0000000000244310
AUTHOR
Niilo Konttinen
Vanhemmat moni-ilmeinen vaikuttaja kilpaurheiluun sosiaalistumisessa
Nuorisourheilussa vanhemmat on perinteisesti nähty harrastuksen mahdollistajana. Tutkimukset ovat osoittaneet, että lasten harrastuksen muuttuessa myös vanhempien rooli muuttuu. Mitä intensiivisempi harrastus on, sitä tiiviimmin myös vanhemmat osallistuvat harrastukseen. Vanhemmat on aiempaa vahvemmin tunnustettu nuorisourheilun yhdeksi toimijaksi myös käytännön urheiluelämässä. Tässä artikkelissa tarkastellaan vanhempien roolia ja merkitystä nuorten kilpaurheiluun sosiaalistumisessa. Tutkittavia osa-alueita olivat vanhempien urheilutausta, kokemus vanhempien vaikuttavuudesta ja vanhempien osallistuminen. Tutkimusaineisto muodostui 14–15-vuotiaille kilpaurheilijoille tehdystä kyselystä, joh…
Personal Reasons for Withdrawal from Team Sports and the Influence of Significant others among Youth Athletes
The aim of this study was to identify the main reasons for withdrawal from team sports and to examine the influence of significant others (i.e., coaches, parents, peers, and siblings) in the decision making concerning withdrawal from youth sports. An attempt was also made to compare withdrawal components and the influence of significant others in terms of gender, level of competition and years of involvement in youth sports. The participants in this study were young football (American soccer) (n=397), ice hockey (n=88) and basketball (n=50) players who had terminated their participation in their sports. Principal component analysis was used to reduce the number of withdrawal items and iden…
Kollektiiviset tavoitteet naisten palloilujoukkueissa kilpailukauden alussa
Tavoitteiden on aikaisemmissa tutkimuksissa todettu tehostavan urheilusuorituksia. Enemmistö tutkimuksista on tehty yksilölajeissa, mutta joukkueurheilussa ja varsinkin naisjoukkueissa asetettavista joukkueen yhteisistä kollektiivisista tavoitteista on vain vähän tutkittua tietoa. Tutkimuksessa pyrittiin selvittämään, millaisena naisjoukkueen kollektiiviset tavoitteet näyttäytyvät pelaajille. Pelaajien käsityksiä tarkasteltiin sekä tulostavoitteiden, että suoritus- ja prosessi- eli toimintatavoitteiden näkökulmasta. Tutkimuksessa tarkasteltiin, kuinka yhtenäinen käsitys joukkueiden sisällä vallitsi yhteisestä tulostavoitteesta. Toisena tavoitteena oli tarkastella sitä, mitkä 25:stä toiminta…
Shot placement within cardiac cycle in junior elite rifle shooters
Abstract Objectives This study examined the timing of the trigger pull in relation to the cardiac cycle during skilled precision shooting. Methods Electrocardiogram was recorded from 20 junior level competitive air-rifle shooters in two separate sessions. The testing was conducted at an indoor shooting range using an optoelectronic shooting system. The experimental task was to fire a shot in the standing position at a distance of 10 m from the target. Results The results showed that the junior level shooters fired more often during the phase of 10–15% of the R wave-to-R wave (R–R) interval. With regards to the accuracy of performance, there was not any optimal location for triggering in the…
Adherence to an Injury Prevention Warm-Up Program in Children’s Soccer : A Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Controlled Trial
This study examined the impact of high adherence to a neuromuscular training (NMT) warm-up on the risk of lower extremity (LE) injuries in children’s soccer. Twenty U11–U14 youth clubs (n = 92 teams, 1409 players) were randomized into intervention (n = 44 teams) and control (n = 48 teams) groups. The intervention group was advised to perform an NMT warm-up 2 to 3 times a week for 20 weeks. Team adherence, injuries, and exposure were registered throughout the follow-up. Primary outcomes were the incidence of soccer-related acute LE injuries and the prevalence of overuse LE injuries. Intervention teams conducted mean 1.7 (SD 1.0) NMT warm-ups weekly through follow-up. The seasonal trend for a…
Task and Ego Goal Orientations across the Youth Sports Experience
Since the late 1980s, Achievement Goal Theory (AGT) has flourished in the competitive sports research across all age groups. One central proposition is the undifferentiated conception of ability exist until approximately 12 years of age. Given the volume of AGT age-specific studies, quantitative analysis of available youth studies allows for examining whether the goal orientations (i.e., task and ego) scores change based on age (i.e., undifferentiated to the differentiated conception of ability). Hence, the purpose of this quantitative based review was to determine whether task and ego orientation values differ based on age. To achieve our objective, we conducted a meta-analysis with 16 stu…
Objectively assessed vigorous physical activity and motor coordination are associated in 11‐year old children
This cross‐sectional study examined the associations between gender, sports club (SC) participation, physical activity (PA), motor coordination (MQ) and object control skill (TC). 11 year‐old children (n = 477) wore accelerometers during seven consecutive days for the analysis of moderate PA (MPA) and vigorous PA (VPA). To detect motor competence (MC), children's motor coordination was measured using the KTK (MQ), and object control skill with throw‐and‐catch task (TC). Sports club (SC) status was obtained by a questionnaire. Boys had higher levels of MPA (F = 50.45, P<0.001) and VPA (F = 11.13, P = 0.001), and were better in TC (F = 39.83, P < 0.001) than girls. SC participants outperforme…
Development and validation of the Perceived Game-Specific Soccer Competence Scale
The objective of this study was to create a valid, self-reported, game-specific soccer competence scale. A structural model of perceived competence, performance measures and motivation was tested as the basis for the scale. A total of 1321 soccer players (261 females, 1060 males) ranging from 12 to 15 years (13.4 ± 1.0 years) participated in the study. They completed the Perceived Game-Specific Soccer Competence Scale (PGSSCS), self-assessments of tactical skills and motivation, as well as technical and speed and agility tests. Results of factor analyses, tests of internal consistency and correlations between PGSSCS subscales, performance measures and motivation supported the reliability an…
The role of leadership in a national team’s success
Every elite football team wants to maximize their success. Especially in international football, smaller footballing countries need to perform well as underdogs when pursuing qualification to the group stage phase of international tournaments. With limited player options, development of leadership within the team might be one solution to achieve better results. The purpose of this study was to find out team members’ perceptions on what kind of leadership behaviours and leadership structures occur in a men’s football national team participating in the UEFA Euro 2020 and how those are connected to the team’s success. Due to the precise nature of the target sample, we applied a qualitative app…
Brain Slow Potentials and Postural Sway Behavior During Sharpshooting Performance.
In the present study, the relation of preparatory brain slow potentials (SPs) to postural body sway during sharpshooting performance was examined. SPs from frontal, left-central, and right-central areas were recorded from 6 elite and 6 non-elite sharpshooters during a realistic simulated shooting task. A force platform technique was used in the recording of postural sway. The results showed that body sway, as indexed by sway amplitude and mean velocity, was associated with the concomitant SP changes. That relationship was dependent on the shooter's expertise level, however. The main finding among the elite shooters was that the reduced amplitude of body sway coincided with reduced frontal p…
The role of sport-specific play and practice during childhood in the development of adolescent Finnish team sport athletes
This study sought to understand the role of sport-specific play and practice in the development of adolescent team sport athletes in the Finnish sports development system. Participants were male, 15-year-old soccer (n = 141), ice hockey (n = 204), and basketball (n = 96) players, divided into three groups based on the amount of sport-specific play and practice experienced during childhood. Data were collected with sport-specific inventories of practice history, tactical skills, psychological skills, and sport-specific skill test. Results showed that athletes with more sport-specific play and practice during childhood had more sport-specific play and practice during adolescence, better techn…
Identifying technical, physiological, tactical and psychological characteristics that contribute to career progression in soccer
This study sought to examine which technical, physiological, tactical and psychological characteristics at age 15 years contribute to successful soccer performance at age 19 years. Participants were male soccer players ( n = 114; mean age 15.4 ± 0.3 years), divided into elite and sub-elite groups based on their performance level at age 19 years. Technical, physiological, tactical and psychological characteristics were recorded when players were 15-year olds. Binary logistic regression analysis showed that performance level at age 19 was clearly associated with technical skills of passing and centering as well as agility and motivation levels recorded at age 15 years. These results extend o…
Rifle-balancing in precision shooting:behavioral aspects and psychophysiological implication
This study investigated sharpshooters' strategies to control their rifle stability during the aiming period. Six elite and six pre-elite shooters completed a simulated realistic shooting task (laser rifle), and their performance was evaluated from behavioral and psychophysiological perspectives. The analysis of the rifle's barrel movement, indexing the shooter's behavioral performance, supported the view that rifle-balancing is an essential determinant of superior shooting performance. The psychophysiological data, i.e. the brain slow potentials, suggested that the shooters applied different rifle-hold strategies; the elite shooters concentrated primarily on achieving a stable rifle positio…
Brain slow waves preceding time-locked visuo-motor performance.
According to previous findings (Konttinen and Lyytinen, 1992), the slow brain negativity preceding the trigger pull in rifle‐shooting tends to be decreased in successful shots among experienced marksmen, whereas no such pattern is found among inexperienced subjects. This effect was interpreted as resulting mainly from optimal arousal. However, another explanation is examined here. The aim of the experiment was to investigate slow electrocortical changes associated with motor regulation and visual aiming related to shooting performance. Four variations on a shooting task were used, in which the visual and motor components were contrasted. Motor activity related to gun stabilization was found…
Brain Slow Potentials Reflecting Successful Shooting Performance
Preparatory brain activity from frontal, centro-lateral, and occipital areas were recorded from top-level rifle shooters during shooting performance. The aim of the study was to examine the relation of brain slow potentials to qualitative (rifle holding) and quantitative (hit) aspects of superior shooting performance. For this purpose, a typology of slow potentials (SPs) was developed. The resulting SP types were used for unraveling the associations between the electrocortical activity and behavioral output. The main finding was that frontal positivity was associated with successful performance, but only if the central-right SP was more negative than the central-left one. This finding was e…
Perceived goal setting practices across a competitive season
Goal setting is an effective and frequently used tool for performance enhancement in sports. However, in the previous studies, the focus has been on goal effectiveness among individual male athletes and at one point in time. Therefore, the purpose of this longitudinal study was to examine goal setting practices in women’s sport teams across a competitive season from players’ individual and team perspectives. A total of 146 female players representing 24 teams in ice hockey, ringette, or floorball completed three online surveys. Surveys focused on setting outcome, process, and performance goals, as well as evaluating the follow-through of setting goals and actually reaching these goals acro…
Tavoiteristiriita ja kiinteys : tapaus- ja seurantatutkimus yhdestä naisten SM-tason ringettejoukkueesta
Joukkuetavoitteita tutkittaessa lähtökohtana on ollut, että kaikki pelaajat mieltävät yhteisen tavoitteen samalla tavalla. Yhdessä tutkimuksessa kuitenkin havaittiin että useassa joukkueessa vallitsi erilaisia käsityksiä yhteisestä tavoitteesta, joten ilmiö saattaa olla oletettua yleisempi. Tässä tutkimuksessa tarkastellaan yhtä naisten SM-sarjassa pelannutta ringettejoukkuetta, jossa vallitsi pelaajien kesken ristiriitainen käsitys tulostavoitteesta koko kauden ajan. Tämän määrällistä ja laadullista aineistoa sisältävän tapaus- ja seurantatutkimuksen tarkoituksena on kuvata ja ymmärtää pelaajien ristiriitaisia käsityksiä yhteisestä tavoitteesta. Joukkueen pelaajat (N=20) vastasivat kolmeen…
Sports club participation impact on motor competences, dispositional goal orientations, and perceptions of school-based physical education among Finnish third-grade children
Across the world, youth sports clubs are prominent and the main opportunity for engaging children and youth in physical activities. The primary purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of sports club participation on actual and perceived motor competences, achievement goal perspectives, and perceptions of school physical education among Finnish third-grade children. Participants were 114 girls and 100 boys (N = 214). All children were 10-years-old, or they would turn 10-years-old during the year of data collection. The participants, based on their involvement or non-involvement in their local sports clubs, fit into four subgroups. The subgroupings were ‘never’ participated in a s…
Joukkuelajeja harrastavien nuorten urheilupolut
Lasten ja nuorten tavoitteellinen valmennus alkoi urheiluseuroissa 1970-luvulla (Itkonen 2003, 340). Urheiluseuratoiminnan suosio on ollut näihin päiviin asti kasvava. Suosituimpia urheilulajeja ovat joukkuepalloilulajit. (Kansallinen liikuntatutkimus 2009–2010, 16.) Urheilun ja liikunnan parissa muodostuu myös jokaiselle harrastajalle oma harrastushistoriansa, jossa on sekä yksilöllisiä että yhteisiä piirteitä. Urheileminen ja liikunnan harrastaminen muodostavatkin elämänkulkuun oman, kyseiseen elämänalueeseen rajatuvan polun. Tätä voidaan kutsua urheilupoluksi. (Aarresola 2015) Tässä artikkelissa pureudumme joukkueurheilulajeja harrastavien nuorten urheilupolkuihin. Aineistona käytämme se…
Neuromuscular Training Warm-up Prevents Acute Noncontact Lower Extremity Injuries in Children’s Soccer : A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial
Background: Prevention of sports injuries is essential in youth, as injuries are associated with less future physical activity and thus greater all-cause morbidity. Purpose: To investigate whether a neuromuscular training warm-up operated by team coaches is effective in preventing acute lower extremity (LE) injuries in competitive U11-U14 soccer players. Study Design: Randomized controlled trial; Level of evidence, 1. Methods: Twenty top-level U11 to U14 soccer clubs in Finland were randomized into intervention and control groups and assessed for 20 weeks. Participants included 1403 players (280 female, 1123 male; age range, 9-14 years): 673 players (44 teams) in the intervention group and …
Timing of Triggering in Relation to the Cardiac Cycle in Nonelite Rifle Shooters
This study investigated the timing of the trigger pull in relation to the cardiac cycle during air rifle shooting. Electrocardiogram) was recorded from 20 male nonelite rifle shooters in two separate testing sessions. The testing was conducted at an indoor shooting range using an optoelectronic shooting system. Each participant fired a shot in the standing position at a distance of 10 m from the target. The results showed that compared to random triggering, the shooters fired more often during the phase of 10-50% of the R wave-to-R wave (R-R) interval and less often during the phase of 50-90%. With regard to performance accuracy, the participants exhibited average or above average performan…
Development of perceived competence, tactical skills, motivation, technical skills, and speed and agility in young soccer players
The objective of this 1-year, longitudinal study was to examine the development of perceived competence, tactical skills, motivation, technical skills, and speed and agility characteristics of young Finnish soccer players. We also examined associations between latent growth models of perceived competence and other recorded variables. Participants were 288 competitive male soccer players ranging from 12 to 14 years (12.7 ± 0.6) from 16 soccer clubs. Players completed the self-assessments of perceived competence, tactical skills, and motivation, and participated in technical, and speed and agility tests. Results of this study showed that players' levels of perceived competence, tactical skill…