ATHENS JOURNAL OF SPORTS最新文献

{"title":"Why No Swimming in the Ancient Olympics?","authors":"Edward Clayton","doi":"10.30958/ajspo.11-1-2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.30958/ajspo.11-1-2","url":null,"abstract":"Numerous authors have raised, but not answered, the question of why there were no swimming events in ancient Greek athletic competitions. There are many reasons why it seems inevitable that such competitions would have taken place: the Greeks were intensely competitive, the knowledge of how to swim was seen as distinguishing the Greeks from the barbarians, and the proximity of the ocean. This paper argues that swimming events did not take place because of the danger that such events could have been won by fisherman, oyster divers, or other men who earned their livelihood from swimming. Such men, despite their physical abilities, could not have displayed the arete that was the true focus of Greek athletic competition. Keywords: Ancient Greece, Olympics, swimming","PeriodicalId":8622,"journal":{"name":"ATHENS JOURNAL OF SPORTS","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140077879","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Analyzing the Efficiency of Passing Networks in Soccer","authors":"Jeffrey K. Leela, Karim Rahaman, Donna M. G. Comissiong","doi":"10.30958/ajspo.11-1-3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.30958/ajspo.11-1-3","url":null,"abstract":"This article explores the passing networks for the most used team formations of Manchester United and Chelsea during the 2016/2017 Premier League Season. A passing matrix is created for each team which distributes the average passes between players in a game. This facilitates the calculation of three centrality measures complementary to those previously explored by (López-Peña and Touchette 2012). These measures unlock hidden details about the strengths and weaknesses within the networks. Such include the extent to which a player stays or leaves his position, the ability of a player to affect the game through penetration, and a player’s pass distribution evenness within the team. The optimal assignment for each network is also determined by applying the Travelling Salesman Problem, thereby establishing the least number of passes that keeps all players within each team connected. Useful knowledge can be obtained from this analysis - to inform coaching staff and enhance the overall level of play. Keywords: territorial, penetration, balance, optimal-assignment, team-connectivity","PeriodicalId":8622,"journal":{"name":"ATHENS JOURNAL OF SPORTS","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140078322","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Foreign Players in the Greek Football League: Evidence from the 2023-24 Regular Season","authors":"G. Papanikos","doi":"10.30958/ajspo.11-1-4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.30958/ajspo.11-1-4","url":null,"abstract":"After the Bosman ruling of the European Court of Justice in 1995 and the freedom of movement of football players that followed, professional football clubs have become a modern Tower of Babel. The Greek Football League is not only not an exception but leads the relevant list of the highest percentage of expatriates in its first division. This paper uses descriptive statistics to showcase the extent of the use of foreign players in the world of football, with an emphasis on the Greek professional football league. Descriptive evidence from professional football clubs in 31 European countries shows that there is a non-linear association between the percentage of foreign players and the average age of players. There also exists a negative non-linear association between the percentage of foreign players and club-trained players. In the Greek football league, the use of foreign players improves the results as measured by the points gained during the 2023-24 season. It is found that a 10% increase in the number of foreign players results in a 14% increase in the number of points gained. Keywords: sports, football, players, expatriates, migration, Greek League, Olympic Games, sports performance","PeriodicalId":8622,"journal":{"name":"ATHENS JOURNAL OF SPORTS","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140260948","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Gadamer’s Hermeneutic Universality of Play: The Greatest Form of Human Play is Art and its Signification to Movement Education","authors":"Maria Kosma","doi":"10.30958/ajspo.11-1-1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.30958/ajspo.11-1-1","url":null,"abstract":"Given that playful movement can be long-lasting and lead to health and well-being, the purpose of this concept-based paper was to showcase Gadamer’s hermeneutic universality of play, including the reasons the highest form of human play is art. Specifically, Gadamer’s universal elements of play are discussed, including its seriousness, non-purposeful nature, unique spirit, self-representation, and ideality via arts. The highest form of human play takes precedence in the arts because it represents the true before a participating audience. Subsequently, artistic play is timeless like the celebration of the festival whereby its playful nature sustains over time regardless of the way it is represented and experienced. In this paper, we also showcase how performing arts like dancing, aerial dancing, and physical theater encompass the universal qualities of play which assist with understanding the links among performing arts, the love of movement, health, and well-being. Therefore, key implications in movement education are proposed, including the need to incorporate corporeally expressed artistic, creative pieces (highest form of human play) within different settings like schools, sports clubs, recreational venues, and rehabilitation centers. Keywords: Universality of play; art as the ideality of play; Gadamer; performing arts; movement education","PeriodicalId":8622,"journal":{"name":"ATHENS JOURNAL OF SPORTS","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140261405","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Basic Psychological Needs Predicting Physical Activity Participation among Young Adults","authors":"J. O. Adelusi, Solomon B. Oguntuase, O. Jaiyeoba","doi":"10.30958/ajspo.10-4-4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.30958/ajspo.10-4-4","url":null,"abstract":"It is alarming that despite the numerous accrued benefits of physical activity participation, many young adults in tertiary institutions engage in inactive and sedentary lifestyles, which can be linked to many cases of morbidity and mortality. However, according to the self-determination theory (SDT), individuals have three basic psychological needs (BPNs) that are essential for healthy growth, development and well-being. The necessity to fulfill these BPN’s can stimulate and encourage young adults to engage in regular physical activity and enhance their well-being. Therefore, this study examined the role of BPN’s in predicting physical activity participation among young adults in Nigerian private university. A total of 735 students, comprising 408 males (55.5%) and 327 females (44.5%), with ages ranging from 16 to 35 years (mean = 22.8; SD = 5.42), were randomly selected from a private university in the South-west, of Nigeria. The Basic Psychological Needs in Exercise Scale (BPNES) and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire–Short Form (IPAQ-SF) were used to collect data. Data analysis was conducted using descriptive statistics, correlation and multiple linear regression analysis. The results of the study showed that the BPN’s of autonomy (r =0.233, p<0.05); competence (r =0.188, p < 0.05), and relatedness (r = 0.477, p<0.05) positively correlated with physical activity participation. Additionally, the results found that 25% had low, 57.1% had moderate and 17.8% had high levels of physical activity participation among the participants. There was a significant gender difference between males and females’ in their levels of participation in physical activity (t =2.866, p < 0.05), with males reporting higher mean scores than their female counterpart. Regression analysis showed that BPN’s predicted physical activity participation among young adults (F (3,731) = 73.968, p < 0.05) with 23% of its variance accounted for by the independent variables. Furthermore, autonomy (ß = 0.071, t = 1.970, p < 0.05) and relatedness (ß = 0.478, t =12.589, p < 0.05) were predictors of physical activity participation with relatedness being reported as the most potent predictor. These findings provide an insight into focus the importance of satisfying the relatedness and autonomy aspects of BPN’s in young adults. Developing interventions that target these identified indices can promote continuous and regular participation in physical activity. Keywords: basic psychological needs, relatedness, autonomy, physical activity, young adults ‬","PeriodicalId":8622,"journal":{"name":"ATHENS JOURNAL OF SPORTS","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-12-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139175540","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evaluation and Discussion of Post-COVID Higher-rated Women’s Teams Winning More Often and Men’s Teams Less Often in World Championships","authors":"Raymond Stefani","doi":"10.30958/ajspo.10-4-1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.30958/ajspo.10-4-1","url":null,"abstract":"A pre-COVID 2007-2019 data base was gathered to study all team sports that had international recognition, had an official rating system published by the governing federation and had a world championship (WC). The data base included 40 WCs for the 13 men’s team sports, 35 WCs for the 12 women’s team sports and a total of 3936 games in which the percentage of games won by each higher-rated team was tabulated. The higher-rated women’s teams won only 0.25% more than the men’s teams. Post-COVID, nine WCs were contested during 2021and 2022, along with one in 2023, using the same rating system as pre-COVID: four for men and five for women. In all four of the men’s WCs, the percentage of games won by the higher-rated team was lower post-COVID: curling (-6.1%), rugby 7s (-12.9%) and T20 cricket (-10.9% and -6.9%). However, the women’s higher-rated teams had higher percentages of games won in all five WCs post-COVID: curling (+7.3%), rugby 7s (+6.2%), T20 cricket (+7.0%), basketball (+5.0%) and rugby union (+0.4%). During the COVID-era restrictions, women’s social cohesiveness drove increased team cohesiveness creating increased cooperative learning and execution of tactical skills, whereas men emerged with less team cohesiveness. Keywords: sports predictions, gender differences, team cohesiveness, post-COVID changes","PeriodicalId":8622,"journal":{"name":"ATHENS JOURNAL OF SPORTS","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-12-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139174376","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A Mathematical Analysis of Team Impact and Individual Player Contribution in Football","authors":"Jeffrey K. Leela, Donna M. G. Comissiong, Karim Rahaman","doi":"10.30958/ajspo.10-4-2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.30958/ajspo.10-4-2","url":null,"abstract":"In this paper, we present an important application of the Hungarian Method - a well-known combinatorial optimization tool for solving assignment problems. For our purposes, we consider the assignment of players to specific roles in a football team. It involves the broad classification of team players as defensive, midfield or attacking, while assigning the main roles associated with each of these positions. This provides insight on specific role of each individual player, thereby facilitating an optimal team selection. To illustrate this method, we utilize the average player statistics per game for two teams from the 2016/2017 Premier League Season. In addition, a team rating index is created by identifying six sub-indices. The first is called team contributions - which includes set piece goals, percentage tackles won, percentage take-ons won, percentage aerial duels won, number of interceptions, number of blocked shots, number of clearances, number of red and yellow cards. To visualize the method, a multiple correlation is carried out on team data for the 2016/2017 Premier League season to generate a correlation coefficient for each contribution. The resulting team index can be a useful tool for measuring the overall strengths of competing teams in a football league. Keywords: Hungarian method, football, team rating index, multiple correlations, team comparisons","PeriodicalId":8622,"journal":{"name":"ATHENS JOURNAL OF SPORTS","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-12-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138963588","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Olympic Public Transportation Investments, Legacy, and City Prosperity: An Empirical Look at the 2000-2016 Summer Games","authors":"Kennedy Magee, W. J. Weese","doi":"10.30958/ajspo.10-4-3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.30958/ajspo.10-4-3","url":null,"abstract":"The complexity of hosting the Olympic Games has grown throughout its history. The financial risks to cities vying for the hosting rights are often viewed as excessive and consequently, fewer bids are being submitted in modern times. Critics suggest that public funds would be better spent supporting other social programs. However, history has demonstrated that host cities can use the Games to expand and modernize public transport systems to efficiently move people, increase accessibility, reduce personal travel and garner environmental benefits like improved air quality and less noise pollution. The authors examined the five Summer Olympic Games host cities between 2000-2016 using the City Prosperity Index (CPI) to measure city performance across six indexes to determine the accrued public transit benefits of hosting the Games. The authors hope this paper can provide a clear path forward for future Olympic bidders and city officials. Keywords: Olympic Games, City Prosperity Index, public transportation, investments","PeriodicalId":8622,"journal":{"name":"ATHENS JOURNAL OF SPORTS","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-12-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139173239","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Situation Awareness: A Pivotal Process for Sensemaking and Decision Making in the Learning and Practice of Physical Activities","authors":"P. Godbout","doi":"10.30958/ajspo.10-3-3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.30958/ajspo.10-3-3","url":null,"abstract":"In physical education (PE), reflection on action is usually referred to in relation with pedagogical approaches such as experiential learning, constructivism and social constructivism. In organization systems, sensemaking has been discussed in relation with situation awareness (SA), a construct closely related not only to decision making but to understanding as well. In recent years, researchers interested in decision making in high-level sport performance have taken an interest in SA. The purpose of this explanatory article is to examine the applicability of the SA construct, including its related DM and sensemaking processes, to the teaching/learning and performing of diverse categories of physical activities such as sports, dance, fitness activities, outdoor activities and leisure activities in general. In a first section, the author distinguishes two types of SA, current SA and reflected SA, in relation with reflection in action and reflection on action. With regard to the involvement of one or several individuals, three SA facets are suggested: primary SA, distributed SA, and socially shared SA. Following a short discussion on the relationship between SA and the data/frame theory, the author examines the process of framing physical activities in view of situation awareness. Finally, the metacognitive side of framing and situation awareness is briefly discussed in terms of individuals who come to select particular observational cues that work better for them. Keywords: situation awareness, data/frame theory, sensemaking, decision making, frame building","PeriodicalId":8622,"journal":{"name":"ATHENS JOURNAL OF SPORTS","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-08-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"85399887","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Breaking the Glass: The Perception of Gender Disparity from Future Sport Professionals","authors":"Jason L. Perry, Aaron Livingston","doi":"10.30958/ajspo.10-3-1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.30958/ajspo.10-3-1","url":null,"abstract":"The purpose of this study is to investigate gender disparities among students seeking entrance into the sports industry. With the growing trend of women facing differences in the sports industry, an exploration of the connection between professional challenges and the perception of future professions is necessary. A convenience sample of one hundred and fifty one (N=151) subjects who possessed sport related academic majors were selected to participate in the study. The subjects' ages, racial groups, classifications, and university or college of attendance varied. Two of the sites surveyed were classified as Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Subjects were asked to complete a questionnaire, which consisted of 15 question items. A modified version of the Career Pathway Survey (CPS) was used as the questionnaire for this research project. The questionnaire was distributed via email to the subjects using an anonymous Google Forms link. Descriptive statistics were used to assess if a significant relationship existed between the responses of the Career Pathway Survey and demographic variables. These variables included student major, gender, age, classification, and race. Keywords: Gender disparities in sports, sport management students, glass ceilings, career opportunities, career preparation","PeriodicalId":8622,"journal":{"name":"ATHENS JOURNAL OF SPORTS","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-08-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"79357795","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}