Leaders do not operate in social vacuums, but are imbedded in a web of interpersonal relationships with their teammates and coach. The present manuscript is the first to use social network analysis to provide more insight in the leadership structure within sports teams. Two studies were conducted, including respectively 25 teams (N = 308; Mage = 24.9 years old) and 21 teams (N = 267; Mage = 24....

Coach's expert knowledge and experience, as well as scientific acquisitions confirm the importance of the role of expert coaches in the development of careers of potential top-level athletes in individual and team sports. It is very important for the expert coach to know how to make and insist on demands that are prime in stimulating the development of athlete's potential. From the motor learn...

Tactical decisions characterize team sports like soccer or basketball profoundly. Analyses of training sessions and matches (e.g., mileage or pass completion rate of a player) form more and more a crucial base for those tactical decisions. Most of the analyses are video-based, resulting in high operating expenses. Additionally, a highly specialized system with a huge amount of system resources ...

Purpose: A theory states that strong core stability allows athletes to fully transfer forces from the upper extremities to lower extremities, and finally to the ground. On the contrary, weak core stability causes alterations in transferring forces, reduces sport performance, and increases risk for injury, especially in the lower extremities. Therefore, the current study investigated the relatio...

BACKGROUND Session rating of perceived exertion (sRPE) is a practical tool for coaches to assess internal training load of their athletes. In a sport like cross-country running, that is individual in nature, but has a team training and competition component, information about the association between external and internal load is lacking. Furthermore, there is a need for studies that examine per...

There is limited published research on the practices of strength and conditioning (S &C) coaches in Great Britain. Information about training program design would be useful in developing models of good practice and ecologically valid intervention studies. The aim of this research was to quantify the training practices of coaches responsible for the S&C of rowing athletes. A questionnaire was de...

This study investigated the relationship between physical performance and match performance in Australian Rules Football (ARF). Thirty-six semiprofessional ARF players participated in this study. Physical capacity was measured using a 3-km time trial. Match performance was measured throughout the 2013 season through 2 methods: direct game involvements (DGIs) per minute and a recording of coache...

Doping is the use of drug for the purpose of improving performance in general and sports performance in particular. Rejection or acceptance of the use of banned substances by athletes is determined by internal factors that are subjective and external or social. Against this background, the present study examined social risk factors as determinants of intention (temptation) to use banned substan...

The purpose of this investigation was to assess nutrition knowledge, opinions, and practices of coaches and trainers at a Division I university. Participants (n = 53) completed questionnaires regarding nutrition knowledge, opinions, and practices. Descriptive statistics and analysis of variance were used to analyze data. Overall, participants responded correctly to 67% of nutrition knowledge qu...