Why do We Follow Sporting Events?

The aim of the study was to investigate the motives for following sporting events and their dependence upon gender and age of spectators. The study was based on a survey of 1727 adult Slovenes. According to the results the most important motives could be classified in the category of Dionysian values. This means that the role of sport in a spectator\u27s life is not that influential; it is much more considered a source of relaxation and pleasure. Higher values of all motives were given by men. Women found the motive »National importance of sport« more important, while the motives »Attraction of sports« and »Competitiveness, fighting spirit, victory« were placed higher by men. Younger spectators evaluated the motives higher, with motives »Pleasure, Entertainment« and »Sport Dynamism« being most important. The data reveal those attributes of sport that have always caught and will also continue to catch the eye of the spectators

Psihološke karakteristike slovenskih rukometnih vratara

Handball is a fast, dynamic sport and the role of the goalkeeper is especially exposed. However, little attention is paid in science to the development of the goalkeeper. This research is focused on the psychological characteristics of handball goalkeepers, specifically with regard to aggression, anxiety, reaction times, fluid intelligence and concentration. More and less successful goalkeepers were compared in these characteristics. Forty-six participants were included – 23 of them were more successful and 23 less successful, according to an expert evaluation. The more successful goalkeepers were also significantly older. The data was collected in 2010 and 2011. The instruments used were Buss-Durkee Aggression Questionnaire, Spielberger’s Anxiety Inventory (STAIX – 1 and 2), the Test of Series for measuring fluid intelligence, the Test of Attention for measuring concentration, and the CRD Series for measuring reaction times. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to compare both groups. Several significant differences between both groups were found – the less successful goalkeepers had a faster simple reaction time and made fewer mistakes when reacting to simple stimuli. They were also quicker in response times to simple visual orientation stimuli and seemed to lose less time when reacting to different stimuli. It thus seems that neither reaction times, fluid intelligence nor concentration, anxiety or aggression has influence on the quality of handball goalkeepers. The obtained result is easily explained with the age of the participants since the investigated abilities gradually decrease over time.Rukomet je brz, dinamičan sport i uloga vratara je osobito istaknuta, ali se vrlo malo pozornosti poklanja njihovu razvoju. Autori su se odlučili usmjeriti svoje istraživanje na psihološke karakteristike rukometnih vratara, posebno na agresivnost, anksioznost, vrijeme reakcije, fluidnu inteligenciju i koncentraciju. Usporedili smo uspješne i manje uspješne vratare u navedenim karakteristikama. U istraživanje je bilo uključeno 46 ispitanika koji su, prema ekspertnoj procjeni, podijeljeni u 23 uspješnija (kvalitetnija) i 23 manje uspješna vratara. Uspješniji vratari bili su značajno stariji od svojih manje uspješnih kolega. Podaci su prikupljeni tijekom 2010. i 2011. godine. Korišteni su Buss-Durkeeov upitnik agresivnosti, Spielbergerov upitnik anksioznosti (STAIX – 1 i 2), test nizova (serija) za mjerenje fluidne inteligencije, test pažnje za mjerenje koncentracije te CRD test nizova za mjerenje vremena reakcije. Za uspoređivanje grupa korištena je jednosmjerna univarijatna analiza varijance (ANOVA). Utvrđene su značajne razlike između grupa: manje uspješni vratari su postigli kraće vrijeme jednostavne reakcije i činili su manje pogrešaka reagirajući na jednostavne podražaje. Bili su također brži u reakcijama na jednostavan podražaj vizualne orijentacije, a čini se da su također gubili manje vremena u reagiranju na različite podražaje. Stoga se čini kako ni vremena reakcije, ni fluidna inteligencija pa ni koncentracija, anksioznost ni agresija ne utječu na kvalitetu rukometnih vratara. Dobiveni rezultati se jednostavno mogu objasniti razlikama u dobi ispitanika budući da navedene sposobnosti postupno opadaju tijekom vremena

ANALYSIS OF EFFORT AND ENERGY EXPENDITURE DURING EXERCISES WITH FREESTYLER™ ELASTIC TUBES OF DIFFERENT RESISTANCE.

Workouts on Freestyler™ board are performed with stretching elastic tubes which are attached to arms and legs. The aim of the study was to investigate the effects of exercises with Freestyler™ elastic tubes of different resistance on heart rate frequency and prediction of energy expenditure. Eleven males (age 23.4 ± 1.1 years; height 181.6 ± 3.1 cm; weight 81.4 ± 4.9 kg) participated in the study. Effort was assessed with measuring heart rate (HR) frequency. To calculate maximum HR frequency (HRmax) an intermittent Fitness test 30-15 (Buchheit, Haddad, Millet, Lepretre, Newton and Ahmaidi, 2009) was used. Predicted energy expenditure was evaluated with Keytel et al. (2005) formula. One-way analysis of variance - repeated measures was used to analyse the effects of exercises with elastic tubes of different resistance. The results shows that both in relative HR frequency (% HRmax) (F(4, 40) = 161, 906; p = .000) and predicted energy expenditure (F(4, 40) = 151, 677; p = .000) there are statistically significant differences when performing exercises with elastic tubes of different resistance. It could be concluded that doing the same exercises with higher and higher resistance elastic tubes on the Freestyler™ board, could increase the % HRmax (from 19% to 43%) and predicted energy exposure (from 33% to 71%), compared to no additional resistanc

Jesu li viši rukometni vratari bolji? Neka obilježja i sposobnosti slovenskih sportaša

Although previous studies have found that body height and body mass are relevant for the selection of handball goalkeepers, there is still a dilemma whether taller goalkeepers actually have any advantage over the shorter goalkeepers in certain performance characteristics. Therefore the purpose of this study was to evaluate the chosen anthropometric characteristics and psycho-motor abilities of Slovenian handball goalkeepers with a particular emphasis on the group of taller goalkeepers. Goalkeepers were classified into two groups: a group of taller goalkeepers (TG˃185 cm, n=24) and a group of shorter goalkeepers (SG≤185 cm, n=18). Different tests were used to assess hip flexibility, agility, explosive arm and leg strength and basic sensory functions. Differences in the selected variables between the groups were tested with independent samples t-test. Correlations between the variables were established using Pearson’s correlation coefficient statistic. The level of significance was set at p<.05. The taller goalkeepers generated more energy (p≤.05) in squat jump and countermovement jump performance than the shorter goalkeepers. The two groups of goalkeepers did not differ significantly either in body mass or in body mass index (BMI). The established correlations for the whole sample of goalkeepers revealed that body height had a negative influence only on the average simple reaction time. Likewise, body mass and BMI had a negative influence on the scores in the explosive leg strength tests. The results confirmed the opinion of handball experts that taller goalkeepers should be preferred in the process of selecting athletes for goalkeeping in handball. However, the values of body mass should specifically be considered, as well as certain motor and perceptual abilities.Premda su tjelesna visina i masa u dosadašnjim istraživanjima označene relevantnim faktorima za selekciju rukometnih vratara, još uvijek postoji dilema jesu li viši vratari uistinu u prednosti pred nižim vratarima kada se razmatraju određeni aspekti uspješnosti. Stoga je cilj ovoga rada bio evaluirati izabrane antropometrijske karakteristike i psiho-motoričke sposobnosti slovenskih rukometnih vratara, a osobita je pozornost poklonjena skupini viših vratara. Ispitanici su podijeljeni u dva poduzorka: viši vratari (TG>185 cm, n=24) i niži vratari(SG≤185cm, n=18). Različitim testovima procijenjena je fleksibilnost, agilnost, eksplozivna snaga ruku i nogu te osnovne osjetilne funkcije (percepcija i reakcija). Razlike u izabranim varijablama između dviju grupa testirane su t-testom za nezavisne uzorke, a Pearsonov koeficijent korelacije uporabljen je za otkrivanje korelacija između varijabli. Razina značajnosti za sve analize bila je p<,05. Viši vratari su generirali više energije (p≤,05) od nižih vratara u izvedbi skoka iz čučnja i skoka s pripremom. Dvije se skupine vratara nisu značajno razlikovale ni po vrijednostima tjelesne mase ni indeksa tjelesna mase (BMI). Korelacije uspostavljene između varijabli za čitav uzorak rukometnih vratara pokazale su negativan utjecaj tjelesne visine samo na prosječno vrijeme jednostavne reakcije. Isto se tako pokazao negativan utjecaj tjelesne mase i BMI na rezultate u testovima eksplozivne jakosti nogu (skočnost). Dobiveni su rezultati potvrdili mišljenje rukometnih stručnjaka prema kojemu u procesu selekcije sportaša za poziciju rukometnog vratara valja preferirati tjelesno više rukometaše. Pritom, međutim, pozornost treba obratiti osobito na vrijednosti tjelesne mase, ali i na neke druge motoričke i psihičke sposobnosti

DEVELOPMENT OF NEW FE-BASE MMC WITH IONIC AND COVALENT BONDED HARD PARTICLES

Obraba je glavni krivec za potrato materialov in izgubo njihovih mehanskih lastnosti. Vsako zmanjšanje obrabe materiala lahko vodi do velikih prihrankov. Glavna motivacija te diplomske naloge je razvoj novih kovinskih kompozitov na osnovi Fe. Ti kompoziti so sestavljeni iz kovinske matrice z fino razpršenimi trdimi delci v njeni mikrostrukturi. Cene zlitin na osnovi Ni and Co so visoke, prav tako pa imajo te zlitine toksičen in kancerogen efekt. Trde zlitine na osnovi Fe predstavljajo ekonomsko in ekološko alternativo. Potreba po optimizaciji se lahko pojavi tudi z ozirom na trde delce, ki so vstavljeni v kovinsko matrico. Kot spojina za trdi delec je bil uporabljen kovinsko vezan WC. Zaloge le tega na tržišču so omejene, sočasno pa naraščajo cene te spojine na tržišču. Poleg cene kot pomanjkljivost lahko omenimo raztopitev WC v materialih, ki temeljijo na Fe. V želji, da bi se izognili visokim cenam in omejili raztopitev WC, predstavljajo novi trdi ionsko vezani (SiO2, AlZrO) in kovalentno vezani (SiC) trdi delci zanimivo alternativo. Vzroke, zakaj ti trdi delci niso bili uporabljeni že prej, lahko pripisujemo njihovim lastnostim vezave, ki omejuje vezavo teh trdih delcev v kovinsko matrico. Za izboljšanje njihove vezave je na površino teh delcev nanesena ovojnica s PVD procesom. V primeru ionsko vezanih delcev ta ovojnica spodbuja vezavo delcev v kovinsko matrico, v primeru kovalentno vezanih delcev pa nanesena ovojnica služi kot ovira za raztopitev trdih delcev v materialih, ki temeljijo na Fe. Kovinski kompoziti z vezanimi trdimi delci so proizvedeni s procesom InduClad. V ospredju raziskav so stičišča med trdimi delci in ovojnico, ter ovojnico in kovinsko matrico. Raziskave so bile opravljene z elektronskim in optičnim mikroskopom. Nadalje je raziskana mikrostruktura in obraba proti trdim abrazivom kovinskih kompozitov. Za primerjavo med mikrostrukturo in obrabo delcev so bili vzorci raziskani po standardu ASTM G65. Rezultati so pokazali, da nanos ovojnice na ionsko vezane trde delce (SiO2 , AlZrO) izboljša vezavo delcev v kovinsko matrico in posledično zmanjša obrabo kovinskih kompozitov. Nanos ovojnice na kovalentno vezane delce skoraj popolnoma prepreči raztopitev delcev v kovinskih matricah.Wear is the main cause of material wastages and and loss of mechanical performance. Any reduction of wear can result in considerable savings. The main focus of the diploma thesis is the development of Fe-base MMC. These kind of composite materials are made of a metallic binder matrix with embedded HPs, finely distributed in the microstructure. Fe-base hardfacing alloys represent an economical and ecological alternative to Co- and Ni-base hardfacing alloys, since the prices of Ni- and Co-hardfacing alloys are high, futhermore, they can have toxic and carcinogenic effect. The need for optimatization of MMC can appear also with regard to the HPs embedded into the MM. Conventionally, metallic powders and metallic bonded HP like FTC is used for the production of composite materials. The disadvantages by using FTC can be found in high costs (50kg/EUR) and the FTC-dissolution in Fe-base materials, resulting in the formation of the brittle carbide close to the stoichiometry (Fe3W3)C. Therefore, it makes sense to regard new HP, to produce new MMC with covalent bonded (SiC) and ionic bonded (SiO2, AlZrO) HPs. The reasons, why this HPs were not used prior can be traced back in their bonding behaviour, counteracting the formation of stable phases as a result of reactions between the HP and the MM. To fulfil a good embedding of the HP, an additionally coating, produced with the PVD process is required. In the case of thermal sensitive HPs, a barrier coating protects HP against dissolution. In the case of the ionic bonded HPs the coating enchance the particle embedding and improves the adhesive bonding of the HPs in the MM by formating of more stable phases with the HPs as well as with the MM, respectively. The MMC were produced with the InduClad process. In foreground of the investigations are the interfaces between the HP, the MM and the coatings produced with the PVD process. The interfaces were investigated by means of OM and SEM. Futhermore, the microstructure and the wear resistance of the produced MMC on the construction steel was investigated. The samples were investigated by means of ASTM 65, to compere the microstructure with the wear resistance of the produced MMCs. According to the results, the deposited coating on the ionic bonded HPs (SiO2, AlZrO) improves the embedding of those HP in the MM. The deposited coating on the covalent bonded HPs (SiC) almost completely reduces the dissolution of HP in the MM. Consequelntly the wear resistance is improved

THE ANALYSIS OF SOME PHYSIOLOGICAL VARIABLES IN TWO DIFFERENT TYPES OF HANDBALL TRAINING

The purpose of the research paper was to establish, which energetic mechanisms are dominant in two different types of situational handball trainings and what kind of effort the players experience under those charges. Chosen exercises in handball training were activities of interval and continuous nature. With the use of measurements both in the sports hall and in physiological laboratory, the heart frequency, values of blood lactate and oxygen consumption were monitored.The sample of measured subjects was represented by 12 senior players from different attacking playing positions in the first handball league (average age 22.25 ± 2.5 let). The results of the study revealed that in the interval type of exercises the average absolute heart frequency was 136 beats per minute, the average value of blood lactate was 2,65 mmol/l, the proportion of relative oxygen consumption was 64.7 % of maximal oxygen consumption, the biggest proportion in relative heart frequency (HR % = (HR - HRrest)/(HRmax - HRrest) was below 50 % and between 70% and 90 % of maximal strain. The players spent in average 27 % of the playing time in areas between 5 % under and 5 % above anaerobic threshold. In exercises of continual nature we established, that the average absolute heart frequency was 130 beats per minute, the average value of blood lactate was 1,8 mmol/l, the share in relative oxygen consumption was 55,25 % of maximal oxygen consumption, the biggest share in relative heart frequency takes up strain between 50 and 70 % of maximal effort. It can be concluded that in chosen situational handball exercises the dominant type of effort is aerobic – anaerobic. In average, the exercises of interval nature required more effort from handball players

CORRELATION BETWEEN COORDINATION AND PERSONALITY TRAITS OF SOLDIERS IN BATTLE UNIT OF SLOVENIAN ARMED FORCES

The aim of the study was to investigate the correlation between motor ability of coordination and personality traits of Slovenian soldiers. The subject sample consisted of 94 soldiers in a battle unit of Slovenian Armed Forces (SAF) who were serving in the first brigade (age 26,5 ± 3,4 years). Motor ability of coordination was assessed with two motor tasks (polygon bac- kwards and figure 8 duck test). The structure of personality traits was measured with a FPI (Freiburg Personality Inventory) included 114 items and measured 9 personality traits of order I (neuroticism, impulsivity, depression, irritability, sociability, calmness, dominance, suppression, sincerity) and 3 personality traits of order II (extroversion, emotional istability, masculinity). The correlation between coordination and personality traits was estimated by the Pearson’s correlation coefficient. The results show that soldiers who did worse in motor test polygon backwards were more neurotic, suppressed, and impulsive. They also tend to be more sociable. The correlation between second test of coordination shows that better soldiers in this test are more extrovert or less introvert

FREQUENCY OF SPORT ACTIVITY PARTICIPATION OF SLOVENES

The objective of the study was to investigate the frequency of participation in sport activity of Slovenes. The sample consisted of 1286 persons, 54% were women and 46% were men. To obtain the necessary data a questionnaire method was used. We focused on two groups of questions. The first group reffered to participation in sport activity in general (frequency of any sport activity) and the second group reffered to participation in a particular sport. The results show that 33% of Slovenes were regularly active, 31% occasionally active and 36% non-active. They were the most active in the following sport activities: walking, swimming, cycling, alpine skiing and mountaineering

QUALITY LEVEL-RELATED DIFFERENCES IN SELECTED MORPHOLOGICAL BODY CHARACTERISTICS AND MOTOR ABILITIES OF GOALKEEPERS IN TEAM HANDBALL

The aim of the present study is to identify the quality level-related differences between two groups of team handball goalkeepers in selected morphological body characteristics and motor abilities. A group of 36 senior goalkeepers who were members of first and second Slovenian handball league clubs (age: 22,6 ± 5,4 yr, height: 185,8 ± 4,7 cm, body weight: 88,7 ± 9,1 kg, training experience: 11,8 ± 4,8 yr) participated in the present study. The goalkeepers were divided in two groups, according to their competition level. The sample of variables consisted of age and competition experience data, four morphological body characteristics and of six motor ability tests. In order to determine differences between two groups of goalkeepers in selected morphologic and motor variables a one–way analysis of variance (one-way ANOVA) was employed. Findings of the present study indicate existing of quality level-related differences between two groups of team handball goalkeepers in selected morphological body characteristics and motor abilities. Further individualization and careful planning of training process of the goalkeepers is essential if we want to improve for goalkeepers’ important motor abilities and morphological body characteristics