Fit to Race: Identifying the balance, type and sources of knowledge in fitness for Motorsport

In Motorsport, due perhaps to a lack of empirical evidence, it is not always clear what fitness training is required and what roles specific fitness components play, particularly outside the elite levels. Consequently, drivers and their trainers are often left to their own devices, placing reliance on anecdotal information. Accordingly, using a large sample of racing drivers, coaches and fitness trainers, the aim of this investigation was to identify the perceived importance and contribution of fitness components, the sources of information used to reach these conclusions and levels of confidence in the views reported. Survey data from 166 drivers (151 males, 15 females) showed that, in general, cardiovascular fitness, upper body strength, coordination and reactions were perceived as being the most important. Data on sources of information used supported the conjecture that training can often be based on “word of mouth”. Despite a fairly high level of confidence in the views expressed, there is clearly a significant opportunity for practitioners working within Motorsport to provide clearer, proven information so that drivers can feel confident that they are training optimally

Did the Relative Age Effect Change Over a Decade in Elite Youth Ski Racing?

The relative age effect (RAE) represents an asymmetry in birth quarter distribution, favoring athletes born early in the selection year and discriminating against late born athletes. The RAE was proven to be present in all age categories of national and international levels of alpine ski racing. Due to the existence of the RAE in all categories, it can be assumed that a selection error takes place favoring early born and early maturing youth ski racers. However, whether selection strategies have changed during the last years due to the high amount of research done in this field, has not been investigated so far in this sport. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to assess whether the magnitude of the RAE in youth ski racers aged 10-14 years has changed during the last decade by comparing the periods 2005-2009 (“former” athletes) and 2015-2019 (“current” athletes). Pupils of a well-known skiing-specific secondary modern school as well as members of the provincial ski team, who all competed at national levels, were included in the study. Next to the birth months, anthropometric characteristics (body height, weight, body mass index) were assessed. Chi-square tests were used to compare differences between the observed and expected relative age quarter distributions across five age categories (U11-U15). Additionally, Kruskal-Wallis-H-Tests were performed to assess differences in anthropometric characteristics between athletes of the four relative age quarters. Mann-Whitney U-Tests were performed to assess possible differences in anthropometric characteristics between former and current ski racers. A highly significant RAE was present in both former [[chi]2(3, 764) = 60.36; p < 0.001; [omega] = 0.31] and current youth ski racers [[chi]2(3, 702) = 43.13; p < 0.001; omega = 0.29] with an over-representation of athletes of Q1 (30.3-34.2%) and a clear under-representation of athletes of Q4 (14.8-15.0%). Generally, results indicated no change in the magnitude of the RAE in youth alpine ski racing over the past 10-15 years, emphasizing the robust nature of this phenomenon. No significant differences were found in any of the anthropometric characteristics between athletes of the four relative age quarters in both former and current athletes, indicating that relatively younger athletes of the last relative age quarter seem to have to have advanced anthropometric characteristics for being selected. Changes in the talent selection process should be performed to reduce the impact of the RAE.(VLID)4590797Version of recor

Maturity status influences the relative age effect in national top level youth alpine ski racing and soccer

Since the relative age effect (RAE) characterizes a problem in all age categories of alpine ski racing and soccer and the fact that, yet, to date the underlying factors have not been well investigated, the aim of the present study was to assess the influence of the biological maturity status on the RAE among youth alpine ski racers (YSR) and soccer players (SP).In total, 183 male and female YSR selected for national final races and 423 male SP selected for Elite Youth Development Centres were investigated. Additionally, a comparison group of 413 non-athletes was evaluated. The birth months were split into four relative age quarters. The biological maturity status was assessed by the age at peak height velocity (APHV) method; according to the M+/-SD of the comparison group, the athletes were divided into normal, early and late maturing. Chi2-tests indicated a significant RAE among YSR ([chi]2(3,N = 183) = 18.0; p<0.001; [omega] = 0.31) and SP ([chi]2(3,N = 423) = 33.1; p<0.001; [omega] = 0.28). In total, only a small number of late maturing athletes were present (0.5-2.3%). Among relatively younger athletes, high percentages of early maturing athletes were found (43.1-43.3%).The findings indicate that relatively younger and less mature athletes are marginalized or totally excluded in alpine ski racing and soccer. Thus, selection criteria in both sports are effectively based on early biological development and relatively older age, both of which should be considered in future in the talent selection process. In this context, the easy feasible method of assessing the APHV can be used.(VLID)3081003Version of recor

Are today’s young top players the stars of tomorrow?

As access to justice strategies evolve and expand, with user-centric, multifaceted, and more holistic approaches that seek to better match legal need and capability, and as the justice system sits on the cusp of digital transformation, empirical methods and measures that mirror evolving strategies are vital. Evolved empirical methods and measures are needed to not only assess access to justice, but also to learn “what works” to meet diverse legal need and capability across the community. Better, more effective, and cost-efficient access to justice appears to rest, at least in part, on improved ability to monitor diverse legal need and capability across the community: from differential legal need to differential justice system use and outcomes. In particular, how much “legal” do different people need to enjoy access to justice? If the justice system is intended to do justice, there is relatively thin user-centric evidence demonstrating how much “legal” is enough. Improved measures of legal need and capability, and of justice system outcomes, will not only help assess access to justice, but design of user-centric legal assistance and justice system processes. This Article draws on several access to justice challenges and considers three sources of empirical evidence of individual access to justice and legal need—access to justice and legal needs surveys, justice system administrative data and evaluative research efforts—to examine how empirical legal studies can throw new light on important access to justice questions. Without improved ability to monitor and measure legal need, capability and outcomes, ability to assess access to justice, user-centric policy reforms, and learn “what works” to effectively and efficiently meet that legal need is likely to remain stunted. How much legal do people need to meet legal needs and enjoy access to justice? And how can we know? Learning “what works” to build foundational legal capability and effective pathways to justice are critical to the design of effective and efficient justice systems that mirror community legal needs and problem-solving behavior. The shift to a user-centric, bottom-up, multifaceted, and holistic approach to access to justice, to better cater to diverse legal need and capability, requires a commensurate user-centric shift in assessing access to justice