Evaluation and emotional consequences of the decision to postpone the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in Polish Elite Athletes

In March 2020, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the International Olympic Committee decided to cancel the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and postpone it to 2021. This decision caused a lot of emotions among elite athletes and disrupted their preparation cycle for the most important quadrennial athletic competition. The aim of the study was to investigate how Polish elite athletes regard this decision and what emotions they feel about it. The current training situation of athletes was also monitored during the study. 478 Polish elite athletes took part in the survey. The results showed that the athletes feel stronger sadness and uncertainty compared to the beginning of the year. Athletes with Olympic qualifi cation consider the decision to cancel the Olympic Games to be much more negative, but – what is interesting – is that they rate the current training options higher and declare feeling less concern about their sports form next year. Two independent clusters show that some athletes experience an increase in negative emotions, while others do not experience major changes (compared to the beginning of the year). Using factor analysis, two factors were also distinguished – emotional and sports. Both exhibited statistically signifi cantly correlations with opinions about the current training situation. The results obtained allow for the development of valuable recommendations regarding support for athletes. Strengthening the ability to regulate emotions, working with the structure of properly formulated goals and building awareness of maintaining a good attitude and approach will be particularly important.

Strength of Religious Faith: A Comparison of College Athletes

Faith is the foundation of all religions. Sporting practices may be an important site for both private and public expressions or exercises of religious faith. Beyond knowing or construing a deeper meaning to life, the exercise of religious faith may likewise serve as a coping mechanism within the sports context. Specifically, religious practice may help athletes manage the uncertainty of outcome in sport, as well as their fear of sustaining a serious injury. Given the potential psychological benefit of religious faith within this context, researchers have hypothesized that college athletes would demonstrate higher levels of religious faith than other post-secondary students. The current study seeks to expand on this research, examining hypothesized differences among college athletes at a large, public Division I university on the west coast of the United States. Participants completed the Santa Clara Strength of Religious Faith (SCSRF)—Short Form (Plante, Vallaeys, Sherman, & Wallston, 2002), a five-item self-report measure utilized to assess strength of religious faith regardless of religious affiliation. Findings suggests that both level of athletic competition and racial identification contribute to higher levels of religious faith. That racial identity was a stronger predictor than level of athletic competition is worthy of further exploration from both a social and historical perspective.

Economic Aspects of Athletic Competition in the Archaic and Classical Age

An economic study of the Panhellenic contests in the archaic and classical periods requires an analysis of the relationship between economics, politics, and society of the Greek cities from a diachronic perspective. The competitive spirit formed an integral part of Greek life and culture and reflected the different social classes across various ages. The Homeric athletic contest is reserved for heroes and the aristocracy. In the eighth century the agōn is still dominated by a warrior aristocracy and landed classes, although members of the lower class were not restricted from participation. Subsequently with the birth of the polis, and through the development of crafts and trade, there emerged new social classes that undermined the archaic aristocratic values and introduced wealth based on coinage. The establishment of cash prizes offered to Panhellenic victors corresponded to the new conception of the timocratic polis. In the fifth century the emergence of Athenian democracy offered new possibilities to citizens with the opening of gymnasia and the establishment of liturgies.

The impact of COVID-19 and the NCAA’s (National Collegiate Athletic Association) season cancellation on sport support professionals

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic forced athletes to learn to navigate a world void of athletic competition and contend with the intricacies that life during a pandemic brings. Similarly, those that dedicate their lives to these athletes such as sport psychology practitioners, sport medicine personnel, athletic trainers, or academic advisors (i.e., sport support professionals) also experienced an abrupt ending to their routines, and in some cases their livelihoods. These professionals have been pushed to modify their art and find ways to engage their community from a distance (e.g., virtually, or physically from a social distance). Sport support professionals are experiencing a collective loss due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper addresses the impact of a global pandemic and the subsequent issues faced by sport support professionals across diverse disciplines, emphasizing the significance of these relationships and the necessary adjustments to manage the cessation of these relationships.

Sports Journalism Content When No Sports Occur: Framing Athletics Amidst the COVID-19 International Pandemic

On March 11, 2020, the National Basketball Association suspended its season after a player tested positive for COVID-19. Within days, the rest of the sports world similarly suspended play in the wake of the pandemic. This study focuses on sports media storytelling when covering athletic competition was no longer an option. Utilizing four distinct time periods and framing theory as the foundation of our theoretical framework, the content analysis examined shifts from the normal reporting routine and how those shifts morphed as pandemic information dictated. As the pandemic grew more widespread, health and safety became the predominant focus of national sports media. In spring 2020, sports news experienced a significant shift in coverage as economic and fairness frames were replaced with health, safety, and quality of life as the principal frames in the coded articles. By pinpointing the major differences in coverage across time, the study revealed that sports content and frames quickly shifted to reflect the perceived severity to the global health community, while the sources used in those articles stayed largely the same. The theoretical and applied implications of the study are discussed.

Considerations for Pediatric Retirement from Athletics Following Repetitive Concussive Traumatic Brain Injury: Incorporating the Right to an Open Future

Guidance regarding the decision to remove an adolescent from athletic competition immediately following an acute concussive injury and the safe return of play in the short term is widely accepted and supported by clinical evidence, local institutional policies, and state and federal laws. There is considerably less guidance regarding the decision to permanently retire an adolescent athlete for medical reasons due to concussive injuries. In this article, we discuss the clinical and non-clinical considerations that should guide clinicians in discussions regarding the adolescent athlete’s permanent retirement by emphasizing the ethical obligation to protect the child’s right to an open future as possibly determinative in otherwise ambiguous cases.

Real-Time Digital Biometric Monitoring during Elite Athletic Competition: System Feasibility with a Wearable Medical-Grade Sensor

<b><i>Introduction:</i></b> Real-time digital heart rate (HR) monitoring in sports can provide unique physiological insights into athletic performance. However, most HR monitoring of elite athletes is limited to non-real-time, non-competition settings while utilizing sensors that are cumbersome. The present study was undertaken to test the feasibility of using small, wearable medical-grade sensors, paired with a novel technology system, to capture and process real-time HR data from elite athletes during professional competition. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> We examined the performance of the BioStamp nPoint® sensor compared to the Polar chest strap HR sensor in 15 Professional Squash Association (PSA) tournament matches in 2019–2020. Fourteen male professional squash players volunteered for the study (age = 23.8 ± 4.9 years; height = 177.9 ± 7.1 cm; weight = 71 ± 7.0 kg), which was approved by the PSA in accordance with their Code of General Conduct and Ethics. Algorithms developed by Sports Data Labs (SDL; Detroit, MI, USA) used proprietary data collection, transmission, and signal processing protocols to produce HR values in real-time during matches. We calculated the mean and maximum HR from both sensors and used widely accepted measures of agreement to compare their performance. <b><i>Results:</i></b> The system captured 99.8% of HR data across all matches (range 98.3–100%). The BioStamp’s mean HR was 170.4 ± 20.3 bpm, while the Polar’s mean HR was 169.4 ± 21.7 bpm. Maximum HR ranged from 182 to 202 bpm (Polar) and 185 to 203 bpm (BioStamp). Spearman’s correlation coefficient (<i>r</i>_s) was 0.986 (<i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.001), indicating a strong correlation between the 2 devices. The mean difference (<i>d</i>) in HR was 1.0 bpm, the mean absolute error was 2.2 bpm, and the percent difference was 0.72%, demonstrating high agreement between device measurements. <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> It is feasible to accurately measure and monitor real-time HR in elite athletes during competition using BioStamp’s and SDL’s proprietary system. This system facilitates development and understanding of physiological digital biomarkers of athletic performance and physical and psychosocial demands in elite athletic competition.

A Preliminary Examination of Concussion Knowledge and Attitudes by Collegiate Athletes Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing

Athletes who are deaf or hard of hearing (D/HoH) participate at all levels of athletic competition, but no evidence exists regarding their knowledge of and attitudes toward concussion. The purpose of our study was to explore the knowledge of and attitudes toward concussion in athletes who are D/HoH using the Rosenbaum Concussion Knowledge and Attitudes Survey. The Rosenbaum Concussion Knowledge and Attitudes Survey consists of two subscales, the Concussion Knowledge Index (range 0–25) and the Concussion Attitudes Index (15–75). Athletes who are D/HoH had a Concussion Knowledge Index score of 16.25 ± 3.83 and Concussion Knowledge Index score of 58.04 ± 6.44. There were differences between races for Concussion Knowledge Index scores (p < .01). Findings may allow health care professionals to better target educational interventions for athletes who are D/HoH.