Growing the Youth Olympic Games: Comparing Millennial Generation Sport Festival Engagement.

Despite the continued growth of the Olympic Games (OG), the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) has received minimal attention from mainstream media since its introduction in 2010. The purpose of this study was to examine and compare event awareness and consumption intention for the 2012 Winter YOG to two international sport events occurring in the same year. A survey instrument was utilized to examine and compare event awareness, consumption intention, and logo identification for three international sport events within a millennial generation sample. The study showed significant differences in personal and public awareness between the three sport events, with personal (r = .313, p ≤ .001) and public (r = .331, p ≤ .001) awareness for the YOG demonstrating a positive correlation with consumption intention. This study is an important assessment of the YOG event awareness that can be utilized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to better understand and engage their participants and audience. Successful promotion of the YOG may require a transformation of the current marketing strategies that are utilized. The YOG has great opportunity for success in the global sport market to leave behind the status of the best kept secret in sport.

A Fraction of Recommended Practices: Implementation of the FIFA 11+ in NCAA Soccer Programs.

Background and Objectives: National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) soccer coaches implement numerous warm-up and flexibility strategies to prepare athletes for training and competition. The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) developed the 11+ injury prevention program to reduce non-contact injuries. This study aimed to analyze the level of familiarity with and implementation of the evidence-based FIFA 11+ amongst NCAA Division I (DI) and Division III (DIII) men's and women's soccer coaches. Materials and Methods: NCAA soccer coaches in the United States received an Institutional Review Board-approved survey hyperlink. A total of 240 coaches completed the survey. The respondents represented 47.5% men's and 52.5% women's teams distributed within DI and DIII programs. Descriptive statistics are reported as frequency counts and mean ± standard deviation where applicable. Pearson's chi-square tests were performed to assess potential differences with a significance level set at α < 0.05. Results: The results indicated that approximately 62% of the respondents reported being familiar with the FIFA 11+ program. Of those coaches familiar with the program, 15.0% reported full implementation, 57.5% reported partial implementation, and 27.5% reported no implementation. Chi-square analyses revealed significant differences in FIFA 11+ implementation based upon division level (χ2 = 4.56, p = 0.033) and coaching certification levels (χ2 = 13.11, p = 0.011). Conclusions: This study indicates that there is a gap between FIFA 11+ knowledge and actual implementation. To reduce the risk of non-contact injury, there is a need to educate coaches and athletic trainers on the purpose of the FIFA 11+ program and how to perform the exercises correctly.

The Size and Scope of Collegiate Athletic Training Facilities and Staffing.

CONTEXT: Athletic training facilities have been described in terms of general design concepts and from operational perspectives. However, the size and scope of athletic training facilities, along with staffing at different levels of intercollegiate competition, have not been quantified. OBJECTIVE: To define the size and scope of athletic training facilities and staffing levels at various levels of intercollegiate competition. To determine if differences existed in facilities (eg, number of facilities, size of facilities) and staffing (eg, full time, part time) based on the level of intercollegiate competition. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: Web-based survey. PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS: Athletic trainers (ATs) who were knowledgeable about the size and scope of athletic training programs. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Athletic training facility size in square footage; the AT's overall facility satisfaction; athletic training facility component spaces, including satellite facilities, game-day facilities, offices, and storage areas; and staffing levels, including full-time ATs, part-time ATs, and undergraduate students. RESULTS: The survey was completed by 478 ATs (response rate = 38.7%) from all levels of competition. Sample means for facilities were 3124.7 ± 4425 ft2 (290.3 ± 411 m2) for the central athletic training facility, 1013 ± 1521 ft2 (94 ± 141 m2) for satellite athletic training facilities, 1272 ± 1334 ft2 (118 ± 124 m2) for game-day athletic training facilities, 388 ± 575 ft2 (36 ± 53 m2) for athletic training offices, and 424 ± 884 ft2 (39 ± 82 m2) for storage space. Sample staffing means were 3.8 ± 2.5 full-time ATs, 1.6 ± 2.5 part-time ATs, 25 ± 17.6 athletic training students, and 6.8 ± 7.2 work-study students. Division I schools had greater resources in multiple categories (P < .001). Differences among other levels of competition were not as well defined. Expansion or renovation of facilities in recent years was common, and almost half of ATs reported that upgrades have been approved for the near future. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides benchmark descriptive data on athletic training staffing and facilities. The results (1) suggest that the ATs were satisfied with their facilities and (2) highlight the differences in resources among competition levels.

Creatine Usage and Education of Track and Field Throwers at National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Universities.

The purpose of this study was to analyze the level of creatine use along with the perceived benefits and barriers of creatine use among collegiate athletes who participate in throwing events within the sport of track and field. A total of 258 throwers from National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I institutions completed an online survey regarding creatine. The results provided baseline levels of creatine use and allowed for the analysis of factors related to athletic conference affiliation. Results indicate that creatine use remains to be a common (32.7%) practice among throwers with significantly higher levels of use among Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) conference athletes (44.6%) than Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) conference athletes (28.8%), χ² = 5.505, p = 0.019. The most common reasons for using creatine included a desire to improve/increase: strength (83.3%), recovery time (69.0%), and performance (60.7%). The most common perceived obstacles included contamination/quality control (39.5%), cost (33.3%), inconvenience (16.7%), and cramping (14.3%). A desire for additional education and training was noted through an expression of interest (55.6%) with significantly higher levels of interest from FBS athletes (65.6%) than FCS athletes (52.2%), χ² = 6.425, p = 0.039. However, the athletic departments provide nutritional supplement counseling at only 26.6% of the schools. Although the access to full-time nutritionist counsel was available at 57.3% of the schools, there was a significant difference (χ² = 9.096, p = 0.003) between FBS schools (73.7%) and FCS schools (51.7%).

The current state of NCAA Division I collegiate strength facilities: size, equipment, budget, staffing, and football status.

Strength and conditioning training programs are essential components of athletic performance, and the effectiveness of these programs can be linked to the strength and conditioning facilities (SCFs) used by athletes. The primary purpose of this study was to provide a statistical overview of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I SCFs, equipment and maintenance budget, and the relationship between SCF budget and staffing space, and equipment. The secondary purpose was to note differences in SCFs between those schools with and without football programs. An 84-item online survey instrument, developed with expert input from certified strength professionals, was used to collect data regarding the SCFs in NCAA Division I universities. A total of 110 valid and complete surveys were returned for a response rate of 38.6%. Results of Pearson's χ2 analysis demonstrated that the larger reported annual equipment budgets were associated with larger SCFs (χ2 = 451.4, p ≤ 0.001), greater maximum safe capacity of athletes using the facility (χ2 = 366.9, p ≤ 0.001), increased numbers of full-time coaches (χ2 = 224.2, p ≤ 0.001), and increased number of graduate assistant or intern coaches (χ2 = 102.9, p ≤ 0.001). Based on these data, it can be suggested to athletic administrators and strength and conditioning professionals at the collegiate level that budgets need to be re-evaluated as the number of personnel available to monitor student-athletes and the size and safe capacity of the facility are related to the ability of the strength and conditioning staff to safely and adequately perform their duties.

CSCS certification and school enrollment impacts upon high school strength facilities, equipment, and safety.

The rapid growth and expanding use of high school strength and conditioning facilities (SCFs) creates a need to research and better understand these vital facilities. This study was designed to examine SCFs at the high school level including facility size, equipment, leadership/staffing, and safety. A 70-item online survey instrument, developed with expert input from certified strength professionals, was used to collect data regarding the SCFs in high schools throughout a midwestern state, and was distributed via email to a total of 390 high school athletic directors. Survey respondents (n = 108) all reported the presence of SCFs with 95.4% indicating a dedicated SCF space. A strong positive correlation (r = 0.610, p ≤ 0.001) was determined between the variables of SCF size in square feet and school size measured by total enrollment. Analysis of variance and χ² analyses revealed significant differences in equipment, facility size, and safety factors based on the categorical variables of school size and the presence of certified strength and conditioning specialist (CSCS) leadership. It appears the CSCS's application of their scientific knowledge goes beyond training athletes for the goal of improving athletic performance to actually influence the SCF itself. Athletic administrators at the high school level need to recognize the impact CSCS program leadership can have on the overall quality of the strength and conditioning program and facility.

An examination of preactivity and postactivity stretching practices of crosscountry and track and field distance coaches.

This study sought to determine the effectiveness of coach certification courses in promoting proper preactivity and postactivity stretching practices in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I, II, and III crosscountry programs. Distribution of questionnaires to 770 NCAA Division I, Division II, and Division III programs in the U.S.A. resulted in 111 coaches (88 [78.2%] men and 25 [21.8%] women) participating. Chi-square analyses revealed that noncertified coaches reported significantly greater (χ² = 21.582, p = 0.0174) usage of static stretching alone as their preactivity modality (18.9%, n = 9) vs. their certified counterparts (1.8%, n = 1). In addition, certified coaches reported a higher usage of dynamic flexibility only during the preactivity period (47.4%, n = 27) vs. their noncertified peers (32.4%, n = 16). Coaches were also asked if they allowed for static stretching between interval work and events in track and field, and a significantly higher percentage (χ² = 11.948, p = 0.0177) of noncertified coaches (45.5%, n = 23) reported allowing the athletes to perform static stretches between intervals at practice than certified peers (37.9%, n = 22). These significant differences help demonstrate that coaching certification courses are an effective tool for communicating current information about stretching practices. However, the results also revealed that there are still many certified coaches who are not implementing best practices in preactivity routines.

An examination of preactivity and postactivity stretching practices of NCAA division I, NCAA division II, and NCAA division III track and field throws programs.

The purpose of this study is to determine the pre- and postactivity stretching practices of Division I, II, and III track and field throws programs. A 33-item survey instrument was developed to collect data regarding the warm-up and flexibility practices at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I (n = 320), Division II (n = 175), and Division III (n = 275) universities. A total of 135 surveys were completed for a 17.5% return rate, and although the response rate was generally low, it did mirror the distribution percentages of the 3 divisions. Significant differences were found for the level of United States Track and Field (USATF) certification and the use of static stretching (SS) between throws (χ = 6.333, p = 0.048). Significance was also found for the USATF certification level and athletic trainer (AT) assistance in performing SS (χ = 13.598, p = 0.01). Significant differences were also found for the NCAA division levels and the use of soft tissue mobilization (χ = 5.913, p = 0.026). Although research supports dynamic warm-up/stretching over other forms of preactivity protocols, it seems that some track-and-field throws coaches are reluctant to completely discontinue preactivity SS. The results of this study suggest that it is necessary for track and field throws coaches to reevaluate their own practices, perhaps better aligning them with current research findings.