53 research outputs found
Fysisk aktivitet i barne- og ungdomsidretten
Get PDF-I denne undersøkelsen studeres utøvernes fysiske aktivitetsnivå i organisert idrett. Utvalget består av jenter og gutter i alderen 9 til 17 år. Utøverne er fordelt på 10 treningsgrupper i fire idrettsgrener. Det er gjennomført 283 målinger på 29 treninger. Data er innsamlet ved at utøverne hadde på seg akselerometer gjennom treningene.
Resultatene viser et høyt aktivitetsnivå på treningene. Enkelte av trenerne mente at utøverne var noe mer aktiv på de treningene vi observerte, sammenlignet på andre treninger. Dataene viser store individuelle forskjeller i aktivitetsnivået. Dette skyldes flere forhold som; utøverne er i ulik form, alle viser ikke lik stor innsats (i forhold til egen form), ulike tekniske forutsetninger for å være aktiv og ulik forståelse av hva som skal vektlegges mest i de ulike øvelsene.
Det er ikke riktig å sammenligne aktivitetsnivået mellom ulike idretter og ulike treningsgrupper. For det første vektlegges ikke den fysiske delen av treningen like mye i alle idretter og treningsgrupper. For det andre gir ikke akselrometeret like godt bilde på den fysiske arbeidsbelastningen ved alle typer aktivitet. I aktiviteter hvor utøverne har jevn hastighet (eks. ski og lengre løp) gir akselometeret mindre utslag enn i aktiviteter med retnings- og hastighetsendringer (eks. fotball og håndball).
Med tanke på utøvernes fysiske form og idrettslige prestasjoner i de fleste idretter, er det viktig at en finner det riktige fysiske aktivitetsnivået på treningene. Disse resultatene bidrar til mer kunnskap om hvordan ulike former for trening påvirker utøvernes aktivitetsnivå. Resultatene viser også behov for å tilpasse treningene til den enkelte utøver – det er store variasjoner i en treningsgruppe.
Etter hvert håper vi at en i dette prosjektet får anledning til å se nærmere på sammenheng mellom utøvernes ferdighetsutvikling og den fysiske aktiviteten på treningene. I den sammenheng er det viktig å være oppmerksom på at for sterkt fokus på intensitet kan ha utilsiktede virkninger
The balancing act of combining school and football in the transition from a non-professional club into junior-elite academy football
Get PDFFootball players in the transition from junior-to-senior are usually involved in dual careers, combining school and football – a process that makes them dependent on a holistic talent-development journey. The aim of the current study was to describe how male junior elite football players (N=10; 5=living at home, 5=living away from home) perceived stressors in the transition from a non-professional club into a junior elite academy. Furthermore, the school transition (between lower- and upper-secondary school) and social transition (based on the school and football transitions) as a consequence of the football transition into academy football. Based on Wylleman and Lavallee’s (2004) and Stambulova’s (2003) models, the data were analysed based on the following three levels in the transitions: athletic, academic - and psycho-social. The main perceived stressors in the football transition (athletic level) were new performance demands, which impacted them both physically (e.g., quality of training) and psychologically (e.g., self-esteem and well-being). Perceived stressors in the school transition (academic level) were related to increased academic workload and expectations, and academic achievement. Perceived stressors related to the social transition (psycho-social level) among the players that have chosen to live away from home were new roommates and doing more housework, even though they adapted quickly to the new requirements. Both groups highlighted the importance of having a social network (friends, leisure activity) outside of football, so they got to relax and not always think about football or school. The study findings suggest that maintaining dual careers introduces stressors for most players – independent of living at home or away from home.publishedVersio
Differences in coaching feedback between coaches of junior elite soccer players and junior amateur soccer players
Get PDFThe verbal feedback given to junior soccer players potentially heading to a professional career is essential for technical and tactical skill development. The aim of this study is to examine whether differences exist in feedback between coaches of junior elite soccer teams and coaches of junior amateur soccer teams. The coaches of a junior elite soccer team and a junior amateur soccer team in Norway were observed and filmed during eight training sessions. Our measurements of verbal feedback (537 observations) were categorised based on frequency, valence, direction and timing. No differences in the number of feedback sequences or timing of feedback were detected. However, the coaches of junior elite soccer players spent more time providing feedback and gave more individual feedback, and their feedback was more positive, concrete and reflective than that of the coaches of the junior amateur soccer players.publishedVersio
Talent development abroad. Young football players’ experiences and challenges on being recruited to English academies
Get PDFThe aim of the current study was to gain insight into talented Norwegian football players who made a club transfer to an English football academy, by investigating the players’ choice of academy, main challenges upon arrival, how they settled in both athletically and socially and their day-to-day life in the academy. Eight Norwegian players registered in an English professional football academy between the ages of 16 and 18 years were interviewed in retrospect. The challenges that the players met were mostly related to their efforts to develop as players, such as going into an extremely high-performance environment, which was quite different from what they perceived in their original club. Even though the transfer to an English professional club seemed like the natural choice to make, the players experienced a cultural shock not just athletically, but also socially and emotionally in their everyday life in a host family.Talent development abroad. Young football players’ experiences and challenges on being recruited to English academiespublishedVersio
Self-regulation and performance among elite youth soccer players: the role of approach-avoidance motivation
Get PDFIntroduction and methodsThis study aimed to investigate the motivational processes behind self-regulated learning and performance among 192 soccer players (82 girls) for three age groups (14–16 years old) eligible for the Norwegian national football team. A conditional process model was proposed and tested with achievement goals as mediators between achievement motives on the one hand and coach-reported performance and self-regulated learning on the other hand. The probability of success was examined as a potential moderator in the motivational process.ResultsAs predicted, motives to achieve success directly influenced planning and reflection/evaluation, whereas the influence of the success motive on regulation of effort was explained partly by task- and self-based approach goals. The motive to achieve success was, however, particularly crucial for maintaining these beneficial regulatory processes when the probability of success was found to be from moderate to low. Concerning the avoidance paths, the data supported only some of our original hypotheses. The motive to avoid failure predicted all three types of avoidance-based (task, self, and other) and other-based approach goals but did not contribute to explaining planning, reflection/evaluation, regulation of effort, or performance. There were no significant correlations between motivation variables and coach-reported performance. Moreover, girls were more motivated to avoid failure than boys, while both sexes achieved similar scores for football-specific self-regulated learning, probability of success, achievement goals, and motive to achieve success.DiscussionThe results are discussed considering a hierarchical motivation model
Mental processes in professional football players
Get PDFObjectiveClear connections have been found between mental processes and performance in elite level football. Yet, few studies have investigated how professional football players’ experience the influence of mental processes on performance.MethodThis study used a qualitative research design and in-depth interview of six Norwegian professional football players at elite level with a mean age of 28, 3 years and represented five professional clubs. The aim of the study was to investigate how they perceived the importance of arousal regulation, mental toughness, and self-confidence, and that of the sport psychologist in developing these skills.ResultsThe results revealed a complex and multifaceted link between mental processes and performance. All players, demonstrate a conscious awareness of how mental processes influence their performance. The use of a sport psychologist in working with mental processes emerges as a crucial factor for developing their mental skills. Another important aspect is the need for increased knowledge about mental training’s effect in elite football. Mental toughness emerges as the most significant mental process for players’ performance because it makes them capable of coping with challenging situations and periods.ConclusionThis study shows that mental processes are important for performing, both related to arousal regulation, and self-confidence, and especially mental toughness. However, mental toughness was also considered a product of age and experience, where older players tend to have experience of more situations that enable them to handle adversity better than younger players. Interestingly, the youngest players seem to be most aware of the use of a sports psychologist
Norwegian football academy players - Player's self-assessed skills, stress and coach-athlete relationship
Get PDFBackground: Being part of a football academy environment is associated with many advantages. Even so, academy players will also encounter a range of personal and interpersonal challenges that might affect their development, including stress and the coach-athlete relationship. Objective: This study’s purpose was to investigate how football academy players assessed their own skills compared to their teammates, and how this is associated with perceived stressors and their perceived relationship with their coach. Method: Participants (N= 122) represented 3 football academies (12-19 years old). Instruments used were CART-Q and a modified version of the Adolescent Stress Questionnaire. Results: The results showed that the players with high-perceived skill reported a higher amount of self-organized training, more playing time, and a lower level of performance stress compared to the low perceived skill players. The results also indicate that the players perceived they had a close coach-athlete relationship and a low level of stress. Conclusion: The results suggest that low perceived skill players should receive equitable focus from coaches, especially related to their performance stress.submittedVersionpublishedVersionNivå
Embedded, embodied, enculturated, and enabling processes : The identification and evaluation of sporting talent by ice hockey coaches in Norwegian youth national teams
Get PDFAuthor's accepted version (postprint).This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Human Kinetics in International Sport Coaching Journal on 21/2/23.Available online: https://doi.org/10.1123/iscj.2022-0058Elite sports systems are characterized by structured attempts to identify, select, and develop talented athletes and to increase the likelihood that athletes will achieve future international success. Studies of such systems have focused mostly on the procedures and measures that are intended to improve talent identification, but less attention has been given to the crucial role of coaches. The aim of this case study is therefore to explore how coaches of Norwegian youth ice hockey national teams identify and evaluate sporting talent within these structured settings. The data were generated using nine semistructured interviews. These interviews included questions about how coaches identify talent and discussions about four hypothetical examples of ice hockey players, each with specific histories and skill sets. Building on recent developments in motor learning research, we contend that coaches identify and select talent using embodied (rather than entirely rational or cognitive) processes. These approaches are embedded in the ebb and flow of situated sports performances, and shaped by the broader and unique cultural settings in which they are situated. The results of this study show that talent identification and evaluation of sporting talent cannot, and should not, be separated from the subjectivities of the coaches themselves or from their individual preferences. The implications of this study for future research, policy, and practice are discussed.acceptedVersio
Talent Development Environments in Football: Comparing the Top-Five and Bottom-Five-Ranked Football Academies in Norway
Get PDFBackground: The aim of this study was to examine junior-elite football players’ perception of their talent development environment by comparing clubs ranked as the top-five and bottom-five in the 2017 Norwegian academy classification. Methods: In total, 92 male junior-elite football players recruited from under-19 teams from five professional football club academies took part in the study. The Talent Development Environment Questionnaire (TDEQ-5; Martindale et al. 2010) was used to measure the players’ perceptions of their team environment. Results: The subscale long-term development focus and support network had the highest score and indicated that they perceived that the environment was high quality with respect to those factors. Players from the top-five-ranked clubs perceived their development environments to be significantly more positive with respect to holistic quality preparation, alignment of expectations, communication and, compared to players from the bottom-five-ranked clubs. Conclusions: The players’ perceptions of the talent development environment seem to be in alignment of the academy classification undertaken by the Norwegian top football association.publishedVersio
Tick-Tock Goes the Biological Clock: Challenges Facing Elite Scandinavian Mother-Athletes
Get PDFAuthor's accepted version (postprint).This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Human Kinetics Journals in
Elsevier in Women in Sport & Physical Activity Journal on 21/8/2023.Available online: https://doi.org/10.1123/wspaj.2022-0094Challenges facing mother-athletes (MAs) have aroused research and media attention in recent years, with an increasing number of sportswomen attempting to successfully combine pregnancy and motherhood with an elite athletic career. The aims of this study were to explore how MA-specific challenges manifest in elite cross-country skiing in Scandinavia and to better understand how female athletes balance their priorities as they initiate, maintain, and/or discontinue their role as a MA. Qualitative data were collected through semistructured interviews with 13 female cross-country skiers from Norway and Sweden. Thematic analyses revealed four MA-specific challenges facing the athletes: (a) Biological clock versus peak performance, (b) Maintaining fitness versus training safely, (c) Receiving support versus facing deselection, and (d) Balancing competing MA demands. Many of the athletes felt pressured into prioritizing either motherhood or athletic excellence, particularly in their early to mid-30s when the window of opportunity for building a family was considered limited. Further, maintaining fitness and training safely during pregnancy were perceived as a challenge, as was balancing the MA role after childbirth. In many cases, athletes felt uncertain about whether they would receive support from their team or federation. Moreover, there were expectations of incompatibility surrounding the MA role. More research and educational efforts to promote MA-specific knowledge, as well as developing structured processes and providing policies to support female athletes, are identified as vital future steps. These measures may prolong athletic careers and enhance well-being for elite female athletes.acceptedVersio
- …
