Preparing to Take the Field: A Temporal Exploration of Stress, Emotion, and Coping in Elite Cricket

The purpose of this study was to explore the stress, emotion, and coping (SEC) experiences of elite cricketers leading up to and on the day of their first competitive fixture of the season. Four elite male cricketers (M = 21.25, SD = 1.5) completed Stress and Emotion Diaries (SEDs) for the 7-day period leading up to and on the day of their first competitive fixture of the season. We then interviewed the cricketers to explore the content of the SEDs in more detail. We used semistructured interviews to glean insight into the stressors, cognitions, emotions, coping strategies, and behaviors. Inductive and deductive content data analysis provided a holistic and temporal exploration of the SEC process underpinned by the cognitive-motivational-relational theory of emotions (Lazarus, 1999). The results highlighted the ongoing and continuous nature of the SEC process while illustrating the coping strategies the cricketers used leading up to and on the day of competition

The experience of competition stress and emotions in cricket

The purpose of the study was to conduct an in-depth examination of the stress and emotion process experienced by three sub-elite level male cricketers over a series of five competitive performances. Using reflective diaries and follow up semi-structured interviews, the findings highlighted the impact of appraisal, coping, and emotion on performance, with perceptions of control and self-confidence emerging as variables that can influence the emotive and behavioral outcomes of a stressful transaction. Post-performance, guided athlete reflection was advanced as a valuable tool in the production and application of idiographic coping behaviors that could enhance perceptions of control and self-confidence and influence stress and emotion processes

The Longitudinal Development of Movement Competency in Young High-Level Golfers

The aim of this study was to longitudinally monitor movement competency of golfers in a talent development program. Thirty-six golfers were included in the study (24 males, 12 females); on entry the mean age was 14.38 ± 2.88 years and mean handicap was 6. Participants completed the Golf Movement Screen (GMS). Data was collected annually at the start of each off-season in the program, providing three testing occasions over a two-year period. Total GMS score significantly improved (all p < 0.05) year-on year from 41 ± 13 on entry, to 52 ± 13 in year 1, and 63 ± 14 in year 2. Handicap also significantly improved from 6 ± 5 on entry to 2 ± 4 in year 2 (p < 0.05). Significant improvements were found in 7 of the 10 exercises between entry and year 1, and 9 of the 10 exercises between entry and year 2 (all p < 0.05), while scores for the remaining exercise were high on entry and remained stable. The findings suggest that golfers in a talent development program are able to improve their movement competency, and that the GMS has the sensitivity to detect these changes

Investigating Player Selection within UK Academy Soccer: The Application of Objective and Subjective Assessments in Detecting Talent

Talent selection and development in academy soccer is highly dependent on coach intuition. Given such reliance upon subjective inputs, a greater understanding towards the utility of coach intuition may prove invaluable. The present study investigated coach agreement, the associations between subjective and objective outcomes and prominent traits highlighted within player (de)selection. Academy players (n = 45, age = 14 ± 2yrs) and coaches (n = 10, age = 31 ± 5yrs) were recruited from a professional soccer academy. Objective assessments included tactical and psychological surveys, physical assessments (linear sprints, change of direction and jumping tasks) and performance analysis (performance assessment for team sports). Coach subjective player gradings were collected using a visual analogue scale aligned to the objective assessments. Lead and assistant coaches demonstrated poor-to-moderate agreements in perceived player skills (ICC = 0.48 to 0.76) and fair to almost perfect agreement in player (de)selection (ICC= 0.23-1.00, P &lt;.001 to .26). However, coach agreement reduced as players aged. Likewise, a maturation related bias was present whereby biologically older players were selected over their lesser mature players. Moreover, coach intuition demonstrated a strong predictive capability to select players, whilst the study was incapable of distinguishing exclusive traits related to selection outcome

Coping with the loan transition in professional association football

The present study generated a qualitative examination of male professional football players’ experiences of stress during the loan transition using the Demand Resources and Individual Effects (DRIVE) Model. Purposeful sampling was used to recruit participants (M age = 23; SD = 2.5) from various Premier League (n = 2), Championship (n = 8), and League (n = 1) clubs across the UK who have experienced a loan to another club. Guided by a critical realist philosophical orientation, semi-structured interviews were deductively developed based upon the DRIVE model to stimulate contextual discussion about the pre-transition resources (e.g. organizational support), perceived transition demands (e.g. performance pressure) and appraisals. Finally, players were asked to discuss their strategies for coping (e.g. situational coping) with loan demands and if they deemed this coping to be effective. Braun and Clarke’s (2013) thematic content analysis was utilised. Deductive thematic analysis was used to identify and evidence themes that were articulated in relation to the demands experienced, appraisals associated with such demands, and the coping strategies used to manage these demands. An inductive approach was used to code sub-themes from the data, on the basis of players’ specific experiences that had not yet been exemplified in the existing literature. This study presented loan transition demands (performance and organizational), contextual individual differences (situational coping, dispositional coping, and protective factors) and loan resources (transition preconditions and during loan) that may assist individuals’ performance and well-being. Practitioners would be advised to work with players on facilitating pre-transition resources and identify perceived demands they consider important to their transition process. Future research should seek to explore the loan transition within elite female football

Lunisolar Perturbations of High-Eccentricity Orbits Such as the Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission

For highly eccentric orbits such as that of the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS)mission, with apogee radius now 29.34 Earth radii, the third-body effects of Sun andMoon are the major perturbations. One key consequence is an oscillation in MMSperigee altitude, on an approximately 6 year cycle. This variation has already requiredperigee-raise maneuvers to avoid an untimely reentry. There is also a long-termevolution in the orientation of the MMS orbit, with period roughly twice as long. Thiseffect may potentially be useful for MMS science studies, as it can bring the spacecraftinto new regions of the magnetosphere