Comparing talent development environments of girls and boys in handball and ice hockey in Norway.

Currently, there is little research on successful talent development environments (TDEs) focusing on women and girls. In response, the main aim of the present study was to compare TDEs of age-specific national teams for girls and boys in the Norwegian context (N = 216: 92 girls and 124 boys). Gender differences were investigated in the two different sports of handball and ice hockey, which in the Norwegian context represent more and less successful sports (handball and ice hockey, respectively).

Self-regulation and performance among elite youth soccer players: the role of approach-avoidance motivation.

Introduction And Methods: This study aimed to investigate the motivational processes behind self-regulated learning and performance among 192 soccer players (82 girls) for three age groups (14-16 years old) eligible for the Norwegian national football team. A conditional process model was proposed and tested with achievement goals as mediators between achievement motives on the one hand and coach-reported performance and self-regulated learning on the other hand. The probability of success was examined as a potential moderator in the motivational process.

Mental processes in professional football players.

Objective: Clear connections have been found between mental processes and performance in elite level football. Yet, few studies have investigated how professional football players' experience the influence of mental processes on performance.

Method: This study used a qualitative research design and in-depth interview of six Norwegian professional football players at elite level with a mean age of 28, 3 years and represented five professional clubs.

Finding the optimal balance: father-athlete challenges facing elite Nordic skiers.

Background: In the last decade, a growing body of research has focused on the many aspects and challenges of combining parenthood with elite sport. Although the number of father-athletes is significantly higher than the number of mother-athletes, few studies to date have focused on male athletes' experiences in a parenting context.

Aim: The aims of the present study were to explore how father-athlete challenges manifest among elite Nordic skiers in Norway, and to better understand how male athletes balance their priorities as they initiate, maintain, and/or discontinue their athletic career as a father-athlete.

Psychological Determinants in Biathlon Performance: A U23 National Team Case Study.

Background: The present investigation examined what psychological factors athletes perceived to impact their competition performance and what training strategies and focus the athletes considered to be the most important.

Methods: We recruited six participants (three females, three males) from the Norwegian Biathlon Federation's national U23 and junior teams, and all participated. We used semi-structured interviews to gather the data and used thematic analyses to examine our findings.

"I hardly have a problem […] I have my period quite rarely too": Female football players' and their coaches' perceptions of barriers to communication on menstrual cycle.

Introduction: Symptoms related to the menstrual cycle (MC) affect the performance level and health of female athletes in various ways. Previous research has reported MC symptoms such as pain, mood disturbance, reduced coordination and competition distraction as well as diminished performance levels and an increased injury risk among female elite athletes. Despite this, the coach-athlete communication related to the female hormonal cycle is limited.

Coaches' Criteria for Talent Identification of Youth Male Soccer Players.

Introduction: The main aim of this study was to examine which criteria coaches considered in the talent identification of youth male soccer players aged 13-16. The second aim was to describe how the coaches considered these criteria when identifying players for their club or regional teams and how these criteria take the impact of the relative age effect into consideration.

Methods: We conducted qualitative, semi-structured interviews with six male coaches from a professional club academy or a regional team within the Norwegian Football Federation.

A Qualitative Exploration of Collective Collapse in a Norwegian Qualifying Premier League Soccer Match-The Successful Team's Perspective.

The current case study focused on a crucial match in the qualification for the Norwegian Premier League (Eliteserien). In the match, the participants of the study experienced a radical change in performance toward the end of the second half, from being behind by several goals to scoring 3 goals in 6 min and winning the qualifying game. The purpose of this study was therefore to examine the perceptions and reflections of players and coaches (sporting director) on what occurred within their own team and within the opposing team.

"Do Elite Sport First, Get Your Period Back Later." Are Barriers to Communication Hindering Female Athletes?

Competitive female athletes perceive their hormonal cycles to affect their training, competition performance and overall well-being. Despite this, athletes rarely discuss hormonal-cycle-related issues with others. The aim of this study was to gain an in-depth understanding of the perceptions and experiences of endurance athletes and their coaches in relation to barriers to athlete-coach communication about female hormonal cycles.

Comparison of High and Low Responders to a Cross-Country Skiing Talent Transfer Program: A Coach's Perspective.

Purpose: To examine how coaches differentiate athletes with successful and non-successful development during a cross-country (XC) skiing talent transfer (TT) program.

Methods: We conducted qualitative, semi-structured interviews with seven Norwegian coaches working with a group of 23 Chinese summer endurance athletes transferring from running, rowing, and kayaking to the winter endurance sport XC skiing over a six-month training period. The athletes were grouped as either high ( = 9), moderate ( = 3), or low responders ( = 11) based on objective performance development, quantified using laboratory testing.

Talent Development Environments in Football: Comparing the Top-Five and Bottom-Five-Ranked Football Academies in Norway.

Background: The aim of this study was to examine junior-elite football players' perception of their talent development environment by comparing clubs ranked as the top-five and bottom-five in the 2017 Norwegian academy classification.

Methods: In total, 92 male junior-elite football players recruited from under-19 teams from five professional football club academies took part in the study. The Talent Development Environment Questionnaire (TDEQ-5; Martindale et al.

The Relative Age Effect, Height and Weight Characteristics among Lower and Upper Secondary School Athletes in Norway and Sweden.

The relative age effect (RAE) has been found among youth elite athletes within a range of sports. However, the RAE has been studied to a lesser degree among youth non-elite athletes, and even less among school pupils attending sport specialisation programmes (SSPs). The aim of the present study was to investigate RAE, height, and weight, and compare Swedish lower secondary school and Norwegian upper secondary school pupils.

Descriptive analysis of objectively assessed physical activity among talented soccer players: a study of three Norwegian professional football clubs.

Background: Talented football players are expected to overcome large training and match loads, indicating a high weekly level of physical activity (PA).

Aims: With the use of accelerometers, the aim of this study was to objectively describe the players' total time spent in moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA), vigorous PA (VPA) and very vigorous PA (VVPA) per day in 1 week. Since high-intensity PA has been highlighted as important in terms of overall PA load, we also included 2 and 4 min bouts of VPA.

"You're Not Born with Talent" Talented Girls' and Boys' Perceptions of Their Talents as Football Players.

Generally in sports, there is a strong assumption of a connection between skill level in young age and adulthood. Studies have mainly focused on the coaches' understanding and role in identifying and developing talent. In this article we turn our attention towards the athletes' perspectives, interviewing talented young football players (five boys and five girls) about their perceptions of their own talent and development.

Seasonal Variation in Objectively Assessed Physical Activity among Young Norwegian Talented Soccer Players: A Description of Daily Physical Activity Level.

'Practise makes perfect' is a well-known expression in most sports, including top-level soccer. However, a high training and match load increases the risk for injury, overtraining and burnout. With the use of accelerometers and a self-report questionnaire, the aim of this study was to describe talented players' physical activity (PA) level.