Relationships between physical fitness characteristics, technical skill attributes, and sports injury in female Australian football players.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the relationships between physical fitness and i) technical skills and ii) time-loss from Australian football injury in female players across the talent and participation pathways. METHODS: This study uses a subset of data from two cross-sectional and one prospective cohort studies. A total of 223 female Australian football players across five competition levels (elite/non-elite senior, high-level junior, and non-elite junior (14-17 years)/(10-13 years)) were included in this study. Comprehensive physical fitness assessments and modified Australian football kicking and handballing tests were conducted in the 2018/19 pre-seasons. During the respective competitive in-season, time-loss injuries were recorded by team personnel. Stepwise multiple linear regressions were performed to determine the relationship between physical fitness and kicking and handballing scores. Cox proportional regressions were conducted to identify physical fitness factors associated with injury. RESULTS: Increased running vertical jump height, greater hip abduction strength, and faster timed 6 m hop speed demonstrated a relationship with kicking accuracy when adjusted for years of Australian football playing experience (adjusted R2 = 0.522, p < 0.001). Faster agility time and increased lean mass were associated with better handballing accuracy (adjusted R2 = 0.221, p < 0.001). Multivariate Cox regression revealed an increased risk for sustaining a time-loss injury in less agile players (adjusted HR 2.41, 95% CI 1.23, 4.73, p = 0.010). However, this relationship no longer remained when adjusted for age and years of Australian football experience (adjusted HR 1.68, 95% CI 0.81, 3.50, p = 0.166). CONCLUSIONS: Physical fitness may be a significant factor contributing to development of Australian football technical skills in female players. However, its role is unclear in protecting against injury risk in this athlete population. Further research is needed to explore the multifactorial and complex phenomenon of talent development and injury risk reduction in female Australian football players.

On a Corresponsive Sport Science.

In our societally extractive age, sport science risks being swept up in the intensifying desire to commodify the experiences of those that scientists proclaim to study. Coupled with the techno-digital revolution, this stems from a vertical (onto)logic that frames the sporting landscape as a static space filled with discrete objects waiting for us to capture, analyse, re-present and sell on as knowledge. Not only does this commodification degrade primary experience in the false hope of epistemological objectivity, it reinforces the unidirectionality of extractivism by setting inquirer apart from, and above of, inquiry. Here, we advocate for a different, more sentient logic grounded in the relationality of gifting as understood in indigenous philosophies. This foregrounds an ecological orientation to scholarship that sets out neither to objectify or describe that which is of concern, but to correspond with its becoming. On this, there are three threads we cast forward. First, in a corresponsive sport science, inhabitants are not objects of analysis, but lines in-becoming, who in answering to others, form knots in a meshwork. These knots constitute communal places in which inhabitants have joined with the differentiating coming-into-being of others. Second, knowledge is not authoritatively (re)cognitive, but humbly ecological; not produced vertically through imposition, but grown longitudinally in responsively moving from place to place. Third, research does not follow a vertically extractive (onto)logic, but is a practice of participant observation. This perspective appreciates that we, sport scientists, are also lines in-becoming that form parts of the knots in which we seek to know. In coda, our thesis is not a call for more qualitative or applied research in the sport sciences. It is a call to response-ably open up to that which sparks our curiosity, answering to what is shared with care, sensitivity and sincerity.

There is no copy and paste, but there is resonation and inhabitation: Integrating a contemporary player development framework in football from a complexity sciences perspective.

Socio-cultural constraints shape behaviour in complexifying ways. In sport, for example, interconnected constraints play an important role in shaping the way a game is played, coached, and spectated. Here, we contend that player development frameworks in sport cannot be operationalised without careful consideration of the complex ecosystem in which they reside. Concurrently, we highlight issues associated with frameworks designed in isolation from the contexts in which they are introduced for integration, guised as trying to "copy and paste" templates from country to country. As such, there is a need to understand the oft-shrouded socio-cultural dynamics that continuously influence practice in order to maximize the utility of player development frameworks in sport. Ecological dynamics offers a complexity-oriented theoretical lens that supports the evolution of context-dependent player development frameworks. Further, tenets of the Learning in Development Research Framework can show how affordances are not just material invitations but constitute a vital component of a broader socio-cultural form of life. These ideas have the potential to: (1) push against a desire to "copy and paste" what is perceived to be "successful" elsewhere, and (2), guide the integration of player development frameworks by learning to resonate with the nuanced complexities of the broader environment inhabited.

Examining the validity, reliability and feasibility of capturing children's physical literacy through games-based assessment in physical education.

Background: Observational tools can help refine practice design and guide the creation of effective learning environments. The intention of this study was to design and validate an observational instrument for assessing physical literacy that remains more faithful to the philosophically complex and holistic nature of the concept. Methods: Framed by concepts of ecological dynamics, the emergent games-based assessment tool enables capture of children's interactions with their environment, providing insight on the manifestation of physical literacy within physical education games. The design and validation of the instrument consisted of a multistage process: (1) design of the observational instrument and establishing face validity; (2) pilot observation study; (3) expert qualitative and quantitative review to establish content validity; (4) observation training; and (5), establishing observer reliability. Results: Following expert qualitative and quantitative evaluation, Aiken's V coefficient was used to determine content validity. Results achieved demanding levels of validity (V ≥ 0.78) for all retained measurement variables. Cohen's κ values for inter- and intra-observer reliability ranged from 0.331 to 1.00 and 0.552 to 1.00, generally reporting "substantial" agreement during inter-observer analysis and "substantial" to "almost perfect" agreement during intra-observer analysis. Conclusions: The final model of the emergent games-based assessment tool, with 9 ecological conceptualisations of behaviour, 15 measurement variables, and 44 categorical observational items was found to be valid and reliable, providing both educators and researchers with a useful mechanism to assess physical literacy during gameplay.

Exploring football coaches' views on coach education, role, and practice design: An Australian perspective.

Despite the importance placed on the design and delivery of formal coach education programs by Football Australia, there remains a lack of research relating to how formal coach education strategies support Australian football (i.e., soccer) coaches and their coaching practices. Through a series of semi-structured interviews, 20 highly qualified and experienced Australian senior football coaches shared their perspectives on: (i) coach education, (ii) their role as coach, and (iii) practice design. Findings revealed that formal coach education in Australia was largely ineffective in preparing senior coaches for the realities of senior football. Coaches attributed this to a number of factors, including the content's quality, structure and delivery, which they viewed as rudimentary, outdated, repetitive and lacking in relevance and depth. Coaches also revealed there was an expectation of conformity to the content and practices endorsed by the National Football Curriculum, limiting the value and impact of formal coach education in supporting the development of coaches' theoretical and practical dispositions. These findings point towards a number of broad and systemic issues relating to the conceptual, theoretical and practical foundations of the National Football Curriculum and subsequent courses. If Football Australia are to reach their goal in designing and delivering effective and meaningful coach education programs that support the highly complex and multifaceted role of senior coaching, formal coach education may need to adapt and evolve in a manner that better supports the multi-dimensional and context-specific needs of Australian senior football coaches.

Holding open spaces to explore beyond: Toward a different conceptualization of specialization in high-performance sport.

This conceptual analysis aims to challenge the state of high-performance sport by questioning the concept of specialization. To start, we offer a brief, but critical overview of what specialization currently entails. Then, shifting the paradigm, we suggest an expansion rather than a reduction of developmental possibilities once an athlete reaches the "top". Specifically, rather than athletes conforming to national standards imposed by governing bodies about what it means to be "elite", we suggest sport systems consider a person-environment fit approach to support ongoing development. Drawing on an ecological dynamics rationale and various socio-cultural theories, we explore how concepts such as affordances and perspectives can be harnessed to create a better "fit" between athletes' action capabilities and the opportunities within their broader environment. Our conception of specialization requires moving away from a definition of success based on the accumulation of medals, toward one that accounts for the exploration and achievement of the possible. We argue that a person-environment fit welcomes diversity, so long as it sustains the person's health, wellbeing, and performance. This, it is suggested, is about collectively holding open spaces for each other to explore beyond the constraints of high-performance sport, encouraging all to carry on their lives in directions meaningfully impactful for them. We conclude this conceptual analysis with a brief case example demonstrating what our theorizing could look like in practice.

Comparison of Countermovement Jump and Squat Jump Performance Between 627 State and Non-State Representative Junior Australian Football Players.

ABSTRACT: Edwards, T, Weakley, J, Woods, CT, Breed, R, Benson, AC, Suchomel, TJ, and Banyard, HG. Comparison of countermovement jump and squat jump performance between 627 state and non-state representative junior Australian football players. J Strength Cond Res 37(3): 641-645, 2023-This cross-sectional study investigated differences in lower-body power of state and nonstate representative junior Australian football (AF) players through countermovement jump (CMJ) and squat jump (SJ) performance. A total of 627 players performed the CMJ and SJ at the end of the preseason phase over a 2-week period, with each player grouped according to their age (under 18 [U18] or under 16 [U16]), and highest competition level played (state representation and nonstate representation). One-way multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA), follow up ANOVA's, and Cohen's d effect sizes were used to identify significant main effects and between-group differences. Statistical significance was set at α < 0.05. Significant small-to-moderate effect size differences were observed between competition level, with state U18 and U16 players recording greater CMJ and SJ height, and peak power (PP), compared with their nonstate representative peers, respectively. Similarly, significant small-to-moderate effect size differences existed between age groups, with nonstate U18 players recording greater CMJ and SJ height and PP than nonstate U16 counterparts. However, state U18 and state U16 only differed in CMJ PP. No differences were found between competition level or age groups for the difference between CMJ and SJ jump height (CMJSJ diff ). Together, these findings suggest that state and nonstate representative junior AFs may have a similar ability to use the stretch-shortening cycle, despite state representative players jumping higher in the CMJ and SJ.

A Skill Acquisition Perspective on the Impact of Exergaming Technology on Foundational Movement Skill Development in Children 3-12 Years: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Sedentary, digital screen time in children represents a major concern due to its detrimental effect on children's development. Nowadays, however, advances in technology allow children to actively interact with a digital screen using their whole body (e.g., exergaming), providing potential for movement learning. Exergaming technology may prove valuable in supporting children's development of foundational movement skills (FMS). OBJECTIVE: To examine the impact of exergaming technology on the development of FMS in children 3-12 years through a skill acquisition lens. METHODS: Systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted following the PRISMA guidelines. Web of Science, PubMed, PsycINFO and SPORTDiscus databases were searched between 2007 and 2022. Studies were eligible if they conducted an exergaming intervention to improve FMS in typically developing children aged three to twelve with a control group, using a baseline and post-intervention assessment design. FMS outcomes were pooled with a random effects model. RESULTS: Nine trials (4 RCTs, 2 cluster RCTs and 3 non-randomized trials) of varying methodological quality (2 had low, 6 had some concerns, and 1 had a high risk of bias) were included, with a total of 783 participants. FMS outcome measures across studies comprised object control skills, locomotor skills, coordination, agility, balance and balance-related skills. The meta-analysis included showed a small positive effect in favor of the exergaming intervention (r = 0.24 [95% confidence interval: 0.11-0.36]). CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that screen-based technology that requires an active engagement of the child can promote the development of FMS. Considering that FMS are the foundation of a child's physical, mental, health and academic development, this finding could lead to a reshaping of the perception of digital screen-based technology and the role this should play in children's lives. We speculate that the observed benefits most likely depend upon the quality of information-movement coupling specificity and the motor learning strategies built into the exergame and/or the intervention design. We do not believe this is dependent on the type of FMS being performed or the amount of practice. We recommend therefore that future research should examine how practitioners (school teachers, coaches and parents) can facilitate the interaction between a child and exergaming technology.

Repeated Bout Effect of Two Resistance Training Bouts on Bowling-Specific Performance in Male Cricketers.

To examine the repeated bout effect (RBE) following two identical resistance bouts and its effect on bowling-specific performance in male cricketers. Male cricket pace bowlers (N = 10), who had not undertaken resistance exercises in the past six months, were invited to complete a familiarisation and resistance maximum testing, before participating in the study protocol. The study protocol involved the collection of muscle damage markers, a battery of anaerobic (jump and sprint), and a bowling-specific performance test at baseline, followed by a resistance training bout, and a retest of physical and bowling-specific performance at 24 h (T24) and 48 h (T48) post-training. The study protocol was repeated 7-10 days thereafter. Indirect markers of muscle damage were lower (creatine kinase: 318.7 ± 164.3 U·L-1; muscle soreness: 3 ± 1), whilst drop jump was improved (~47.5 ± 8.1 cm) following the second resistance training bout when compared to the first resistance training bout (creatine kinase: 550.9 ± 242.3 U·L-1; muscle soreness: 4 ± 2; drop jump: ~43.0 ± 9.7 cm). However, sport-specific performance via bowling speed declined (Bout 1: -2.55 ± 3.43%; Bout 2: 2.67 ± 2.41%) whilst run-up time increased (2.34 ± 3.61%; Bout 2: 3.84 ± 4.06%) after each bout of resistance training. Findings suggest that while an initial resistance training bout reduced muscle damage indicators and improved drop jump performance following a second resistance training bout, this RBE trend was not observed for bowling-specific performance. It was suggested that pace bowlers with limited exposure to resistance training should minimise bowling-specific practice for 1-2 days following the initial bouts of their resistance training program.

Joining with the Conversation: Research as a Sustainable Practice in the Sport Sciences.

What would it mean to consider research in the sport sciences as a sustainable practice? Taking a step back, in such a context, what would sustainability even mean? The time is ripe to address such questions, and what we lay out here are our initial thoughts on this most contemporary of issues. We start by exploring what is meant by the term 'sustainability'. Rather than following mainstream thinking-the harnessing of earthly resources commodified and exploited as 'renewables'-we situate it in the sport sciences as a continuing response-ability to the experiences of others. This view is rooted in 'commoning'-an intransitive verb in which people conjoin varied experiences through correspondence. What makes this sustainable, is its ongoing open-endedness; meaning, it carries on as people (co)respond to one another. Central to this idea is a perceptual system attuned to the ebbs and flows of what or who one is corresponding with. Though, the current modus operandi of research in the sport sciences is located, not on the skilled perception of the scientist corresponding with the coming-into-being of phenomena, but on an unsustainable model of recognition that views phenomena as 'objects of analysis', fixed and final in form, waiting to be known about by means of reduction, fragmentation and classification. For research in the sport sciences to become a sustainable practice, we propose a scholarship that prioritises direct observation and participation with what holds our attention, corresponding within its natural ecology of relations, embedding the phenomenon itself. This re-conceptualisation of science views research as a response-able scholarship grounded in conversation. Like inquiring about the well-being of loved ones, what sustains such a scholarship is curiosity, care and hope-a curiosity about which captivates us, a care that sees us respond to what we observe, and a hope of carrying the correspondence on, together.

Profiling the kicking and handballing accuracy of female Australian football players across five competition levels.

OBJECTIVES: To profile the kicking and handballing accuracy of female Australian football (AF) players and investigate potential differences across five competition levels. METHODS: Female AF players were classified into five competition levels: elite senior (≥18 years) (n=35), non-elite senior (≥18 years) (n=58), high-level junior (<18 years) (n=32), non-elite junior (14-17 years) (n=38), and non-elite junior (10-13 years) (n=42). Modified AF kicking and handballing tests examined accuracy outcomes. Competition level differences in accuracy were modelled using multivariate analysis of variance. RESULTS: A large, significant difference between the competition levels was noted (F=11.508, p<0.001, Wilk's Λ=0.462, η2p=0.227), with significant differences (p<0.001) observed in the modified AF kicking (ω2=0.514) and handballing (η2p=0.150-0.250) tests. Elite seniors and high-level juniors performed the modified AF kicking test more accurately than all non-elite competition levels (p≤0.001). Elite seniors were also more accurate in the modified AF handballing test (dominant hand) compared to all non-elite competition levels (p≤0.001). CONCLUSIONS: This study is the first to report technical skill characteristics in female AF across a broader participation pathway. These exploratory findings could be used as reference data for player development and inform training designs, namely by incorporating non-dominant handballing competitive play situations to develop this skill in female AF players.

Physical fitness profiles of female Australian football players across five competition levels.

OBJECTIVES: To examine physical fitness profiles of female Australian football players and investigate differences according to competition level. METHODS: A testing battery of 28 physical fitness assessments was undertaken with 240 players across five competition levels: elite senior (≥18 years), non-elite senior (≥18 years), high-level junior (<18 years), non-elite junior (14-17 years), and non-elite junior (10-13 years). Physical fitness profiles were examined and competition level differences were investigated using multivariate analyses of variance. RESULTS: Significant differences (p<0.001) were observed between competition levels in body composition (η2p=0.225), flexibility (η2p=0.071), muscular strength and endurance (η2p=0.238), balance (η2p=0.093), reaction time (η2p=0.103), and whole-body locomotor performance (η2p=0.200). Elite seniors and high-level juniors were stronger (p<0.001-0.043), faster (p=0.001-0.022), more responsive (p<0.001-0.048), and had better cardiorespiratory fitness (p<0.001) compared to the non-elite groups. Additionally, body composition and muscular strength and endurance differences were common between the senior and non-elite junior groups. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study to comprehensively profile physical characteristics of female Australian footballers across a broader development pathway. These preliminary findings may assist sport practitioners to better understand athlete development, provide insight on talent identification and development programs, and injury management in this population.

Injury profiles of Australian football players across five, women's and girls' competition levels.

OBJECTIVES: To describe injury profiles of Australian football players and explore trends across five, women's and girls' competition levels. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. METHODS: Injuries were prospectively recorded by team personnel across one or two seasons of Australian football (2017-18 and/or 2018-19) including five, women's and girls' competition levels (elite senior, non-elite senior, high-level junior, non-elite junior (14-17 years), and non-elite junior (10-13 years)). Injury incidence rates were calculated per 1000 h and injury prevalence calculated for pre-season, early-season, mid-season, and late-season. Descriptive statistics present injury profiles according to activity, body region, pathology, mechanism, and severity. RESULTS: From the 392 included players, 760 injuries were recorded. Overall injury incidence was 20.9 injuries per 1000 h. Injury prevalence was highest during pre-season (64.1%). Most injuries were to the lower extremity (n = 440; 58.0%). Ligament/joint sprain injuries were common (n = 147, 19.3%). Several injuries resulted from contact mechanisms (n = 314, 61.4%), with many due to contact with another player (n = 131, 52.8%). Injuries resulting in time lost from participation were common (n = 444, 58.9%). Competition level injury trends were observed, with elite senior (125.1 injuries per 1000 h) and high-level junior (116.9 injuries per 1000 h) players having greater match injury incidence compared to their non-elite counterparts (15.5-41.4 injuries per 1000 h). CONCLUSIONS: This study provides preliminary insight into injury profiles of Australian football players in women's and girls' competitions. These findings can drive future injury risk reduction research specific to this population across the developmental pathway.

From a Technology That Replaces Human Perception-Action to One That Expands It: Some Critiques of Current Technology Use in Sport.

Information technology has been integrated into most areas of sport, providing new insights, improving the efficiency of operational processes, and offering unique opportunities for exploration and inquiry. While acknowledging this positive impact, this paper explores whether sufficient consideration has been directed towards what technology risks detracting from the learning and developmental experiences of its users. Specifically, viewed through the philosophical lens of the device paradigm, and considering a more ecological account of technological implementation, we discuss how technology use in sport could subtly disengage educators and applied sports scientists from performance environments. Insights gleaned from such an ecological account of technology implementation could lead sports science and educational teams to ask and reflect on tough questions of current practice: i.e. has too much control been given to technological devices to 'solve' problems and communicate knowledge (about) in sport? Has technology improved the skills of players and performance staff? Or are performance staff at risk of becoming over-reliant on technology, and as a result, reducing the value of experiential knowledge (of) and intuition? Questions like these should be asked if technological devices, purported to support aspects of practice, are continually integrated into the sporting landscape.

Weaving Lines of Inquiry: Promoting Transdisciplinarity as a Distinctive Way of Undertaking Sport Science Research.

The promotion of inter- and multidisciplinarity - broadly drawing on other disciplines to help collaboratively answer important questions to the field - has been an important goal for many professional development organisations, universities, and research institutes in sport science. While welcoming collaboration, this opinion piece discusses the value of transdisciplinary research for sports science. The reason for this is that inter- and multidisciplinary research are still bound by disciplinary convention - often leading sport science researchers to study about a phenomenon based on pre-determined disciplinary ways of conceptualising, measuring, and doing. In contrast, transdisciplinary research promotes contextualised study with a phenomenon, like sport, unbound by disciplinary confines. It includes a more narrative and abductive way of performing research, with this abduction likely opening new lines of inquiry for attentive researchers to follow. It is in the weaving of these lines where researchers can encounter new information, growing knowledge in-between, through, and beyond the disciplines to progressively entangle novel and innovative insights related to a phenomenon or topic of interest. To guide innovation and the development of such research programmes in sport science, we lean on the four cornerstones of transdisciplinarity proposed by Alfonso Montuori, exemplifying what they could mean for such research programmes in sport science.

Physical and Anthropometric Characteristics Do Not Differ According to Birth Year Quartile in High-Level Junior Australian Football Players.

The aim of this study was to explore differences in the physical fitness and anthropometric profiles between birth year quartiles of players attending the Australian Football League (AFL) National Draft Combine. Date of birth, anthropometric, 20 m sprint, vertical and running vertical jump, AFL planned agility, and 20 m Multi-Stage Fitness Test (MSFT) data were obtained for players selected to attend the Combine between 1999 and 2019 (n = 1549; Mage = 18.1; SDage = 0.3). The underlying density distributions of the data were visually explored using violin plots overlaid with box and whisker plots. A multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was then used to model the main effect of birth quartile (four levels) on the physical and anthropometric scores. Results showed that physical and anthropometric test scores did not significantly differ according to birth quartile (V = 0.008, F = 0.880, p = 0.631). We conclude that the physical and anthropometric profiles of high-level junior Australian Football players were similar according to birth year quartile across the modeled period. Therefore, how players utilize their physical and anthropometric attributes during game-play via contextualized, representative assessments, such as small-sided games, should be considered when examining potential causes of a RAE.

"Learning by Design": What Sports Coaches can Learn from Video Game Designs.

There have been multiple calls made in the sport science literature for the promotion of interdisciplinarity to progress some of sports' most prevailing challenges. Designing practice environments that support learning represents one such challenge, particularly given contemporary perspectives of skill acquisition and motor learning calls for coaches to realign their role-progressing toward the designers of practice tasks that promote athlete-environment interactions. In doing so, performers learn through exploration, deepening a relationship with their performance environment as they solve problems based on changing and interacting constraints. This paper illustrates an interdisciplinary approach to the area of learning through sport practice by adapting established principles embedded in video game designs. Specifically, 13 principles common to good video game designs are described, with practical examples of each provided across different sports. Fundamentally, this paper aims to offer sports practitioners with an overview and application of key principles that could support learning by design. Beyond this, the ideas presented here should further illustrate the value of interdisciplinarity in sports research and practice.

Enskilment: an Ecological-Anthropological Worldview of Skill, Learning and Education in Sport.

The aim of this paper is to explore a different, more relational worldview of skill, learning and education in sport. To do this, we turn to the work of social anthropologist, Tim Ingold, leaning on the notion of enskilment, which proposes that learning is inseparable from doing and place. From this worldview, what is learned is not an established body of knowledge, transmitted into the mind of a passive recipient from an authorised being, but is a progressively deepening embodied-embedded attentiveness, where an individual learns to self-regulate by becoming more responsive to people and environmental features by 'looking, listening and feeling'. As we discuss, Ingold's perspectives on enskilment are rooted in the etymological connotations of education-ex-ducere, which roughly means 'to lead out'. In applying this notion to sport, we unpack three of its entangled components, taskscapes, guided attention, and wayfinding, detailing the implications of each for the growth of enskilled sports performers. To promote the translation of these ideas, in addition to encouraging their inquiry beyond the scope of what is discussed here, sporting examples are threaded throughout the paper.

Methodological Considerations for Furthering the Understanding of Constraints in Applied Sports.

Commonly classified as individual, task or environmental, constraints are boundaries which shape the emergence of functional movement solutions. In applied sport, an ongoing challenge is to improve the measurement, analysis and understanding of constraints to key stakeholders. Methodological considerations for furthering these pursuits should be centred around an interdisciplinary approach. This integration of methodology and knowledge from different disciplines also encourages the sharing of encompassing principles, concepts, methods and data to generate new solutions to existing problems. This narrative review discusses how a number of rapidly developing fields are positioned to help guide, support and progress an understanding of sport through constraints. It specifically focuses on examples from the fields of technology, analytics and perceptual science. It discusses how technology is generating large quantities of data which can improve our understanding of how constraints shape the movement solutions of performers in training and competition environments. Analytics can facilitate new insights from numerous and complex data through enhanced non-linear and multivariate analysis techniques. The role of the perceptual sciences is discussed with respect to generating outputs from analytics that are more interpretable for the end-user. Together, these three fields of technology, analytics and perceptual science may enable a more comprehensive understanding of constraints in sports performance.