Igniting the pressure acclimatization training debate: Contradictory pilot-study evidence from Australian football
- Authors: Beseler, Bradley , Mesagno, Christopher , Young, Warren , Harvey, Jack
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Sport Behavior Vol. 39, no. 1 (2016), p. 22-38
- Full Text: false
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- Description: In Australian Football, set shot goal kicking is when a player has a shot at goal after taking a mark (i.e., catching a kicked ball) or receiving a free kick (i.e., penalty from an opposing player). In the past two decades, Australian football has improved in nearly all aspects of the game, yet set shot goal kicking accuracy has declined. The purpose of the current pilot study was to investigate whether pressure acclimatization training improves Australian football goal kicking under pressure. Twelve football players assigned to either an experimental (EG) or a control group (CG) completed a pre-intervention test, intervention, and post-intervention test. During the pre-intervention and post-intervention tests, participants attempted 10 goal kicking trials under low pressure (LP) and high pressure (HP) conditions. After five attempts, participants completed an anxiety questionnaire. During the intervention period, the EG practiced under HP, while the CG practiced under LP. These pilot results indicated a significant increase in participants ' anxiety from LP to HP for both groups and a significant decrease in accuracy from pre-intervention to post-intervention. In the post-intervention test, the CG was more accurate under HP than the EG, indicating no significant advantage by practicing under pressure and contradicting other acclimatization studies. These results may ignite a debate about the benefits of acclimatization training, but caution should be exercised when interpreting the results considering the pilot nature of the study. Larger sample sizes should be used to further explore these effects. Future research in acclimatization training is discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)
When 'just doing it' is not enough: Assessing the fidelity of player performance of an injury prevention exercise program
- Authors: Fortington, Lauren , Donaldson, Alex , Lathlean, Tim , Young, Warren , Gabbe, Belinda , Lloyd, David , Finch, Caroline
- Date: 2014
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport Vol. 18, no. 3 (May 2014 2014), p.272-277
- Relation: http://purl.org/au-research/grants/nhmrc/565907
- Relation: http://purl.org/au-research/grants/nhmrc/1058737
- Relation: http://purl.org/au-research/grants/nhmrc/565900
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- Description: Objectives: To obtain benefits from sports injury prevention programs, players are instructed to perform the exercises as prescribed. We developed an observational checklist to measure the quality of exercise performance by players participating in FootyFirst, a coach-led, exercise-based, lower-limb injury prevention program in community Australian Football (AF). Design: Observational. Methods: The essential performance criteria for each FootyFirst exercise were described in terms of the technique, volume and intensity required to perform each exercise. An observational checklist was developed to evaluate each criterion through direct visual observation of players at training. The checklist was trialled by two independent raters who observed the same 70 players completing the exercises at eight clubs. Agreement between observers was assessed by Kappa-statistics. Exercise fidelity was defined as the proportion of observed players who performed all aspects of their exercises correctly. Results: The raters agreed on 61/70 observations (87%) (Kappa = 0.72, 95% CI: 0.55; 0.89). Of the observations with agreed ratings, 41 (67%) players were judged as performing the exercises as prescribed. Conclusions: The observational checklist demonstrated high inter-rater reliability. Many players observed did not perform the exercises as prescribed, raising concern as to whether they would be receiving anticipated program benefits. Where quality of exercise performance is important, evaluation and reporting of program fidelity should include direct observations of participants.
Are the perceptual and design-making components of agility trainable? A preliminary investigation
- Authors: Serpell, Benjamin , Young, Warren , Ford, Matthew
- Date: 2011
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research Vol. 25, no. 5 (2011), p. 1240-1248
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- Description: Are the perceptual and decision-making components of agility trainable? A preliminary investigation. J Strength Cond Res 25(5): 1240-1248, 2011-Agility is an open motor skill; requiring change of direction speed (CODS) and perceptual and decision-making ability. The aim of this study was to determine whether the perceptual and decision-making component of agility can be trained. Fifteen rugby league players were tested on a sport-specific reactive agility test (RAT) and a CODS test. Players were then allocated to a training group (n = 8) or a nontraining group (n = 7). The training group underwent 3 weeks of reactive agility training that was designed to enhance perceptual and decision-making ability. After 3 weeks, all players were tested again. The training group's mean reactive agility time was 1.92 +/- 0.17 seconds preintervention and 1.66 +/- 0.14 seconds postintervention. The nontraining group's mean reactive agility time was 1.89 +/- 0.16 and 1.87 +/- 0.15 seconds, respectively. Mean CODS time for the training group was 1.64 +/- 0.15 seconds preintervention and 1.66 +/- 0.14 seconds postintervention. The nontraining group's mean CODS time was 1.61 +/- 0.12 and 1.62 +/- 0.12 seconds. Mean perception and response time for the training group, measured on the RAT, was 0.33 +/- 0.33 seconds preintervention and 0.04 +/- 0.22 seconds postintervention. The nontraining group's values were 0.34 +/- 0.20 and 0.27 +/- 0.28 seconds, respectively (results are +/-sigma). Differences in mean reactive agility time and perception and response time from pre to postintervention for the training group were statistically significant, as were differences in those values between the training and nontraining group post intervention. All other comparisons were not. Results from this study suggest that the perceptual and decision-making components of agility are trainable. Coaches should incorporate some open motor skills training in their programs when training agility.
Comparison of offensive agility techniques in Australian Rules football
- Authors: Bradshaw, Ryan , Young, Warren , Russell, Andrew , Burge, Peter
- Date: 2011
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport Vol. 14, no. 1 (2011), p. 65-69
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- Description: Agility skill is important in Australian Rules football (ARF) as it enables an attacking player to successfully evade an opponent. To date, no research has examined offensive agility techniques in ARF. There were two purposes of this study: first, to compare the change of direction (COD) speed of three offensive agility techniques, and second, compare the reaction speed and accuracy when observing the same techniques from a defensive perspective. The techniques included the side-step, shuffle, and split-step. Seventeen players from an Australian Football League club were required to perform four trials of each technique. COD speed was expressed as a total time, and divided into entry, foot plant preparation, and exit time. In addition, nineteen players from the same club were assessed on a video-based reaction test. Players were required to respond by depressing a thumb switch to indicate whether the player on screen changed direction to the left or right. From an offensive perspective, the split-step foot plant preparation time (0.66. s) was significantly slower than both the side-step (0.7 s) and shuffle (0.75 s) (p< 0.05), but there were no significant differences in entry and exit times between techniques. From a defensive perspective, the players were significantly slower and less accurate when reacting to the player in the video performing the split-step (0.19. s) and shuffle (0.15. s) compared to the side-step (0.12 s) (p< 0.05). In a one-on-one situation in ARF, the split-step may be the most effective offensive technique. Not only was it slower and less accurate to react to, the exit speed following the change in direction was not significantly slower than the side-step. However, a performer would need to consider the cost of a slower foot plant preparation time versus the potential to deceive an opponent when under time stress. © 2010 Sports Medicine Australia.
The relationship between physical capacity and match performance in elite Australian football : A mediation approach
- Authors: Mooney, Mitchell , O'Brien, Brendan , Cormack, Stuart , Coutts, Aaron , Berry, Jason , Young, Warren
- Date: 2011
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport Vol. 14, no. 5 (2011), p. 447-452
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- Description: The aim of this study was to verify if yo-yo intermittent recovery test (level 2) (yo-yo IR2) score is linked to Australian football (AF) performance through match exercise intensity. Six week prospective study design. Twenty-one data sets were recorded from nine individual players that completed the yo-yo IR2, and played an Australian Football League match in the first five rounds of the 2010 season wearing a global positioning system (GPS) unit. Simple mediation modelling was used to analyse the inter-relationship between yo-yo IR2 score, match exercise intensity and AF performance. Playing position and experience were also incorporated into the model to identify conditional affects. A significant direct relationship was observed between yo-yo IR2 and number of ball disposals (p<0.1) and a significant indirect relationship was observed between yo-yo IR2 and number of ball disposals through distance travelled at high intensity (HIR mmin-1) (p<0.1). Moderation analysis showed that playing position affected the relationship between of yo-yo IR2 and HIR mmin-1 (p<0.1) and HIR mmin-1 and total ball disposals (p<0.1). Playing experience also significantly affected the relationship between HIR mmin-1 and total ball disposals. This study is the first to identify the effects of yo-yo IR2 on total ball disposals through HIR mmin-1 performed during AF matches, and that playing position and playing experience affect these interactions. © 2011 Sports Medicine Australia.
The use of sprint tests for assessment of speed qualities of elite Australian rules footballers
- Authors: Young, Warren , Russell, Andrew , Burge, Peter , Clarke, Alex , Cormack, Stuart , Stewart, Glenn
- Date: 2008
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance Vol. 3, no. 2 (2008), p. 199-206
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- Description: Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the relationships between split times within sprint tests over 30 m and 40 m in elite Australian Rules footballers. Methods: Data were analyzed from two Australian Football League (AFL) clubs. The first club (n = 35) conducted a 40-m sprint test and recorded split times at 10 m and 20 m. The second club (n = 30) conducted a 30-m sprint test and recorded splits at 10 m and 20 m. Analyses included calculation of Pearson correlations and common variances between all the split times as well as "flying" times (20-40 m for the first club and 20 to 30 m for the second club). Results: There was a high correlation (r = 0.94) between 10-m time and 20-m time within each club, indicating these measures assessed very similar speed qualities. The correlations between 10-m time and times to 30 m and 40 m decreased, but still produced common variances of 79% and 66% respectively. However when the "flying" times (20-40 m and 20-30 m) were correlated to 10-m time, the common variances decreased substantially to 25% and 42% respectively, indicating uniqueness. Conclusions: It was concluded that 10-m time is a good reflection, of acceleration, capabilities and either 20 to 40 m in a 40-m sprint test or 20 to 30 m in a 30-m sprint test can be used to estimate maximum speed capabilities. It was suggested that sprint tests over 30 m or 40 m can be conducted indoors to provide useful information about independent speed qualities in athletes. © 2008 Human Kinetics, Inc.
- Description: C1