"Hero Imagery" - Are there performance advantages associated with imagining yourself as your favourite athlete?

Objectives: This study examined whether there are performance advantages associated with a single bout of imagery when imagining yourself ‘as your favourite athlete’, or imagining yourself performing a strength-based task. Design: A blind 2 (Imagery ability: high, low) x 3 (imagery condition: self, “hero”, control) mixed factorial design was used. Methods: Participants (n = 17 male; Mage = 19.7 ± 2.7) completed the Sport Imagery Ability Questionnaire then viewed a standardised video demonstrating the grip strength (GS) task. Three baseline trials separated by one minute were then executed. Three imagery scripts (control, self, hero) were then presented to participants via an MP3 player in a counterbalanced order (an interval of 1-minute was provided between each condition). The conclusion of each imagery script prompted participants to perform the GS task. Performance in each condition was conceptualised as delta change scores (Imagery condition – baseline average). Results: No main effects were present but there was a group x condition interaction (F(2,28) = 4.27, p = .02. ƞ_p^2= .23. The interaction suggests that for individuals with high imagery ability, simply “doing the imagery that they already do” is preferable compared to a scripted self- or hero-imagery condition. For individuals with a low imagery ability, a simple script whether that is self- or hero- based may enhance strength performance, compared to “what they already do”. Conclusion: Imagery ability may influence the effectiveness of a brief imagery intervention. Further examination of processes and outcomes associated with “hero-imagery” is recommended

The UEFA Champions League seeding is not strategy-proof since the 2015/16 season

Fairness has several interpretations in sports, one of them being that the rules should guarantee incentive compatibility, namely, a team cannot be worse off due to better results in any feasible scenario. The current seeding regime of the most prestigious annual European club football tournament, the UEFA (Union of European Football Associations) Champions League, is shown to violate this requirement since the 2015/16 season. In particular, if the titleholder qualifies for the first pot by being a champion in a high-ranked league, its slot is given to a team from a lower-ranked association, which can harm a top club from the domestic championship of the titleholder. However, filling all vacancies through the national leagues excludes the presence of perverse incentives. UEFA is encouraged to introduce this policy from the 2021-24 cycle onwards.Comment: 11 pages, 1 figure, 1 tabl