The use of a single case design to investigate the effect of a pre-performance routine on the water polo penalty shot

The Effectiveness of a Mindfulness Training Program on Selected Psychological Indices and Sports Performance of Sub-Elite Squash Athletes

Mindfulness Acceptance Commitment (MAC) programs have garnered much support in enhancing sport performance through present-moment focus and non-judgmental thoughts. Expanding on previous studies conducted in collegiate and professional settings, the current study investigates the application of MAC amongst national sub-elite athletes. The study was conducted utilizing a single case A-B design, with a total of six sub-elite Malaysian Squash athletes (2 males, 3 females; Mage = 15 ± 2 years) purposively sampled from the Malaysian national squash team. Participants underwent 6 weeks of baseline testing, 7 weeks of program intervention, and a retention test 4 weeks post-intervention. The intervention consisted of psycho-education, centering and cognitive defusion among other aspects as purported in MAC programs. Changes in proficiency of mindful practice was observed through the Mindfulness Awareness Acceptance Scale (MAAS), experiential avoidance through the Acceptance Action Questionnaire (AAQ-II), stress levels through the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), and sport performance through both coach- and self-rated scales. Overall, visual analysis revealed improvements in MAAS levels (M = 1.15 ± 0.15), with no marked changes in AAQ-II (M = -0.002 ± 1.12) and PSS (M = 0.7 ± 0.93) after 7 weeks of intervention. Coach-rated sport performance also improved across the phases (M = 0.86 ± 0.93), with mixed responses for self-rated improvements (M = 0.01 ± 1.19). Overall, the benefits of MAC program were well-maintained past the post-intervention phase. The current study supported the implementation of an MAC program for sub-elite athletes in real-world settings.

Investigating cumulative effects of pre-performance routine interventions in beach volleyball serving

Pre-performance routines (PPRs) can be used in certain sports to minimize the effects of choking under pressure. This study aimed to investigate the cumulative effectiveness of PPR interventions on the accuracy of beach volleyball serves. Fifty-four beach volleyball players were randomly assigned to one of three PPR intervention groups or a control group. Participants performed 10 serves at a target on the opposite side of the beach volleyball court (pretest), were educated on a PPR intervention, and then completed 10 serves at the target under pressure that was induced through videotaping and ego-relevant instructions (posttest). The results indicated no difference in post-test serving accuracy among the intervention groups and the wait-list control group and no difference in effectiveness between cumulative and isolated PPR use. A possible explanation may be the inefficiency of the pressure manipulation. However, the null results related to isolated and cumulative PPR use under general (i.e., no pressure) conditions are still an important research finding. Future research should investigate the effectiveness of cumulative and other PPRs in other sports in general and under pressure.

Benefits of a Guided Motor-Mental Preperformance Routine on Learning the Basketball Free Throw

While past research has shown the benefits of preperformance routines (PPRs) on athletes' performances, only a few studies have addressed PPR effects on novices' learning or performance. This study investigated the effect of motor-mental PPR on learning the basketball free throw. We categorized 45 undergraduate male students into three 15-session training groups receiving (a) a five-step PPR based on Singer's model, (b) a self-regulation PPR, and (c) no PPR, but only a basketball free throw performance (control group). One week later, we conducted retention and transfer testing. A repeated measures analysis of variance and two-way mixed design analysis of variance showed that, in the acquisition and test phases, the five-step PPR group performed better than the other two groups (p < .001), and there was no significant difference between the self-regulation PPR and control groups. The results also showed that, in accordance with the specificity of practice hypothesis, participants' performance decreased significantly on transfer testing when PPR was removed from the experimental groups. A well-guided motor-mental PPR was superior to a self-regulated PPR for novices learning this basketball skill, probably because it increased the participants' concentration during acquisition and helped them learn it as part of a motor pattern.

Applying sport psychology to improve clinical performance. MEDICAL TEACHER 2017;39:1205-1213. [PMID: 28784016 DOI: 10.1080/0142159x.2017.1359523]

Preparedness for practice has become an international theme within Medical Education: for healthcare systems to maintain their highest clinical standards, junior doctors must "hit the ground running" on beginning work. Despite demonstrating logical, structured assessment and management plans during their undergraduate examinations, many newly qualified doctors report difficulty in translating this theoretical knowledge into the real clinical environment. "Preparedness" must constitute more than the knowledge and skills acquired during medical school. Complexities of the clinical environment overwhelm some junior doctors, who acknowledge that they lack strategies to manage their anxieties, under-confidence and low self-efficacy. If uncontrolled, such negative emotions and behaviors may impede the delivery of time-critical treatment for acutely unwell patients and compound junior doctors' self-doubt, thus impacting future patient encounters. Medical Education often seeks inspiration from other industries for potential solutions to challenges. To address "preparedness for practice," this AMEE Guide highlights sport psychology: elite sportspeople train both physically and psychologically for their discipline. The latter promotes management of negative emotions, distractions and under-confidence, thus optimizing performance despite immense pressures of career-defining moments. Similar techniques might allow junior doctors to optimize patient care, especially within stressful situations. This AMEE Guide introduces the novel conceptual model, PERFORM, which targets the challenges faced by junior doctors on graduation. The model applies pre-performance routines from sport psychology with the self-regulatory processes of metacognition to the clinical context. This model could potentially equip junior doctors, and other healthcare professionals facing similar challenges, with strategies to optimize clinical care under the most difficult circumstances.

Water Polo Injuries and Training Methods

Water polo is a unique team sport combining swimming sprints and eggbeater kicking, frequent overhead movements and throwing, and regular physical contact with minimal protective equipment. Accordingly, a wide variety of training methods attempt to enhance all of these skill sets. This usually includes some combination of aerobic/anaerobic fitness (via swimming), sport-specific skills, strengthening, and nutrition. In addition, injuries in water polo are somewhat diverse. Physical contact is responsible for the majority of acute injuries, most frequently being injuries to the head and face. The high prevalence of shoulder pain in water polo is likely related to increased shoulder mobility and subsequent instability and stress on shoulder structures, yet the underlying causation is not certain. The unique aspect of shoulder injuries occurring in water polo players is that they may be due to a combination of swimming-related overuse conditions, overhead throwing, and acute trauma-related conditions. Although there is generally minimal evidence-based information available, this article attempts to highlight the current knowledge that we have in regard to water polo injuries and training methods.

Qualitative Analysis of Concentration Level in Throwing Using Simple Brain-Wave Sensor

This paper describes a qualitative analysis of the concentration level required to throw an object at a specific target, such as the free throw in basketball or darts games, using a simple brain-wave sensor. The qualitative analysis does not focus on quantity, but on qualitative changes, such as increasing, decreasing, or stabilizing. The analysis allows us to clarify the essential features of subjects where standards are individually different, such as brain waves or concentration levels. Therefore, the author analyzes the differences between experts and novices while throwing. Furthermore, the author analyzes the influence of pre-performance routines (PPRs), which involve performing certain determined motions before throwing, and are often executed in sports for the purpose of removing stress or raising concentration. The analysis reveals a concentration-stabilizing phenomenon where the concentration level becomes stabilized prior to throwing. The author also finds that the phenomenon appears more conspicuously in the case of experts and PPRs.

The Effects of Modifying the Distance of the Penalty Shot in Water Polo

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of changing the distance of the penalty shot in water polo from 4 to 5 m. While a shorter distance made the penalty shot more effective, it also reduced the use of this sanction. A total of 192 matches played in the 2003 and 2007 Water Polo World Championships were recorded. The sample included 278 penalty shots in both tournaments. Notational analysis using a longitudinal correlational and descriptive design was employed to determine whether a longer distance increased the number of sanctioned penalties (81 vs 197) and caused a non-significant decrease in scoring efficiency (7.4%) with significant differences in the relationship between the area and the type of a shot, with less centre and power shots (14.8% vs 7.1%) observed and predominance of bounce shots to the right of the goal posts. The rule change prompted more penalties, produced changes in shot direction as well as the type of a shot, and yielded a decrement of 7.4% in scoring efficiency.

The Pre-competition and Competition Practices of Canadian Aboriginal Elite Athletes

This study was designed to elucidate the pre-competition and competition practices of elite Canadian Aboriginal athletes. Elite Canadian Aboriginal athletes (N = 23) participated in semi-structured interviews. Data were segmented into meaning units by academic and Aboriginal community-appointed members, and verified with each respondent individually through mail and a password-protected website. Competition tactics were divided into three chronological stages, each with specific athlete strategies: (a) general training before competitions, (b) pre-competition week, and (c) competition strategies. The majority of the numerous strategies they reported could be considered as reflecting native traditions, appropriate attitudes/perspective, or standard sport psychology techniques. Suggestions are proposed for applied researchers and practitioners working with cultural populations, as well as how these strategies might be developed for use with other populations.

Single-Subject Research Designs and Data Analyses for Assessing Elite Athletes??? Conditioning

Research in conditioning (all the processes of preparation for competition) has used group research designs, where multiple athletes are observed at one or more points in time. However, empirical reports of large inter-individual differences in response to conditioning regimens suggest that applied conditioning research would greatly benefit from single-subject research designs. Single-subject research designs allow us to find out the extent to which a specific conditioning regimen works for a specific athlete, as opposed to the average athlete, who is the focal point of group research designs. The aim of the following review is to outline the strategies and procedures of single-subject research as they pertain to the assessment of conditioning for individual athletes. The four main experimental designs in single-subject research are: the AB design, reversal (withdrawal) designs and their extensions, multiple baseline designs and alternating treatment designs. Visual and statistical analyses commonly used to analyse single-subject data, and advantages and limitations are discussed. Modelling of multivariate single-subject data using techniques such as dynamic factor analysis and structural equation modelling may identify individualised models of conditioning leading to better prediction of performance. Despite problems associated with data analyses in single-subject research (e.g. serial dependency), sports scientists should use single-subject research designs in applied conditioning research to understand how well an intervention (e.g. a training method) works and to predict performance for a particular athlete.