Sun exposure and sun protection behaviours among young adult sport competitors

Objective: To explore the relationship between sun protection and physical activity in young adults (18-30 years) involved in four organised sports.

Methods: Participants (n=237) in field hockey, soccer, tennis and surf sports completed a self-administered survey on demographic and sun-protective behaviours while playing sport. Differences in sun-protective behaviour were explored by sport and by gender.

Results: Sunburn during the previous sporting season was high (69%). There were differences between sports for sunburn, sunscreen use and reapplication of sunscreen. Lifesaving had the highest rates compared with the other three sports. Hats and sunglasses worn by participants varied significantly by sports. A greater proportion of soccer and hockey players indicated they were not allowed to wear a hat or sunglasses during competition. For all sports, competition was played mainly in the open with no shade provision for competitors while they were playing. There were some gender differences within each of the sports. Female soccer and tennis players were more likely to wear sunscreen compared with males. Female hockey players were more likely to wear a hat compared with males.

Conclusions: Our findings highlight that there is still room for improvement in sun-protective behaviours among young adult sport competitors. There is a need for a systematic approach to sun protection in the sporting environments of young adults.

Implications: Health promotion efforts to increase physical activity need to be paired with sun protection messages.

La educación virtual antidoping como estrategia para desarrollar la cultura del juego limpio en el deporte mexicano : Un estudio de género

El propósito del estudio fue analizar el nivel de conocimiento y dominio sobre el doping que tienen las deportistas élite en México, para emprender acciones que permitan educar a los deportistas y su equipo de entrenamiento en el juego limpio, a través de acciones psicopedagógicas que faciliten un aprendizaje significativo, evitando que las deportistas usen de manera voluntaria o involuntaria sustancias y métodos prohibidos. Las pregunta principal que orientó la investigación fue la siguiente: ¿Qué nivel de conocimiento y dominio sobre el doping tienen las deportistas élite en México?. Para la investigación de campo, se elaboró un cuestionario de 22 preguntas para explorar el nivel de conocimiento y dominio que tenían los deportistas considerados élite por pertenecer a la selección estatal o nacional de los deportes de gimnasia olímpica, tiro con arco y hockey sobre pasto. Las respuestas encontradas demuestran que en algunos aspectos existe desconocimiento en materia de dopaje, y se devela la necesidad de profundizar en el programa de educación antidoping. Se manifiesta que la ignorancia que existe en diferentes aspectos, pone en riesgo a los deportistas en el uso inconsciente de sustancias y métodos prohibidos en el deporte

La educación virtual antidoping como estrategia para desarrollar la cultura del juego limpio en el deporte mexicano : Un estudio de género

El propósito del estudio fue analizar el nivel de conocimiento y dominio sobre el doping que tienen las deportistas élite en México, para emprender acciones que permitan educar a los deportistas y su equipo de entrenamiento en el juego limpio, a través de acciones psicopedagógicas que faciliten un aprendizaje significativo, evitando que las deportistas usen de manera voluntaria o involuntaria sustancias y métodos prohibidos. Las pregunta principal que orientó la investigación fue la siguiente: ¿Qué nivel de conocimiento y dominio sobre el doping tienen las deportistas élite en México?. Para la investigación de campo, se elaboró un cuestionario de 22 preguntas para explorar el nivel de conocimiento y dominio que tenían los deportistas considerados élite por pertenecer a la selección estatal o nacional de los deportes de gimnasia olímpica, tiro con arco y hockey sobre pasto. Las respuestas encontradas demuestran que en algunos aspectos existe desconocimiento en materia de dopaje, y se devela la necesidad de profundizar en el programa de educación antidoping. Se manifiesta que la ignorancia que existe en diferentes aspectos, pone en riesgo a los deportistas en el uso inconsciente de sustancias y métodos prohibidos en el deporte

La educación virtual antidoping como estrategia para desarrollar la cultura del juego limpio en el deporte mexicano : Un estudio de género

El propósito del estudio fue analizar el nivel de conocimiento y dominio sobre el doping que tienen las deportistas élite en México, para emprender acciones que permitan educar a los deportistas y su equipo de entrenamiento en el juego limpio, a través de acciones psicopedagógicas que faciliten un aprendizaje significativo, evitando que las deportistas usen de manera voluntaria o involuntaria sustancias y métodos prohibidos. Las pregunta principal que orientó la investigación fue la siguiente: ¿Qué nivel de conocimiento y dominio sobre el doping tienen las deportistas élite en México?. Para la investigación de campo, se elaboró un cuestionario de 22 preguntas para explorar el nivel de conocimiento y dominio que tenían los deportistas considerados élite por pertenecer a la selección estatal o nacional de los deportes de gimnasia olímpica, tiro con arco y hockey sobre pasto. Las respuestas encontradas demuestran que en algunos aspectos existe desconocimiento en materia de dopaje, y se devela la necesidad de profundizar en el programa de educación antidoping. Se manifiesta que la ignorancia que existe en diferentes aspectos, pone en riesgo a los deportistas en el uso inconsciente de sustancias y métodos prohibidos en el deporte

The application of biomechanics to penalty corner drag-flick training: a case of Study

The penalty corner is one of the most important game situations in field hockey with one third of all goals resulting from this tactical situation. The aim of this study was to develop and apply a training method, based on previous studies, to improve the drag- flick skill on a young top-class field hockey player. A young top-class player exercised three times per week using specific drills over a four week period. A VICON optoelectronic system (Oxford Metrics, Oxford, UK) was employed to capture twenty drag-flicks, with six cameras sampling at 250 Hz, prior and after the training period. In order to analyze pre- and post-test differences a dependent t-test was carried out. Angular velocities and the kinematic sequence were similar to previous studies. The player improved (albeit not significantly) the angular velocity of the stick. The player increased front foot to the ball at T1 (p < 0.01) and the drag-flick distances. The range of motion from the front leg decreased from T1 to T6 after the training period (p < 0.01). The specific training sessions conducted with the player improved some features of this particular skill. This article shows how technical knowledge can help with the design of training programs and whether some drills are more effective than others.

Kinematic pattern of the drag-flick: a case study

The drag-flick is more efficient than hits or pushes when a penalty corner situation is in effect in field hockey. Previous research has studied the biomechanical pattern of the drag-flick, trying to find the cues for an optimal performance. On the other hand, some other studies have examined the most effective visual pick-up of relevant information in shots and goalkeeper anticipation. The aim of this study was to analyse the individual differences in the drag-flick pattern in order to provide relevant information for goalkeepers. One female skilled drag-flicker participated in the study. A VICON optoelectronic sy stem (Oxford Metrics, Oxford, UK) was used to capture the drag-flicks with six cameras. The results showed that the main significant differences between right and left shots (p<0.05) in the stick angles, stick minimum angular velocity and front foot-ball distance were when the front foot heel contacted the floor(T1) and at the minimum velocity of the stick, before the dragging action (T3). The findings showed that the most relevant information might be picked up at the ball-and-stick location before the dragging action.

Transfer of Pattern Recall Skills May Contribute to the Development of Sport Expertise

Superior recall of domain-specific patterns is well established as a defining attribute of expert performers. Recent studies on the developmental histories of expert team ball sport players (e.g. Baker, Côté, & Abernethy, 2003a) also suggest that experts characteristically receive exposure to a wide range of sports in their developing years and that this related sports experience may reduce the amount of sport-specific training needed to become an expert. This study examined whether the facilitation of expertise associated with other sport experience might arise from positive transfer of pattern recall skills from one sport to another. Expert netball, basketball and field hockey players and experienced non-experts performed a recall task for patterns of play derived from each of these sports. Experts from sports different to those shown in the presented pattern consistently outperformed non-experts in their recall of defensive player positions, suggesting some selective transfer of pattern recall skills may indeed be possible

Sport-Specific Practice and the Development of Expert Decision-Making in Team Ball Sports

The role of sport-specific practice in the development of decision-making expertise in the sports of field hockey, netball, and basketball was examined. Fifteen expert decision-makers and 13 experienced non-expert athletes provided detailed information about the quantity and type of sport-specific and other related practice activities they had undertaken throughout their careers. Experts accumulated more hours of sport-specific practice from age 12 years onwards than did non-experts, spending on average some 13 years and 4,000 hours on concentrated sport-specific practice before reaching international standard. A significant negative correlation existed between the number of additional activities undertaken and the hours of sportspecific training required before attaining expertise, suggesting a functional role for activities other than sport-specific training in the development of expert decision-making.

Louise Cooley Sutherland, UM Student class of 1929

[member of W.A.A. field hockey teams]