Gender-based analysis of players’ perceptions of their coach / Análisis en funcion del genero de los jugadores sobre la percepcion que tienen de su entrenador

This study aimed to analyze gender differences in athletes' perception of their coaches' authentic leadership style, perceived justice, competence, and attention to basic psychological needs. A total of 217 soccer and handball players (147 men and 70 women) participated. In contrast to male athletes, female athletes showed higher levels in the selected variables. This study should be helpful for coaches to identify their athletes' different perceptions depending on gender. Consequently, coaches may use a different approach depending on their team’s gender (AU)

El objetivo de este estudio fue analizar en función del género de los jugadores la percepción que tienen de sus entrenadores respecto a su estilo de liderazgo auténtico, justicia percibida, competencia y atención a las necesidades psicológicas básicas. Participaron en el estudio 217 jugadores de fútbol y balonmano (147 hombres y 70 mujeres). Las deportistas de género femenino a diferencias de los de género masculino, mostraron niveles más altos en las variables psicológicas seleccionadas. Este estudio debería ser útil a los entrenadores para reconocer cuales son las percepciones de sus deportistas, y de este modo, poder matizar su intervención en función del género del equipo al cual se entrene (AU)

Evidências adicionais de validade da versão brasileira do Perceived Motivational Climate in Sport Questionnaire (PMCSQ-2) / Further validity evidence of the brazilian version of the Perceived Motivational Climate in Sport Questionnaire (PMCSQ-2) / Evidencias adicionales de validez de la versión brasileña del Cuestionario de Percepción del Clima Motivacional en el Deporte PMCSQ-2

Esta pesquisa teve como objetivo adicionar novas evidências de validade à versão brasileira do Questionário de Percepção de Clima Motivacional no Esporte PMCSQ-2. A amostra foi composta por 1.125 crianças e adolescentes praticantes esporte em projetos sociais (média= 13,80±1,34 anos; 61,1% meninos). A Análise Fatorial Exploratória sugeriu estrutura com dois fatores coerentes: clima motivacional orientado ao ego e à tarefa, conforme hipótese teórica. A Análise Fatorial Confirmatória demonstrou adequação do PMCSQ-2 para avaliação das categorias específicas do clima motivacional: aprendizagem cooperativa, esforço, função importante na equipe, rivalidade entre membros da equipe, reconhecimento desigual e punição para erros. Também foram observados indicadores de invariância do modelo entre meninas e meninos. Os resultados sugerem adequação do instrumento ao contexto de projetos sociais. (AU)

This study sought new validity evidence for the Brazilian version of the Perceived Motivational Climate in Sports Questionnaire (PMCSQ-2). The sample consisted of 1125 children and adolescents (Mage = 13.80±1.34 years, 61.1% boys). All subjects practiced sports. Exploratory Factor Analysis suggested an internal structure composed of two general factors: performance-oriented and mastery-oriented motivational climate, as theoretically hypothesized. Confirmatory Factor Analysis demonstrated the adequacy of the PMCSQ-2 to assess specific categories of the motivational climate: cooperative learning, effort, important role in the team, rivalry among team members, unequal recognition and punishment for mistakes. The invariance of the measurement model between girls and boys was confirmed. These study results suggest the adequacy of the measure in the non-governmental organizations context. (AU)

Esta investigación tuvo como objetivo agregar nuevas evidencias de validez a la versión brasileña del Cuestionario de Percepción del Clima Motivacional en el Deporte PMCSQ-2. La muestra se compuso por 1125 niños y adolescentes deportistas en proyectos sociales en Porto Alegre (promedio = 13.80 ± 1.34 años; 61.1% chicos). El Análisis Factorial Exploratorio sugirió una estructura con dos factores: clima motivacional orientado al ego y la tarea, de acuerdo con la hipótesis teórica. El Análisis Factorial Confirmatorio demostró la idoneidad del PMCSQ-2 para evaluar categorías específicas del clima motivacional: aprendizaje cooperativo, esfuerzo, rol importante en el equipo, rivalidad entre los miembros del equipo, reconocimiento desigual y castigo por errores. Se observaron indicadores de invarianza del modelo de medición entre los sexos. Los resultados indican la adecuación del instrumento para medir la percepción del clima motivacional en el contexto de los proyectos sociales. (AU)

A self-determination theory based investigation of life skills development in youth sport.

This study investigated if basic need satisfaction and frustration mediated the associations between autonomy-supportive and controlling coaching behaviours and participants' development of eight different life skills in youth sport. British sports participants (N = 309, Mage = 14.71) completed measures assessing the study variables. Correlational analyses showed that autonomy-supportive coaching behaviours were positively associated with the satisfaction of participants' three basic needs (autonomy, competence, and relatedness) and their development of all eight life skills, whereas controlling coaching behaviours were only positively related to the frustration of participants' three basic needs. Mediational analyses revealed that satisfaction of all three basic needs combined (total need satisfaction) mediated the associations between autonomy-supportive coaching behaviours and participants' development of the eight life skills. Relatedness satisfaction mediated the associations between autonomy-supportive coaching behaviours and participants' development of all eight life skills except for goal setting; autonomy satisfaction mediated the associations between autonomy-supportive coaching behaviours and participants' time management skills; and competence satisfaction mediated the associations between autonomy-supportive coaching behaviours and participants' goal setting and emotional skills. Based on such findings, coaches should look to display autonomy-supportive behaviours that help to satisfy participants' three basic psychological needs and promote their life skills development in sport.

Sport Participation and Academic Performance in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Physical activity can improve academic performance; however, much less is known about the specific association between sport participation and academic performance, and this evidence has not been synthesized. Our aim was to systematically review and combine via meta-analyses evidence of the association between sport participation and academic performance in children and adolescents. METHODS: We conducted searches of five electronic databases using sport and academic performance related terms. We combined evidence from eligible studies using a structural equation modeling approach to multilevel meta-analysis. RESULTS: From 115 eligible studies, most of which had a high risk of bias (k = 87), we meta-analyzed 298 effect sizes. Overall, sport participation had a small positive effect on academic performance (d = 0.26, 95% confidence interval = 0.09, 0.42). Moderator analyses indicated that sports participation was most beneficial for academic performance when it was at a moderate dose (i.e., 1-2 h·wk-1), compared with no sport or a high dose of sport (3+ h·wk-1). CONCLUSIONS: Sports participation during school hours was more beneficial for academic performance compared with sport participation outside school hours. Based on mostly low-quality studies, we found some evidence that sport could positively affect academic performance in children and adolescents. It appears that sport participation of a moderate dose and at school could be used to promote academic performance. However, if this field were to inform policy, high-quality studies are needed that provide insight into the effect of dose and sport characteristics on academic performance.

Promoting the Participation of Children and Adolescents With Disabilities in Sports, Recreation, and Physical Activity.

The benefits of physical activity are likely universal for all children, including children and adolescents with disabilities (CWD). The participation of CWD in physical activity, including adaptive or therapeutic sports and recreation, promotes inclusion, minimizes deconditioning, optimizes physical functioning, improves mental health as well as academic achievement, and enhances overall well-being. Despite these benefits, CWD face barriers to participation and have lower levels of fitness, reduced rates of participation, and a higher prevalence of overweight and obesity compared with typically developing peers. Pediatricians and caregivers may overestimate the risks or overlook the benefits of physical activity in CWD, which further limits participation. Preparticipation evaluations often include assessment of health status, functional capacity, individual activity preferences, availability of appropriate programs, and safety precautions. Given the complexity, the preparticipation evaluation for CWD may not occur in the context of a single office visit but rather over a period of time with input from the child's multidisciplinary team (physicians, coaches, physical education teachers, school nurses, adaptive recreation specialists, physical and occupational therapists, and others). Some CWD may desire to participate in organized sports to experience the challenge of competition, and others may prefer recreational activities for enjoyment. To reach the goal of inclusion in appropriate physical activities for all children with disabilities, child, family, financial, and societal barriers to participation need to be identified and addressed. Health care providers can facilitate participation by encouraging physical activity among CWD and their families during visits. Health care providers can create "physical activity prescriptions" for CWD on the basis of the child's preferred activities, functional status, need for adaptation of the activity and the recreational opportunities available in the community. This clinical report discusses the importance of participation in sports, recreation, and physical activity for CWD and offers practical suggestions to health care providers.

The Impact of a Short-term Intervention on Adolescent Eating Habits and Nutritional Knowledge.

BACKGROUND: Adequate dietary habits and physical activity during childhood and adolescence may promote growth and cognitive development and contribute to the prevention of chronic disease in later life. School is considered an important social environment that can promote healthy eating habits and life-style changes. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effects of a school-based intervention on nutritional knowledge, eating habits, and physical activity of adolescents. METHODS: We conducted a prospective questionnaire-based study. Anonymous questionnaires were administered at the beginning of the academic year (September 2014) in one high school. During the following year, vending machines containing milk products were installed within the school facility, and students were given two informative nutrition lectures regarding proper nutrition for age, calcium requirement and importance, and physical activity. One active sports day was initiated. At the beginning of the following academic year (September 2015), the students completed the same questionnaires. RESULTS: The study was comprised of 330 teenagers, mean age 15.1 ± 1.39 years, 53% males. Response rate was 83.6% ± 0.4% to multiple choice questions, 60.7% ± 0.5% to multiple section tables, and 80.3% ± 0.9% to open questions. Post-intervention, respondents reported an increase in eating breakfast (57% vs. 47.5%, P = 0.02) and a decrease in purchasing food at school (61.6% vs. 54.3%, P = 0.03). No changes were observed in consumption of milk products, knowledge regarding calcium and vegetable consumption, or sports activities. CONCLUSIONS: Short-term high school-based interventions may lead to improvements in eating habits but are not sufficient for changing nutritional knowledge and physical activity.

Retrospective survey of youth sports participation: Development and assessment of reliability using school records.

Many youths participate in sports, and it is of interest to understand the impact of youth sports participation on later-life outcomes. However, prospective studies take a long time to complete and retrospective studies may be more practical and time-efficient to address some questions. We pilot a retrospective survey of youth sports participation and examine agreement between respondent's self-reported participation with high school records in a sample of 84 adults who graduated from high school between 1948 and 2018. The percent agreement between our survey and the school resources for individual sports ranged between 91.5% and 100%. These findings provide preliminary evidence for the reliability of retrospective self-report of youth sports participation. This survey may serve as an efficient approach for evaluating relationships between involvement in youth sports and health outcomes later in adulthood.

Research on burnout level of juvenile trampolinists and relevant affecting factors / Pesquisa sobre o nível de burnout de trampolinistas juvenis e fatores afetivos relevantes / Investigación sobre el nivel de burnout de los trampolinistas juveniles y los factores afectivos relevantes

ABSTRACT Introduction The paper investigates burnout causes and relevant affecting factors of juvenile trampolinists. Objective With 93 participants aged U10-16 of 2019 National Juvenile Trampoline Championship as investigation objects, to improve the current situation of juvenile burnout, exploring the methodology to alleviate and eliminate it, enhancing the sense of achievement in training and competition and providing a theoretical basis for coaches to train and cultivate athletes. Methods Questionnaire survey, semi-structured interview, mathematical statistics. Results The burnout level of the trampolinists is below the moderate level, and the overall burnout level of athletes is not high; the sense of achievement decrease> negative evaluation of sports>emotional/physical exhaustion; the correlation between the overall level of burnout of athletes and different genders, training age, education stage and athlete level is not significant; in terms of burnout, there are very significant positive correlations(P<0.01) between overload factor, personal factor, and situational factor, and emotional/physical exhaustion, sense of achievement decrease and negative evaluation of sports respectively. Conclusions Strengthen the communication with trampolinists, improve their self-regulation ability in various ways, master the methods to alleviate burnout, and increase social support for them. Level of evidence II; Therapeutic studies - investigation of treatment results.

RESUMO Introdução O artigo investiga as causas do burnout e os fatores que afetam os jovens trampolinistas. Objetivo Ter como objeto de pesquisa 93 participantes de U10-16 do Campeonato Nacional Juvenil de Trampolim 2019, para melhorar a situação atual do burnout juvenil, explorando a metodologia para amenizá-lo e eliminá-lo, potencializando a sensação de realização em treinamentos e competições e proporcionando uma base para os treinadores trabalharem com os atletas. Métodos Questionário de levantamento, entrevista semiestruturada, estatística matemática. Resultados O nível de burnout dos trampolinistas está abaixo do nível moderado e o nível geral de burnout dos atletas não é alto; diminuição da sensação de realização> avaliação negativa de esportes> burnout emocional/físico; a correlação entre o nível geral de burnout dos atletas e os diferentes gêneros, a idade de treinamento, o estágio educacional e o nível do atleta não é significativa; Em termos de burnout, existem correlações positivas altamente significativas (P <0,01) entre o fator de sobrecarga, o fator pessoal e o fator situacional, e burnout emocional/físico, a diminuição do senso de realização e a avaliação negativa dos esportes, respectivamente. Conclusões Fortalecer a comunicação com os trampolinistas, melhorar sua capacidade de autorregulação de várias maneiras, dominar os métodos para aliviar o burnout e aumentar o apoio social para eles. Nível de evidência II; Estudos terapêuticos: investigação dos resultados do tratamento.

RESUMEN Introducción El artículo investiga las causas del burnout y los factores que afectan a los trampolinistas juveniles. Objetivo Con 93 participantes de edades U10-16 del Campeonato Nacional Juvenil de Trampolín 2019 como objetos de investigación, mejorar la situación actual del burnout juvenil, explorando la metodología para aliviarlo y eliminarlo, potenciando el sentido de logro en entrenamientos y competencias y brindando un base para que los entrenadores trabajen con los atletas. Métodos Encuesta por cuestionario, entrevista semiestructurada, estadística matemática. Resultados El nivel de burnout de los trampolinistas está por debajo del nivel moderado y el nivel de burnout general de los atletas no es alto; disminución del sentido de logro> evaluación negativa de los deportes> burnout emocional / físico; la correlación entre el nivel general de burnout de los atletas y los diferentes géneros, la edad de entrenamiento, la etapa educativa y el nivel del atleta no es significativa; en términos de burnout, existen correlaciones positivas muy significativas (P <0,01) entre el factor de sobrecarga, el factor personal y el factor situacional, y el burnout emocional / físico, la disminución del sentido de logro y la evaluación negativa de los deportes, respectivamente. Conclusiones Fortalecer la comunicación con los trampolinistas, mejorar su capacidad de autorregulación de diversas formas, dominar los métodos para aliviar el burnout y aumentar el apoyo social a ellos. Nivel de evidencia II; Estudios terapéuticos: investigación de los resultados del tratamiento.

Composition Factor Analysis and Factor Invariance of the Physical Appearance State and Trait Anxiety Scale (PASTAS) in Sports and Non-Sports Practitioner Mexican Adolescents.

The purpose of the present study was to adapt and validate the Physical Appearance State and Trait Anxiety Scale (PASTAS) for Mexican adolescents, verifying the factor invariance by sports and non-sports practitioners. A sample of 930 Mexican adolescents (46.0% females), aged 11-15 years old, voluntarily participated in the study. A total of 415 participants regularly played sports in a club and/or regularly participated in sports competitions and 515 were non-sports practitioners. The adolescents filled out the trait version of the PASTAS questionnaire, which was previously translated and adapted for Mexican-speaking adolescents following the International Test Commission guidelines. The results of the confirmatory factor analyses showed an adequate measurement model for the original two-factor structure (e.g., GFI = 0.913; RMSEA = 0.078; CFI = 0.943). The internal consistency of the two dimensions was excellent (α and Ω = 0.92-0.93). Additionally, the results of the factorial invariance analyses showed an appropriate fit of the two-structure model (e.g., GFI = 0.96; CFI = 0.98; RMSEA = 0.04) among both sports and non-sports practitioners. The proposed trait version of the PASTAS questionnaire adapted to a Mexican-speaking population shows adequate psychometric properties among Mexican adolescents. The Mexican version of the PASTAS questionnaire supports the original two-factor structure (i.e., factor related to the body weight and factor not related to body weight) among adolescents. Additionally, the factorial invariance analyses support the equivalence of the two-factor structure among both sports and non-sports practitioners.

Coaches, parents, or peers: Who has the greatest influence on sports participants' life skills development?

This study investigated the relationships between the coach, parent, and peer motivational climate and participants' life skills development in youth sport. In total, 308 participants (Mage = 14.67, SD = 2.20) completed a survey assessing the motivational climate (mastery and ego) and their life skills development in sport (teamwork, goal setting, social skills, emotional skills, problem solving and decision making, leadership, time management, and interpersonal communication). Multiple regression analyses found that a peer-created mastery-climate had the strongest positive associations with all eight life skills and total life skills. Coach and parent mastery-oriented climates were also positively related to five of the life skills and total life skills. A parent-created ego-climate had the strongest negative association with all life skills except for goal setting; whereas, a coach-created ego-climate was negatively related to three life skills and total life skills. Contrary to expectations, a peer-created ego-climate was positively associated with three life skills and total life skills. In practice, these novel results suggest that peers have the greatest positive influence on participants' life skills development in sport and all three social agents should be encouraged to create a mastery-climate to help promote participants' life skills development.

Characteristics of Parents Who Feel a Lack of Communication with Coaches of Youth Sports.

Communication between parents and their children's coaches is important for children's sports activities, but the relationship between parents and coaches is not well understood. It is possible that parents feel a lack of communication with coaches, which could be due to parents' experience with sports activities or the social environment of the team. This study aimed to elucidate the characteristics of parents who feel a lack of communication with their children's coaches of youth sports. A cross-sectional study was conducted on parents of young athletes (n = 6,641) and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to assess factors related to parents' feeling of a lack of communication with their children's coaches. Among the respondents, 29.4% of parents felt a lack of communication with their children's coaches. The factors related to the parents' feeling were a shorter duration of their children playing the present sport, an absence of experience playing the same sport as their children or playing in a team with high competition level, dissatisfaction with their children's attitude towards sports activities, and an awareness of verbal and/or physical abuse by the coaches and bullying by the teammates in their children's team. Parents' previous sports experience and awareness of interpersonal violence in their children's team were associated with their feeling of a lack of communication with coaches. Educating parents on the sport and their roles in youth sport is necessary to make appropriate mutual communication between parents and coaches, which could lead to better circumstances for young athletes.

Understanding the impact of COVID-19 on youth sport in Australia and consequences for future participation and retention.

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 continues to represent the single biggest challenge to contemporary community sport globally. Compliance with social distancing policies, strict return-to-play protocols, and COVID-19 specific training has, perhaps, forever changed the way that children and young people engage in organised sport. Within this context, and while many children and families seek to re-engage with community sport, we (researchers and sport practitioners) have an obligation to ask questions about how the pandemic has impacted youth sport, understand the short- and long-term consequences, and explore what (if any) opportunities can be seized to assist and improve future participation and retention. The aim of this paper was to present an in-depth exploration of the impact of COVID-19 on youth sport in South Australia. METHODS: Within an interpretive descriptive methodology, this qualitative investigation draws on rich, individual interview and focus group data with 39 youth (ages 15-18), parents, coaches, and sport administrators. A reflexive thematic analysis was undertaken, leading to the development of four substantive themes. RESULTS: We conceptualised the '4 Rs' to advance theoretical understandings about the pandemic's impact on youth sport, including the themes 'recognising struggle', 'reconnection', 're-engaging after restrictions, and 'reimagining sport'. The themes captured insights about a decline in mental wellbeing and physical activity, an increase in family connectedness, the challenge for sports to attract volunteers and participants back into sport, and the opportunities to reset values and philosophies underpinning the provision of youth sport. CONCLUSION: The findings provide valuable insight into the youth sport setting as a result of the global pandemic and suggest that families, sporting clubs and sporting organisations require additional resources and tools (for example, support for parents to facilitate their children's training at home during lockdown) to aid recovery efforts and to ensure the survival and prosperity of youth sport into the future.

Tackling Mental Health in Youth Sporting Programs: A Pilot Study of a Holistic Program.

Linking mental health services to organised sport offers an avenue to identify and improve mental health among adolescents. In this study, we investigated the efficacy, acceptability and feasibility of an integrated mental health system embedded within a junior sports development program. A three-step integrated mental health program for 12- to 15-year-old rugby league players (N = 74) was delivered in urban (n = 44) and rural (n = 33) areas. Specifically, this system (a) assessed participant mental health on primary outcome measures of anxiety, depression, and anger/conduct problems (and secondary outcome measures of personal attributes and relationships), (b) provided feedback to participants, parents and program coordinators, and (c) connected participants and parents to a multi-component intervention including online resources, a group-based workshop program (4 × 30-min sessions), and tailored individual-level follow-up and referral to further care for participants at high risk of mental health problems. From pre- to post-program, boys' anxiety symptoms declined significantly (with only a trend-level reduction in depression), and there were significant improvements in grit (for urban boys only), efficacy to manage negative emotions, and prosocial behaviour. In addition, when boys reported symptoms associated with high risk for mental health problems, providing parents with feedback enhanced boys' access to care and was associated with significant declines in anxiety symptoms. The program was generally acceptable and feasible, with very high retention in the youth sports development program. Overall, early findings support further deployment and evaluation of integrated mental health systems embedded within sporting contexts to address mental health problems among adolescent boys.

A Bio-Physio-Psychological Investigation of Athletes' Burnout.

Purpose: Changes in biophysiological markers related to perceived burnout and self-comfort were tested in this study. Method: Forty-two student-athletes from middle and high school grades were evaluated for burnout, salivary cortisol levels, measures of arousal-related physiological markers (i.e., blood volume pulse; BVP), galvanic skin response (GSR), and respiratory rate, and self-comfort variables during the last two weeks of the season. Using self-comfort theory as its conceptual framework, we examined burnout through a conceptual model in which feeling of discomfort with the self was related to biophysiological markers affecting perceived burnout. The proposed model was tested by using a partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). Results: The main findings indicate that increased self-discomfort is significantly (p < .001) associated with increased salivary cortisol (ß = - 0.189) along with a significant (p = .050) decrease in GSR (ß = - 0.259). Increased salivary cortisol is significantly (p < .001) associated with increased burnout (ß = 0.242). Conclusion: The findings partially support the model and encourage further effort to capture the burnout syndrome through the integration of biological and psychological markers.

Parameters of cardiac symptoms in young athletes using the Heartbytes database.

Introduction: To determine clinical parameters that are related to abnormal cardiac symptoms in physically active youth. Methods: We used Simon's Heart Heartbytes National Youth Cardiac Registry to collect data from adolescent athletes in southeastern Pennsylvania. We collected age, race/ethnicity, abnormal cardiac symptoms, medical history, medication use, caffeine intake, and family history. We obtained height, weight, blood pressure, cardiac murmur findings, and ECGs. Echocardiogram was obtained if necessary. Binary logistic regression analysis was performed to identify independent associations between abnormal cardiac symptoms and collected variables. The odds ratio (OR), 95% confidence interval (95% CI), and p-values were used as statistical values. Results: Of the 887 athletes (543 males and 344 females, age = 16.9 ± 2.1 years, height = 166.9 ± 11.4 cm, weight = 62.0 ± 16.0 kg), 186 (21%) had abnormal cardiac symptoms including chest pain, passing out, difficulty breathing, extreme fatigue, and heart race. There was an independent association between abnormal symptoms and a past medical history (OR: 4.77, 95%CI: 3.18, 7.17, p = 0.001) and medication use (OR: 1.74, 95%CI: 1.08, 2.79, p = 0.022). In medical history, young athletes with asthma showed a greater propensity of abnormal cardiac symptoms (48.9%) compared to young athletes without (14.0%, p = 0.001). Additionally, young athletes with anxiety or depression demonstrated a higher proportion of abnormal cardiac symptoms (48.9%) than those without (19.5%, p = 0.001). Although the association between the presence of abnormal symptoms and African-American race (OR: 2.04, 95%CI: 0.96, 4.35, p = 0.065) and average daily consumption of at least 2 caffeine drinks (OR: 2.08, 95%CI: 0.86, 5.02, p = 0.103) were not significant, there was a trend to reach the a priori significance level. Conclusions: This study identified several clinical parameters that are associated with symptoms suggestive of abnormal cardiac conditions. Larger studies need to be done to better sort out the clinical history that may contribute to false positives to further reduce false positives at heart screenings.

Exploring the Relations Between Social Support and Social Identity in Adolescent Male Athletes.

Purpose: Social identity (i.e., the strength with which individuals identify with a group) is a key mechanism through which youth sport participants derive developmental benefits. However, despite the importance of one's social identity in promoting these benefits, our understanding of the correlates of social identity within the sport context is limited by the absence of evidence. To address this gap, this study investigated the relations between perceived social support from coaches, family, and friends and social identification. Method: Male adolescent athletes (N = 344) completed measures of social support and social identity as part of a cross-sectional design. Latent profile analysis was used to identify distinct social support profiles. Results: Four latent profiles were identified: higher support, average support, diminished support, and lower support. ANCOVA results indicated that profile membership corresponded to significant differences in social identity perceptions, p < .001, partial η2 = .26. Participants in the higher social support profile perceived significantly higher social identity when compared with profiles of average, diminished, and lower support (ps < .05, Cohen's d ≥.67). Conclusion: Results highlight the association between support from different social agents and social identity in youth sport. Better understanding the correlates of social identity may be critical in enhancing the developmental benefits of participation in organized team sports given the relationship with social identity.

An Intervention for Mental Health Literacy and Resilience in Organized Sports.

PURPOSE: In this study, we tested the effectiveness of a multicomponent sports-based program aimed at promoting early intervention, help seeking, and resilience among a sample of adolescent male sport participants. METHODS: The Ahead of the Game program comprised four intervention components and a messaging campaign. Two components targeted mental health literacy, intentions to seek and provide help, and resilience among adolescent boys. A mental health literacy program for parents and a coach education program to assist in the support of athletes' psychological needs were also included. We evaluated the program using a nonrandomized controlled trial matching two regional communities. In total, 350 sport participants (mean, 14.53 yr) were included in an intervention group, whereas 466 (mean, 14.66 yr) received usual practice in a matched control community. One hundred and eighty parents or caregivers and eight coaches also participated in the intervention components. Between-group mean differences on the primary and secondary outcomes were analyzed using linear mixed models, adjusted for clustering at club level, participant age, and socioeconomic status. RESULTS: Significant positive group-time interactions were found for the primary outcomes of depression and anxiety literacy, intentions to seek help from formal sources, confidence to seek mental health information, and resilience. We also found a significant positive group-time interaction for the secondary outcome of well-being. There were no group-time interactions for social distance (stigma), intentions to seek help from informal sources, implicit beliefs about adversity, perceived familial support, or psychological distress. CONCLUSIONS: Given the high rates of sport participation worldwide and the increasing focus on mental health in this domain, translation and dissemination of the program may be warranted after replication.

The role of growth, maturation and sporting environment on the development of performance and technical and tactical skills in youth basketball players: The INEX study.

In this paper, we outline a systematic testing programme developed to help identify excellence in youth basketball players. We examine the links between biological maturation and training experience with anthropometry, body composition, physical performance, technical and tactical skills from five age-cohorts, and characterize, in detail, facets of their environment. In total, 238 young basketball players aged 11-15 years, clustered into five age-cohorts (11, 12, 13, 14, 15 years) were recruited. We assessed measures across three domains: (1) biological [anthropometry, body composition, biological maturation and physical performance]; (2) skill/game proficiency [technical skills and tactical skills]; and (3) contextual [family support, coach knowledge and competence and club context]. The data were analysed using one-way ANOVAs and multivariate analysis of covariance adjusting for biological maturation and training experience. We report significant differences favouring older basketball players on most biological and skill/game proficiency variables. However, differences between age-cohorts in physical performance and technical skills were mitigated after controlling for the effects of both covariates. In conclusion, our findings highlight the important role of both biological maturation and training experience on youth basketball players' performance and development. We discuss the implications of these findings for research as well as for athletes, parents, coaches and clubs.

The effect of COVID-19 quarantine on physical and social parameters of physical education providers and youth sport coaches.

The potential ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic global shut down on physical education providers and youth sport coaches may be particularly severe due to substantial cutbacks on many of their normal activities. This population faces unique challenges in engaging in "virtual learning" given the physical nature of their job, potentially leading to sedentary lifestyle, weight gain, and the development of depressive mood disorders. This commentary aims to explore options to mitigate worsening of stress, depression, physical inactivity, and social disconnection in youth sport coaches following the guidelines of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and to call attention to this vulnerable demographic which has been substantially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.