In basketball, game-related statistics are the most common measure of performance. However, the literature assessing their reliability is scarce. Purpose: Analyze the number of games required to obtain a good relative and absolute reliability of teams' game-related statistics. Method: A total of 884 games from the 2015-2016 to 2017-2018 seasons of…

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate if player tactical skill level and age category influence team performance and player exploratory behavior in tasks with different difficulty levels. Method: In total, 48 youth male soccer players participated in the study (U15, n = 24, mean age = 13.06 [plus or minus] 1.53 years; U17, n = 24, mean age =…

Purpose: The aim of the study was to analyze the accuracy of impedance cardiography (ICG) for hemodynamic assessment in wheelchair rugby players during rest and exercise. Method: The study included 21 players (mean age 33.0 ± 5.4, 86% male) with posttraumatic tetraplegia. ECG, echocardiography, and gas exchange analysis during rest and exercise…

Purpose: This study examined the relationships between the Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test level 1 (Yo-Yo IR1) and resting heart rate variability (HRV) and submaximal 5'-5' test derived measures in novice male soccer players. Methods: Forty players (11.54 [plus or minus] 0.58 years) from a soccer academy participated in this study, performing…

Purpose: The concepts of creativity and intuition have been well studied in isolation, but less is known about their distinctive contributions to option generation in decision making. Method: We examined the relation between creative and intuitive decision making in two studies--one involving coaches and one involving soccer players--using video…

Purpose: The association between an overlooked classical Lactate Threshold (LT), named "Minimum Lactate Equivalent" (LE[subscript min]), with Maximal Lactate Steady State (MLSS) has been recently described with good MLSS prediction results in endurance-trained runners. This study aimed to determine the applicability of LE[subscript min]…

Match activity demands of basketball players have been well reported but little exists in terms of quantifying the demands encountered by referees during match-play. Potential differences between referees and players may identify different fitness capacities and subsequent need for different training regimes. Purpose: The aims of this brief report…

Purpose: To evaluate vascular function and its relationship to cardiorespiratory fitness in professional handball athletes. Method: We examined 30 male professional handball athletes (age 27 [plus or minus] 4 y) and 10 male sedentary controls (age 26[plus or minus] 5 y) at rest. The workup included exercise testing via ergometry. To assess…

Purpose: To evaluate the relationship between years of collegiate playing experience and success of NCAA Division I volleyball programs. Methods: Data were gathered from the 2010-2015 seasons for each volleyball program in the "power five" conferences. Players that were involved in at least 66% of the sets were selected for analysis.…

Purpose: Resistance training is often performed in a traditional training style using deliberate relatively longer repetition durations or in an explosive training style using maximal intended velocities and relatively shorter repetition durations. Both improve strength, "power" (impulsivity), and speed. This study compared explosive and…

The coaching competency research has demonstrated the role of coaching efficacy and coaching behaviors on various athlete outcomes. However, athlete perceptions of these relationships and how they affect performance are less understood. Purpose: This study examined if coaching efficacy is predictive of player perceptions of coaches' leadership…

Purpose: This study tested two hypotheses relating young athletes' sports motivations to parental behaviors and cognitive appraisal: (1) young athletes' motivation in sports is related to their parents' behavior; and (2) this relationship is mediated by cognitive appraisal, even after controlling for competitive level and sports records. Method:…

Purpose: In team sports, players have to manage personal interests and group goals, emphasizing intricacies between personal and social identities. The focus of this article was to examine the effect of identity mechanisms on appraisal processes, based on the following research question: Does the level of self-abstraction (low [personal identity]…

When athletes fail to perform at an expected level during an important moment, it is implied the athletes have experienced "choking" (sudden decline in performance) under pressure.". Researchers have reported that persistent left-hemispheric activation patterns occur when an athlete experiences considerable performance…

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of eight different small-sided games (SSG) on physical, technical, and decision-making demands of training environments in U14 field hockey. Methods: A total of 13 participants played eight different training games consisting of two 7.5-minute halves, where number of players (three…