sprinting kinematics. METHODS: Ten amateur football players executed a 90-min running-based football match simulation. Before and after every 15 min of simulated play, MVT and RTD of the hamstrings were obtained in addition to the performance and lower body kinematics during a 20-m maximal sprint. Linear mixed models and repeated measurement correlations were used to assess changes over time and common within participant associations between hamstring contractile properties and peak knee extension during the final part of the swing phase, peak hip flexion, peak combined knee extension and hip flexion, and peak joint angular velocities, respectively. RESULTS: Hamstring MVT and sprint performance were significantly reduced by 7.5% and 14.3% at the end of the football match simulation. Unexpectedly, there were no indications for reductions in RTD when MVT decrease was considered. Decreases in hamstring MVT were significantly correlated to decreases in peak knee angle (R = 0.342) and to increases in the peak combined angle (R = -0.251). CONCLUSIONS: During a football match simulation, maximal voluntary isometric hamstring torque declines. This decline is related to greater peak knee extension and peak combined angle during sprint running, which indicates a reduced capacity of the hamstrings to decelerate the lower leg during sprint running with fatigue.

Assessment of Visual Function and Performance in Paralympic Judo for Athletes with Vision Impairment.

SIGNIFICANCE: Paralympic judo currently requires all athletes to compete against each other in one class irrespective of their level of vision impairment (VI). Recent evidence suggests that multiple classes are required to enhance fairness, yet it remains unclear how many classes are necessary and what vision tests should be used to define those classes. PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to quantify the relationship between vision and performance in judo for individuals with VI. The results were expected to inform the development of evidence-based criteria to structure Paralympic judo competition. METHODS: The visual function of 53 elite VI judokas was assessed using a test battery that included tests of visual acuity (VA), contrast sensitivity, light sensitivity, depth perception, motion perception, visual search, and central visual field. Performance was assessed by measuring the ratio of fights won across all competitions the participants took part in in the 2 years before and after vision testing. Pearson correlation coefficients and decision tree analyses were used to determine the relationship between vision and performance. Partial correlations were also conducted to determine the unique ability of each measure of visual function to predict judo performance. RESULTS: Visual acuity was the best predictor of judo performance and remained the only visual function related to performance when controlling for correlations between VA and other visual functions. Decision tree analyses suggested to split athletes into two groups for more legitimate competition, using a cutoff point around 2.6 logMAR. Within each of the two resulting subgroups, no correlations remained between any of the visual functions and performance. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggest that VI judo competition should be split into separate categories for partially sighted and functionally blind athletes. The inclusion of visual functions in addition to VA does not improve the ability to predict performance in VI judo.

Using Modified Equipment in Field Hockey Leads to Positive Transfer of Learning Effect.

Cross-education is the phenomenon in which repeated practice of a unilateral motor task does not only result in performance improvement of the trained limb, but also in the untrained contralateral limb. The aim of this study was to test whether cross-education or positive transfer of learning is also achieved for tasks in which both limbs contribute in different ways by using modified equipment that switches the limbs' role. To this end, a reverse field hockey stick was used that requires a mirroring of arm and hand use and dominance (i.e., right hand on top of the hockey stick instead of the left hand). Two groups of young skilled female field hockey players participated in a crossover-design, in which participants received four training sessions with a reverse hockey stick followed by four training sessions with a regular hockey stick, or vice versa. In a pre-test, intermediate test (following the first intervention period), a post-test (after the second intervention period) and a retention test, participants' performance on a field hockey skill test with a regular hockey stick was measured. The results revealed that training with the reversed hockey stick led to significantly increased improvements compared to training with a regular hockey stick. We conclude that modified equipment can be used to exploit positive transfer of learning by switching the limbs' roles. The findings are discussed by referring to the symmetry preservation principle in dynamic systems theory and have clear practical relevance for field hockey trainers and players seeking to further improve field hockey skills.

Accuracy of maturity prediction equations in individual elite male football players.

BACKGROUND: Equations predicting age at peak height velocity (APHV) are often used to assess somatic maturity and to adjust training load accordingly. However, information on the intra-individual accuracy of APHV in youth athletes is not available. AIM: The purpose of this study is to assess the accuracy of predication equations for the estimation of APHV in individual youth male football players. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Body dimensions were measured at least every three months in 17 elite youth male football players (11.9 ± 0.8 years at baseline) from the 2008-2009 through the 2011-2012 seasons. APHV was predicted at each observation with four suggested equations. Predicted APHV was compared to the player's observed APHV using one-sample-t-tests and equivalence-tests. Longitudinal stability was assessed by comparing the linear coefficient of the deviation to zero. RESULTS: Predicted APHV was equivalent to the observed APHV in none of the players. A difference with a large effect size (Cohen's d > 0.8) was noted in 87% of the predictions. Moreover, predictions were not stable over time in 71% of the cases. CONCLUSIONS: None of the evaluated prediction equations is accurate for estimating APHV in individual players nor are predictions stable over time, which limits their utility for adjusting training programmes.

Limited Coping Skills, Young Age, and High BMI Are Risk Factors for Injuries in Contemporary Dance: A 1-Year Prospective Study.

This study investigated potential risk factors (coping, perfectionism, and self-regulation) for substantial injuries in contemporary dance students using a prospective cohort design, as high-quality studies focusing on mental risk factors for dance injuries are lacking. Student characteristics (age, sex, BMI, educational program, and history of injury) and psychological constructs (coping, perfectionism, and self-regulation) were assessed using the Performing artist and Athlete Health Monitor (PAHM), a web-based system. Substantial injuries were measured with the Oslo Sports Trauma Research Center (OSTRC) Questionnaire on Health Problems and recorded on a monthly basis as part of the PAHM system. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to test the associations between potential risk factors (i.e., student characteristics and psychological constructs) and substantial injuries. Ninety-nine students were included in the analyses. During the academic year 2016/2017, 48 students (48.5%) reported at least one substantial injury. Of all factors included, coping skills (OR: 0.91; 95% CI: 0.84-0.98), age (OR: 0.67; 95% CI: 0.46-0.98), and BMI (OR: 1.38; 95% CI: 1.05-1.80) were identified as significant risk factors in the multivariate analysis. The model explained 24% of the variance in the substantial injury group. Further prospective research into mental risk factors for dance injuries with larger sample sizes is needed to develop preventive strategies. Yet, dance schools could consider including coping skills training as part of injury prevention programs and, perhaps, providing special attention to younger dancers and those with a higher BMI through transitional programs to assist them in managing the stress they experience throughout their (academic) career.

An Inertial Measurement Unit Based Method to Estimate Hip and Knee Joint Kinematics in Team Sport Athletes on the Field.

Current athlete monitoring practice in team sports is mainly based on positional data measured by global positioning or local positioning systems. The disadvantage of these measurement systems is that they do not register lower extremity kinematics, which could be a useful measure for identifying injury-risk factors. Rapid development in sensor technology may overcome the limitations of the current measurement systems. With inertial measurement units (IMUs) securely fixed to body segments, sensor fusion algorithms and a biomechanical model, joint kinematics could be estimated. The main purpose of this article is to demonstrate a sensor setup for estimating hip and knee joint kinematics of team sport athletes in the field. Five male subjects (age 22.5 ± 2.1 years; body mass 77.0 ± 3.8 kg; height 184.3 ± 5.2 cm; training experience 15.3 ± 4.8 years) performed a maximal 30-meter linear sprint. Hip and knee joint angles and angular velocities were obtained by five IMUs placed on the pelvis, both thighs and both shanks. Hip angles ranged from 195° (± 8°) extension to 100.5° (± 8°) flexion and knee angles ranged from 168.6° (± 12°) minimal flexion and 62.8° (± 12°) maximal flexion. Furthermore, hip angular velocity ranged between 802.6 °·s-1 (± 192 °·s-1) and -674.9 °·s-1 (± 130 °·s-1). Knee angular velocity ranged between 1155.9 °·s-1 (± 200 °·s-1) and -1208.2 °·s-1 (± 264 °·s-1). The sensor setup has been validated and could provide additional information with regard to athlete monitoring in the field. This may help professionals in a daily sports setting to evaluate their training programs, aiming to reduce injury and optimize performance.

Inertial Sensor-Based Motion Tracking in Football with Movement Intensity Quantification.

Inertial sensor-based measurements of lower body kinematics in football players may improve physical load estimates during training sessions and matches. However, the validity of inertial-based motion analysis systems is specific to both the type of movement and the intensity at which movements are executed. Importantly, such a system should be relatively simple, so it can easily be used in daily practice. This paper introduces an easy-to-use inertial-based motion analysis system and evaluates its validity using an optoelectronic motion analysis system as a gold standard. The system was validated in 11 football players for six different football specific movements that were executed at low, medium, and maximal intensity. Across all movements and intensities, the root mean square differences (means ± SD) for knee and hip flexion/extension angles were 5.3° ± 3.4° and 8.0° ± 3.5°, respectively, illustrating good validity with the gold standard. In addition, mean absolute flexion/extension angular velocities significantly differed between the three movement intensities. These results show the potential to use the inertial based motion analysis system in football practice to obtain lower body kinematics and to quantify movement intensity, which both may improve currently used physical load estimates of the players.

Persistent handwriting problems are hard to predict: A longitudinal study of the development of handwriting in primary school.

BACKGROUND: After one year of tuition, up to a third of primary school children show insufficient handwriting. It is unclear whether this early insufficient handwriting predicts persistent handwriting problems, because there is a dearth of studies that followed developmental trajectories longitudinally. AIMS: To describe handwriting development in primary school children longitudinally and to determine predictive positive value and sensitivity of early handwriting assessment. To analyse whether underlying abilities helps early identification of persistent handwriting problems. METHODS: 173 primary school children were yearly assessed for four years using the Concise Assessment Scale for Children's Handwriting and the Beery Buktenica developmental test of visual-motor integration. RESULTS: Both quality and speed of handwriting increased with years of tuition, with a pronounced increase in quality between two and three years of writing tuition. Sensitivity and positive predictive value were low. The only significant predictor of handwriting quality was handwriting quality in the previous year. For handwriting speed, no significant developmental model was revealed. CONCLUSIONS: Quality and speed of handwriting after one year of tuition is not sufficiently predictive for distinguishing between transient insufficient handwriting and persistent handwriting problems three years later. Practitioners should hold back when referring children for remedial teaching.

Game Insight Skills as a Predictor of Talent for Youth Soccer Players.

Perceptual-cognitive skills are found to be important factors for soccer players. The aim of this study was, therefore, to find within-group differences for game insight in an elite group of youth soccer players by means of a Game Insight inDicator (GID). In addition, the prospective value of perceptual-cognitive skills was examined by following the trajectory of the participants. The GID consisted of film clips that show game situations. The task of the players was to predict the trajectory and destination of the ball and move toward the correct position to receive the pass of a teammate. The film clips stopped 80 ms before, at, and 80 ms after the football contact of a teammate. We also sought to validate the GID against game performance. Participants were talented soccer players 11-13 years old and playing at the elite level for their age. Based on eight independent elite-coach judgments, two groups were created: highly talented players (HT) and less talented players (LT). The coach ratings were supported by a significant difference between the two groups based on the objective notational analysis of their game performance in 4 vs. 4 and 11 vs. 11 matches. With respect to the GID, a significant interaction effect for the groups (HT vs. LT) by occlusion time (-80, 0, and +80 ms) was found, showing that the HT performs better than the LT in 0 and +80 ms condition. In addition, GID scores were compared with soccer levels at the mean age of 19 years. Longitudinal data did not show significant differences between elite and sub-elite. Overall, the GID was found to be a valid and useful indicator for players anticipating the ball's trajectory and destination at age 11-13 years but failed to predict the players' level at age 19 years. The latter indicates how difficult it is to predict talent development.

Detailed injury epidemiology in contemporary dance: a 1-year prospective study of 134 students.

AIM: We investigated the extent and characteristics of injuries in contemporary dance students. METHODS: During one academic year, 134 students of Bachelor dance and Bachelor dance teacher from Codarts University of the Arts (Rotterdam, the Netherlands) were prospectively monitored monthly, using the Performing Artist and Athlete Health Monitor which includes the Oslo Sports Trauma Research Centre Questionnaire on Health Problems. RESULTS: 130 students were included in the analyses. The response rate of monthly completed questionnaires was 80%. During the academic year, 97% of students reported at least one injury, mental complaint or other health problem. The 1-year injury incidence proportion was 81%. Of these injured students, 58% were substantially injured (ie, problems leading to moderate or severe reductions in training volume or performance or complete inability to participate in activities). The monthly injury proportion (all injuries) ranged from 23% to 43% and for substantial injuries from 6% to 17%. The injury incidence rate per 1000 hours dance exposure was 1.9 (95% CI 1.7 to 2.2). Ankle/foot (30%), lower back (17%) and knee (15%) were the most common sites of injury. CONCLUSION: Contemporary dance students are at high risk for injuries. Injury prevention programmes among contemporary dance students should focus on the ankle/foot, lower back and knee.