Blaming Bill Gates AGAIN! Misuse, overuse and misunderstanding of performance data in sport

Recently in Sport, Education and Society, Williams and Manley (2014) argued against the heavy reliance on technology in professional Rugby Union and elite sport in general. In summary, technology is presented as an elitist, ‘gold standard’ villain that management and coaches use to exert control and by which players lose autonomy, identity, motivation, social interactions and expertise. In this article we suggest that the sociological interpretations and implications offered by Williams and Manley may be somewhat limited when viewed in isolation. In doing so, we identify some core methodological issues in Williams and Manley’s study and critically consider important arguments for utilising technology; notably, to inform coach decision making and generate player empowerment. Secondly, we present a different, yet perhaps equally concerning, practice-oriented interpretation of the same results but from alternative coaching and expertise literature. Accordingly, we suggest that Williams and Manley have perhaps raised their alarm prematurely, inappropriately and on somewhat shaky foundations. We also hope to stimulate others to consider contrary positions, or at least to think about this topic in greater detail. More specifically, we encourage coaches and academics to think carefully about what technology is employed, how and why, and then the means by which these decisions are discussed with and, preferably, sold to players. Certainly, technology can significantly enhance coach decision making and practice, while also helping players to optimise their focus, empowerment and independence in knowing how to achieve their personal and collective goals

Research and Practice in Talent Identification and Development - Some Thoughts on the State of Play

Although there has been considerable growth in talent identification and development research, the mixed quality and lack of applied focus means little has changed in the field. We propose the Performance-Outcome-Process continuum, a structure which examines ideas based on what and how they contribute to the talent development process. Reflecting a pracademic focus we highlight the importance of understanding the processes and mechanisms of development-focused constructs to best bridge the research-practice divide. We suggest a pragmatic approach that prioritises the quality of research and the importance of applied impact; at least in research which claims to be for sport. Lay Summary: To bridge the research-practice divide in Talent Identification and Development, it is important that translational and pragmatic research becomes the norm, with progression from the retrospective studies which have been typical in this domain. Focusing on the processes and mechanisms that generate comprehensive development would seem a logical step especially for investigations that want to make a difference in applied settings

Eating disorders in sport : current status and future directions in the study of the psychological factors

Este trabalho procura atingir dois objetivos. Em primeiro lugar, apresenta-se a situação atual da investigação sobre desordens alimentares no desporto. Neste caso, salientam-se as linhas de investigação dedicadas ao estudo da prevalência destes problemas no desporto e analisam-se as diferenças entre atletas e modalidades desportivas. Dadas as dificuldades destas linhas de investigação na compreensão dos comportamentos alimentares de risco nos atletas, são avançadas outras possibilidades de desenvolvimento da investigação. Assim, e enquanto segundo objetivo deste artigo, salientamos a necessidade dos estudos se dirigirem para a compreensão dos fatores psicológicos associados aos comportamentos alimentares de risco e implicados no desenvolvimento das desordens alimentares. Esta abordagem tem como vantagem adicional ajudar a prevenir estes problemas através da promoção das competências mentais dos atletas no sentido de resistirem melhor aos possíveis efeitos nocivos da prática desportiva, onde se inserem os problemas com a alimentação.This paper focuses on two main goals. In first place, we present the current status on the research about eating disorders in sport contexts. In this case, we point out studies dedicated to the analysis of the incidence of eating disorders in sport and studies that observe the differences between athletes and different sports in the tendency for these problems. Second, we proposed new research directions on this subject, namely the need of analysing the psychological factors that are related with the development of eating disorders on athletes. This research approach has the advantage of helping the prevention of eating disorders on athletes through the promotion of psychological skills that protect athletes from the negative effects of sport practicing, where are included maladaptive eating behaviors.(undefined

Psychological resilience in sport performers: a review of stressors and protective factors

Psychological resilience is important in sport because athletes must utilize and optimize a range of mental qualities to withstand the pressures that they experience. In this paper, we discuss psychological resilience in sport performers via a review of the stressors athletes encounter and the protective factors that help them withstand these demands. It is hoped that synthesizing what is known in these areas will help researchers gain a deeper profundity of resilience in sport, and also provide a rigorous and robust foundation for the development of a sport-specific measure of resilience. With these points in mind, we divided the narrative into two main sections. In the first section, we review the different types of stressors encountered by sport performers under three main categories: competitive, organizational, and personal. Based on our recent research examining psychological resilience in Olympics champions (Fletcher & Sarkar, 2012), in the second section we discuss the five main families of psychological factors (viz. positive personality, motivation, confidence, focus, perceived social support) that protect the best athletes from the potential negative effect of stressors. It is anticipated that this review will help sport psychology researchers examine the interplay between stressors and protective factors which will, in turn, focus the analytical lens on the processes underlying psychological resilience in athletes

Best practice for motor imagery: a systematic literature review on motor imagery training elements in five different disciplines

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The literature suggests a beneficial effect of motor imagery (MI) if combined with physical practice, but detailed descriptions of MI training session (MITS) elements and temporal parameters are lacking. The aim of this review was to identify the characteristics of a successful MITS and compare these for different disciplines, MI session types, task focus, age, gender and MI modification during intervention.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>An extended systematic literature search using 24 databases was performed for five disciplines: Education, Medicine, Music, Psychology and Sports. References that described an MI intervention that focused on motor skills, performance or strength improvement were included. Information describing 17 MITS elements was extracted based on the PETTLEP (physical, environment, timing, task, learning, emotion, perspective) approach. Seven elements describing the MITS temporal parameters were calculated: study duration, intervention duration, MITS duration, total MITS count, MITS per week, MI trials per MITS and total MI training time.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Both independent reviewers found 96% congruity, which was tested on a random sample of 20% of all references. After selection, 133 studies reporting 141 MI interventions were included. The locations of the MITS and position of the participants during MI were task-specific. Participants received acoustic detailed MI instructions, which were mostly standardised and live. During MI practice, participants kept their eyes closed. MI training was performed from an internal perspective with a kinaesthetic mode. Changes in MI content, duration and dosage were reported in 31 MI interventions. Familiarisation sessions before the start of the MI intervention were mentioned in 17 reports. MI interventions focused with decreasing relevance on motor-, cognitive- and strength-focused tasks. Average study intervention lasted 34 days, with participants practicing MI on average three times per week for 17 minutes, with 34 MI trials. Average total MI time was 178 minutes including 13 MITS. Reporting rate varied between 25.5% and 95.5%.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>MITS elements of successful interventions were individual, supervised and non-directed sessions, added after physical practice. Successful design characteristics were dominant in the Psychology literature, in interventions focusing on motor and strength-related tasks, in interventions with participants aged 20 to 29 years old, and in MI interventions including participants of both genders. Systematic searching of the MI literature was constrained by the lack of a defined MeSH term.</p

Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome in West Virginia Substate Regions, 2007- 2013

Purpose—The opioid epidemic is a public health threat with consequences affecting newborns. Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) is a constellation of withdrawal symptoms resulting primarily from in utero opioid exposure. The purpose of this study is to examine NAS and drugspecific trends in West Virginia (WV), where rurality-related issues are largely present. Methods—The 2007–2013 WV Health Care Authority, Uniform Billing Data were analyzed for 119,605 newborn admissions with 1,974 NAS diagnoses. NAS (ICD9-CM 779.5) and exposure diagnostic codes for opioids, hallucinogens, and cocaine were utilized as incidence rate (IR) per 1,000 live births. Findings—Between 2007 and 2013, NAS IR significantly increased from 7.74 to 31.56 per 1,000 live births per year (Z: −19.10, P \u3c .0001). During this time period, opioid exposure increased (Z: −9.56, P \u3c .0001), while cocaine exposure decreased (Z: 3.62, P = .0003). In 2013, the southeastern region of the state had the highest NAS IR of 48.76 per 1,000 live births. NAS infants were more likely to experience other clinical conditions, longer hospital stay, and be insured by Medicaid. Conclusions—Statewide NAS IR increased four-fold over the study period, with rates over 3 times the national annual averages. This alarming trend is deleterious for the health of WV mother-child dyads and it strains the state’s health care system. Therefore, WV has a unique need for prenatal public health drug treatment and prevention resources, specifically targeting the southeastern region. Further examination of maternal drug-specific trends and general underutilization of neonatal exposure ICD-9-CM codes is indicated

Guided Imagery for Arthritis and Other Rheumatic Diseases: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials

Background—Many individuals suffering from arthritis and other rheumatic diseases (AORD) supplement pharmacological treatments with psychosocial interventions. One promising approach, guided imagery, , has shown positive results in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and is a highly scalable treatment for those with AORD. Objectives—The main purpose of this study was to conduct a systematic review of RCTs that have examined the effects of guided imagery on pain, function, and other outcomes such as anxiety, depression, and quality of life in adults with AORD. Data Sources—Ten electronic bibliographic databases were searched for reports of RCTs published between 1964 and 2013. Selection criteria included adult participants with AORD who participated in RCTs that used guided imagery as a partial or sole intervention strategy. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias Assessment Instrument. Results were synthesized qualitatively. Results—Seven studies representing 306 enrolled and 287 participants who completed the interventions met inclusion criteria. The average age of the participants was 62.9 years (SD=12.2). All interventions utilized guided imagery scripts that were delivered via audio technology. The interventions ranged from a 1-time exposure to 16 weeks in duration. Risk of bias was low or unclear in all but one study. All studies, except one, reported statistically significant improvements in the observed outcomes. Conclusions—guided imagery appears to be beneficial for adults with AORD. Future theorybased studies with cost benefit analyses are warranted