Sport specialization in Swedish football players: Investigating a model of antecedents and outcomes.

Drawing on data from the present and former football players (N = 1026) selected to a national football talent programme at the age of 15, this study explores a model of sport specialisation. We examined three specific aspects of sport specialisation including early football specialisation, participation in youth elite football training environments (i.e. academies) and enrolment in upper secondary football specialisation schools. Antecedents of these sport specialisation factors included gender (i.e. sociocultural), grit (i.e. personality) and perceptions of family finances (i.e. social). Outcomes focused on adult football participation at the age of 21 including elite skill acquisition (i.e. playing elite football) and personal development (i.e. participation in non-elite football). Findings revealed that females were less likely to gain access to elite football training or school specialisation environments. There was also a positive association between grit and participation in elite training environments. In terms of outcomes, players, who got trained in elite training environments during adolescence, were twice as likely to play elite football at the age of 21, while those who attended football specialisation schools were more likely to participate in non-elite football at the age of 21. Early specialisation was not associated with either adult participation outcome. This is one of the few studies to date addressing diverse antecedents and outcomes of sport specialisation factors. Understanding how sport specialisation practices relate to future skill acquisition and personal development can provide guidance for maximising the benefits of youth sport programming.HighlightsGirls had less opportunity to participate in elite training environments and school football classes.Early specialisation was unrelated to elite football participation at the age of 21.Participation in youth elite training increased the likelihood of elite status as an adult.Need for closer examination of sport specialisation disparities for female players.

Can Talented Youth Soccer Players Who Have Undergone Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Reach the Elite Level?

BACKGROUND: Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) ruptures are common in soccer players, and reconstructive surgery is often performed to restore knee stability and enable a return to play. PURPOSE: To investigate whether an ACL reconstruction for talented youth soccer players affects their potential to become elite players at the senior level. STUDY DESIGN: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3. METHODS: All soccer players who participated in the Swedish National Elite Camp for 15-year-old players between 2005 and 2011 (N = 5285 players; 2631 boys and 2654 girls) were matched with the Swedish National Knee Ligament Registry to identify the players who had undergone ACL reconstruction. Information on player participation in Swedish league games and level of play was collected from the Swedish Football Association's administrative data system. The players with an ACL reconstruction who were injured at the ages of 15 to 19 years were compared with the rest of the players who participated in the National Elite Camp to see whether an early ACL reconstruction affected whether they remained active as soccer players and their chance to play at the elite level as seniors. RESULTS: A total of 524 (9.9%) players had undergone an ACL reconstruction, and 292 (5.5%; 75 male and 217 female) had sustained their injury at age 15 to 19 years. During the follow-up period, 122 (23.3%) players underwent ACL reconstruction: revision (11.5%; n = 60) or contralateral (11.8%; n = 62). Male and female soccer players undergoing an ACL reconstruction at age 15 to 19 years experienced no significant effect on being active or playing at the elite level in the season that they turned 21 years old. Of the youth players who underwent ACL reconstruction, 12% of the male players and 11.5% of the female players progressed to the elite level at the age of 21 years compared with 10.3% of the men and 11.1% of the women among the uninjured players. CONCLUSION: ACL reconstructive surgery in talented youth soccer players offers them the opportunity to become elite players as seniors and permits an activity level on a par with that of their uninjured peers. However, almost 1 in 4 requires further ACL surgery, so the players' future knee health should be considered when deciding on a return to play.

The efficacy and safety of once-daily mometasone furoate nasal spray in nasal polyposis: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.

CONCLUSION: In subjects with mild-to-moderate nasal polyposis, treatment with mometasone furoate nasal spray (MFNS) 200 microg once daily (QD) significantly decreases nasal congestion, reduces polyp size, and improves quality of life. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of MFNS, administered QD in the morning, in subjects with mild-to-moderate nasal polyposis. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: This randomized, double-blind, double-dummy, placebo-controlled clinical trial enrolled subjects with mild-to-moderate nasal polyposis at 12 centers in Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden. Inclusion criteria were: age > or = 18 years, a diagnosis of bilateral nasal polyps, and clinically significant nasal congestion. Following a 2-4-week run-in period, subjects were randomized to receive MFNS 200 microg QD or matching placebo for 16 weeks. RESULTS: A total of 298 subjects were randomized to treatment. Of those subjects included in the intent-to-treat efficacy analysis (n = 291), a statistically greater proportion of the MFNS group than the placebo group had improvements in investigator-assessed nasal congestion score between baseline and end point (the primary outcome) (74.3% vs 46.8%; p < 0.001). Significant benefits of MFNS were also seen for secondary end points, including polyp size, sense of smell, peak nasal inspiratory flow, therapeutic improvement, and quality-of-life measures. MFNS was well tolerated, with no unusual or unexpected adverse events.