Notational Comparison Analysis of Outdoor Badminton Men’s Single and Double Matches

The objectives of this study were to determine the results of the analysis of single and double outdoor badminton men’s matches and to determine the relationship between technical and tactical aspects in a study organized by the BWF (Badminton Word Federation), on a sand surface. Twenty men’s singles matches were recorded using video cameras and analysed with a Dartfish video analysis software package. Along with this, percentages of use of technical elements were analysed by comparing the different modalities. For the single format Lob, Clear, Drop, Smash, Drive were used, different from the double format that used Lob, Clear, Drop, Smash, Drive. The study confirmed the applicability of computerized notation analysis to determine the characteristics of Outdoor Badminton on sand

Imagery use in fencing

The purposes of this study were to: (1) evaluate the motivational and cognitive components of imagery use among fencers, and (2) to determine if these motivational and cognitive components and the use of imagery among fencers is a function of skill level, experience, primary weapon, gender, or handedness. A survey containing the Sport Imagery Questionnaire (SIQ), Imagery Use Questionnaire (IUQ), and a brief demographic questionnaire were distributed to 132 male and 116 female fencers competing in the United States Fencing Association\u27s 2000 Summer Nationals in Austin, TX. Psychometric characteristics of the SIQ were calculated and indicated that most items measured the predicted factors. The data from the SIQ were analyzed using multivariate analysis of variance. The results indicated that, regardless of the individual difference variable analyzed, fencers did not differ in motivational and cognitive components of imagery use. Additionally, trends in the IUQ scores were noted

Analysis of the Variables Influencing Success in Elite Handball with Polar Coordinates

In today’s elite handball, coaching staff seek to know as much as possible about all the details of their sport to gain an advantage by adapting their model of play or by looking for the opponent’s weak points. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyse which variables can influence success in each phase of the match with polar coordinates. Observational methodology was used to analyse success or failure within the nature of handball by means of an ad hoc observation instrument designed and validated for this research. A total of 14 elite men’s handball matches from the 2019–2020 season were analysed. The relationships between success and failure of all behaviours were performed with polar coordinates. The results show that one of the keys to achieving victory in matches is centred on a high level of success in the defensive phase that allows the team to recover the ball and to be able to go on the counterattack to obtain a clear option for a goal. This research allows us to see how we can achieve success in the different phases of the game and improve team performance with these indicators. These results suggest that it is necessary for teams to train at a high pace of play, linking the different phases of the game in order to recover the ball in the defensive phase and attack in the shortest possible time against an unstructured defence to achieve success in the match and the final victory

Studies in modern competitive fencing

Monografia jest zbiorem prac polskich autorów realizujących projekty badawcze dotyczące szermierki. Praca podzielona na jest na trzy części o różnej tematyce. Pierwsza stanowi historyczne wprowadzenie do tematu, druga prezentuje psychologiczne aspekty szermierki, w trzeciej przedstawiono przegląd prac naukowych (badawczych) z zakresu teorii sportu i antropologii. Autorzy są cenionymi specjalistami z zakresu nauk o kulturze fizycznej z szczególnym uwzględnieniem szermierki

Dumb Cities: Spatial Media, Urban Communication, and the Right to the Smart City

A majority of the global population is now concentrated in cities, and the "smart city" model has emerged as the predominant paradigm for contemporary urban development. Employing networked infrastructures and big data for urban governance, the smart city promises innovative solutions for longstanding urban problems—using computer technologies to automate or monitor everything from traffic patterns to voting practices—while also posing new questions and dilemmas for city dwellers. The smart city model reworks traditional notions of urban rights, such as access to housing and public space, by implementing communication technologies that offer new possibilities for connection even as they create conditions for division and unequal access. How do the communication infrastructures deployed in smart city programs alter the communicative functions of urban spaces, and how might critical urban theory be updated in order to account for these emerging technologies? Focusing primarily on Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, this project addresses these questions by investigating policies, practices, and infrastructures mediating civic engagement and urban communication in technologically-driven urban development. I survey several salient examples of smart city approaches including the use of “big data” approaches for urban governance, networked transportation infrastructures, and media interfaces for visualizing and interacting with space. This work focuses especially on how notions of citizenship and civic engagement are constructed in "smart" urban imaginaries, as well as the role of emergent technologies in mediating experiences of space and place. I advance the rhetorical skill and cunning intelligence of mêtis as a conceptual lens for assessing and cultivating an engaged urban citizenship. I argue that rhetorics of “smart” urbanism discursively delegate ideals of civic engagement to technical infrastructures and processes, thereby occluding both longstanding and emergent disparities in urban communities

Data-Driven Analytics for Decision Making in Game Sports

Performance analysis and good decision making in sports is important to maximize chances of winning. Over the last years the amount and quality of data which is available for the analysis has increased enormously due to technical developments like, e.g., of sensor technologies or computer vision technology. However, the data-driven analysis of athletes and team performances is very demanding. One reason is the so called semantic gap of sports analytics. This means that the concepts of coaches are seldomly represented in the data for the analysis. Furthermore, sports in general and game sports in particular present a huge challenge due to its dynamic characteristics and the multi-factorial influences on an athlete’s performance like, e.g., the numerous interaction processes during a match. This requires different types of analyses like, e.g., qualitative analyses and thus anecdotal descriptions of performances up to quantitative analyses with which performances can be described through statistics and indicators. Additionally, coaches and analysts have to work under an enormous time pressure and decisions have to be made very quickly. In order to facilitate the demanding task of game sports analysts and coaches we present a generic approach how to conceptualize and design a Data Analytics System (DAS) for an efficient support of the decision making processes in practice. We first introduce a theoretical model and present a way how to bridge the semantic gap of sports analytics. This ensures that DASs will provide relevant information for the decision makers. Moreover, we show that DASs need to combine qualitative and quantitative analyses as well as visualizations. Additionally, we introduce different query types which are required for a holistic retrieval of sports data. We furthermore show a model for the user-centered planning and designing of the User Experience (UX) of a DAS. Having introduced the theoretical basis we present SportSense, a DAS to support decision making in game sports. Its generic architecture allows a fast adaptation to the individual characteristics and requirements of different game sports. SportSense is novel with respect to the fact that it unites raw data, event data, and video data. Furthermore, it supports different query types including an intuitive sketch-based retrieval and seamlessly combines qualitative and quantitative analyses as well as several data visualization options. Moreover, we present the two applications SportSense Football and SportSense Ice Hockey which contain sport-specific concepts and cover (high-level) tactical analyses

Health implications of judo training

Although current physical activity (PA) guidelines regarding aerobic and anaerobic training are helpful for the population at large, many individuals prefer to engage in alternative forms of PA such as combat sports. As both a martial art and sport, judo is a physically demanding form of PA that potentially offers a novel experience, consequently leading to greater PA adherence. This study aimed to thoroughly search the existing literature to determine the health benefits of judo-specific training. PubMed and Web of Science were searched for original research studies. Only peer‐reviewed studies that examined the effects of judo training in males and females aged 18–35 were included in the study. Out of 507 potentially relevant studies, 84 studies met our inclusion criteria and were further analyzed. Data showed that judo athletes and recreational judo practitioners show above‐average VO2max, improved body composition, increased bone mineral density, and bone mineral content. Judo is associated with a sequence of adaptations in cardiac structure, function, and blood pressure changes. More research is needed to discover if these changes are maladaptive