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PURPOSE: The long-term development of talent in endurance sports is a topic of interest. Among various factors, the importance of total hemoglobin mass (tHbmass) and the potential benefits of being an altitude-native athlete remain unclear, particularly in young categories. This study aimed to investigate the impact of altitude and training content on hematological characteristics by comparing young male cyclists age 15-16 and 17-18 years who were born and trained at a moderate altitude (ie, greater than or equal to 2500 m; MA) and cyclists who were born and trained at low altitude (below 1000 m; LA). METHODS: tHbmass (in grams and grams per kilogram), measured by using the optimized carbon monoxide rebreathing method during an incremental test on a cycle ergometer; hematocrit percentage, hemoglobin concentration; and erythrocyte, blood, and plasma volume were measured in youth male cyclists age 15-16 years and junior cyclists age 17-18 years who were born and trained at MA versus LA. All variables were analyzed with a 2-way (age [youth cyclist vs junior cyclist] × altitude level [MA vs LA]) analysis of variance with subsequent Tuckey post hoc test. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Some altitude-induced benefits were reported in cyclists at age 15-16 years in the MA group with higher values in hematocrit percentage, hemoglobin concentration, and tHbmass (grams per kilogram) (P < .05) than their LA counterparts. This was also observed at age 17-18 years (P < .001), except for tHbmass, wherein no significant difference was found between MA and LA groups. In contrast, plasma volume was lower in MA than LA junior cyclists. NEW FINDINGS: (1) The altitude of birth and residence could generate an advantage in tHbmass in young male cyclists age 15-16 and 17-18 years who train at MA compared with cyclists who are born and train at LA. (2) Altitude-induced benefits in physiological variables (hematocrit percentage, hemoglobin concentration, tHbmass in g·kg-1) were reported in cyclists at age 15-16 years and partially at age 17-18 years. In contrast, plasma volume was lower in MA than in LA junior cyclists. This may impact the strategies for identifying and developing talent in cycling.

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While tactical performance in soccer is associated with the players' and teams' collective actions in the context of game stimuli, how tactical performance relates to players' executive functions (EFs) and physical abilities should be examined. In this study, we examined these relationships among 81 Under-15 male soccer players who underwent tactical evaluation (FUT-SAT), EF tests (i.e.,(Stop-Signal Test and Design Fluency Test)), and physical tests (i.e.,(Maturity Offset, Yoyo Endurance Test II, Sargent Jump Test, and Sprint Test)). Multiple linear regression modeling with the stepwise method showed that approximately 48% of overall game tactical performance variance was explained by inhibitory control, biological maturation, and sprint capacity (p = .004; d = .54; r2 = .479), whereas 35% of offensive tactical performance variance was explained by the same dimensions (p = .001; d = .91; r2 = .353). In addition, approximately 28% of defensive tactical performance variance was explained by cognitive flexibility and aerobic resistance (p = .007; d = .39; r2 = .280). These results reflect the combined importance of EFs and physical abilities for tactical performance in young soccer players, suggesting that these abilities may be targets for training when trying to improve young players' performance.

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Este estudo exploratório teve como objetivo identificar quais são os talentos (habilidades, saberes ou técnicas) reconhecidos pela comunidade Kayabi e como ela se organiza para a promoção e desenvolvimento desses talentos. Participaram da pesquisa quatro pessoas, todas envolvidas em atividades de ensino e liderança na comunidade Kayabi, sendo três delas nativas. Os dados foram analisados por procedimento construtivo-interpretativo e coletados por meio de análise documental, questionário sociodemográfico e entrevista. As habilidades identificadas pelos Kayabi tinham vínculo com suas tradições ancestrais e eram associadas às áreas artística, linguística e política. As pessoas talentosas eram denominadas por especialistas. Os especialistas desenvolviam suas habilidades pela observação, imitação e orientação de outros especialistas e tinham a responsabilidade de transmitir os seus conhecimentos e técnicas para os mais jovens. A família foi reconhecida como a principal promotora e provedora dos recursos necessários ao desenvolvimento dos talentos. Entre os desafios apontados destacaram-se a escassez de matéria prima ou falta de recursos financeiros e a inexistência de local apropriado para a produção artesanal. Para pesquisas futuras recomenda-se o estudo das interrelações entre os processos individuais e comunitários em que esses talentos emergem e se desenvolvem. (AU)

This exploratory study aims to identify which are the talents (skills, knowledge, or techniques) recognized by the Kayabi community and how they are organized for the promotion and development of these talents. Four people participated in the research, all involved in teaching and leadership activities among the Kayabi, three of whom are native. Data were analyzed by constructive-interpretative procedure and collected through document analysis, sociodemographic questionnaire, and interview. The skills identified by Kayabi were linked to their ancestral traditions and associated with the artistic, linguistic, and political fields. Talented people were called experts. Experts developed their skills by observing, imitating, and following the instructions of other experts, and were responsible for sharing their knowledge and techniques to young people. The family was seen as the leading promoter and provider of the resources needed for talent development. Among the challenges highlighted were the lack of raw materials and financial resources and the lack of a suitable place for artisanal production. For future research, it is recommended to study the interrelationships between individual and community processes in which these talents emerge and develop. (AU)

Este estudio exploratorio tuvo el objetivo de identificar cuáles son los talentos (habilidades, conocimientos o técnicas) reconocidos por la comunidad Kayabi y cómo se organiza para la promoción y el desarrollo de estos talentos. Cuatro personas participaron en la investigación, todas involucradas en actividades de enseñanza y liderazgo en la comunidad Kayabi, tres de los cuales son nativos. Los datos se analizaron mediante procedimiento constructivo-interpretativo y se recopilaron mediante análisis documental, cuestionario sociodemográfico y entrevista. Las habilidades identificadas estaban vinculadas a sus tradiciones ancestrales y asociadas con las áreas artísticas, lingüísticas y políticas. Las personas con talento se llamaban expertos. Los expertos desarrollaron sus habilidades observando, imitando y guiando a otros y tenían la responsabilidad de transmitir sus conocimientos y técnicas a los más pequeños. La familia fue reconocida como la principal promotora y proveedora de los recursos necesarios para el desarrollo de talentos. Entre los desafíos destacados se encuentran la escasez de materias primas, la falta de recursos financieros y la falta de un lugar apropiado para la producción artesanal. Para futuras investigaciones, se recomienda estudiar las interrelaciones entre los procesos individuales y comunitarios en los que estos talentos emergen y se desarrollan. (AU)

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This study examined individual, task, and environmental constraints that influence the career progression of youth Brazilian elite basketball players and the probability of reaching Novo Basquete Brasil (NBB) and to determine if the association of the relative age effect (RAE) is a key factor in the career progression. The sample consisted of 4,692 male players who were registered to participate in at least one U15, U17, or U22 youth Brazilian basketball championship between 2004 and 2018. Athletes who reached a high-performance level were coded like NBB players (9.6%). The birthdates, height, body mass, playing position, geographic region, club, competition category, and team performance were retrieved from the official data archive of the Brazilian Basketball Confederation and the National Basketball League. The maturity status was estimated using the predicted age at peak height velocity. A binary logistic regression examined the influence of each characteristic on the probability of a youth Brazilian basketball player to reach the NBB. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and the associated area under the curve (AUC) were used to assess the discriminant ability of the model. The taller and younger players not selected early into national teams, without specialization by playing position, who participated in U22 national championship, migrated to the southeast region, and remained in the formation process over time have a greater chance to reach the NBB. The ROC curve demonstrated an AUC of 93%. A combination of individual, task, and environmental characteristics influences the sport career of a young Brazilian basketball player in reaching the NBB. Further, early-maturing athletes have a greater chance to reach higher performances. RAE influences lower-level categories, but not a "NBB player's" career progression. The coaches, stakeholders, and practitioners should perform a holistic evaluation of sport talent in terms of a constraint-based theoretical model with the aim of avoiding bias produced by the maturational status and RAE in the youth Brazilian elite basketball.

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This study aims to expand the process of tactical assessment of soccer players through the development and validation of a video-based test based on core tactical principles of play. The TacticUP video test for soccer is composed of offensive and defensive video sequences of 11vs11 soccer situations. Participants should choose the most appropriate solution for each video sequence. Content validity was established based on a panel of nine experts from four different countries. Construct validity was assessed through the comparison between players with distinct expertise levels. Comparisons between groups' final scores showed statistical differences (p < 0.05) in 10 out of the 15 variables assessed, in which the expert group displayed higher values compared to the non-expert group. Face validity examined the acceptability and suitability of the test by players. Reliability was determined through the test-retest method for each video sequence, and Cohen's Kappa values ranged from 0.622 to 1.0. Therefore, the TacticUP video test showed adequate content, construct, and face validity and was a reliable measure of perceptual-cognitive and decision-making skills in soccer. We overcame limitations from previous video-based tests in soccer by introducing situations concerning off-the-ball movements in both offensive and defensive phases. The practical applications of this test are: (i) it can be used to monitor players' perceptual-cognitive and decision-making skills; (ii) the test is based on players' response selection in a video-based test, which enables the measurement of their perceptual-cognitive and decision-making skills based on the core tactical principles of play; (iii) generate players' tactical profile considering their perceptual-cognitive and decision-making skills based on core tactical principles of play; and (iv) measure the effectiveness of intervention/training programs on the development of perceptual-cognitive and decision-making skills.

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BACKGROUND: Early sport specialization has increased its popularity mostly based on the deliberate practice theory premises. In this study, we examined the influence of the age of onset of deliberate basketball practice on body size, functional performance (countermovement jump, line drill and yo-yo intermittent recovery level 1), motivation for achievement and competitiveness, motivation for deliberate practice and sources of enjoyment among young Brazilian basketball players. In addition, we adjusted for the influence of gender, age group, maturity status and state basketball federation on the outcomes. METHODS: The sample included 120 female and 201 male adolescent basketball players aged 14.0 (1.7) years, on average. We grouped players by the age of onset of deliberate basketball practice as related to biologic maturation milestones (pre-puberty deliberate practice onset, mid-puberty deliberate practice onset and late-puberty deliberate practice onset). RESULTS: There was no substantial variation among contrasting players by the onset of deliberate practice in all of the outcomes. Adjusting for gender, male players with late-puberty deliberate practice onset had better functional performance than players with pre- and mid-puberty onset of practice. Females players with late-puberty deliberate practice onset had slightly worst functional performance than players with pre- and mid-puberty onset of practice. CONCLUSIONS: Early deliberate basketball practice does not appear to provide an advantage for the development of physiological functions. Likewise, enjoyment, motivation for deliberate practice and motivation for achievement and competition do not appear to be negatively influenced by early deliberate basketball practice. The debate about the relationship between time spent in deliberate practice and performance development in young athletes will need to emphasize the coaching pedagogical quality and the training environment and account for informal practice and deliberate play.

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Abstract Aims: This study investigated the existence of Relative Age Effect (RAE) in the selection process of male and female athletes in the Brazilian national handball teams according to age categories (U-18, U-21, and senior) and playing position (wings, backs, pivots, and goalkeepers). Methods: In order to determine RAE, athletes were divided based on their months of birth; quarters Q1 (January-March), Q2 (April-June), Q3 (July-September), and Q4 (October-December). Data were collected from the official Brazilian Handball Confederation (CBHb) website and included the athletes that participated in training and/or competitions composing the Brazilian national teams from 2014 to 2018. To determine the RAE on playing positions, age categories of male and female groups were pooled. Chi-squared tests were performed to investigate the RAE. Results: An over-representation of players born in Q1 and Q2 in the U-18, U-20, and senior categories of male teams and the U-20, and senior female teams were found. In the male teams, as the age category increased, RAE decreased, but still existed. Such distribution was reversed in the female athletes, with a higher RAE magnitude in the senior category as compared to U-18 and U-21. Additionally, it seems that RAE is dependent on the playing position only for male athletes (wings and backs) whereas RAE was found for all playing positions in female athletes. Conclusion: Overall, RAE was found in Brazilian national handball teams, but its magnitude and form of manifestation seem to be influenced by sex, category, and playing position.

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This qualitative investigation sought to explore through a socio-cultural lens the perceived early training and competition environment, and support network of world-class Caribbean track and field athletes and the influence on their sport engagement and progression during early childhood and adolescence. Sixteen world-class track and field athletes (8 males and 8 females; M age = 29, SD = 5 years) from 6 English-speaking Caribbean islands took part in semi-structured interviews. A thematic analysis was performed on the transcribed data. Three superordinate themes were identified as key factors that influenced the early sporting development of world-class Caribbean athletes: (1) conducive sporting environment, (2) functional social support network, and (3) key organizational input. Findings revealed that perceived high levels of deliberate play activity in childhood (6 - 12 years) and an intense track and field competition culture in adolescence (13 - 20 years) were conducive to the continued engagement and progression of world-class Caribbean track and field athletes at the junior level. Furthermore, world-class athletes perceived themselves to be positively influenced by the support received from their immediate social support network and key organizations during this period. This study showed that a conducive sporting environment coupled with optimal social and organizational support may have encouraged world-class Caribbean athletes to remain engaged in track and field and to successfully progress within the sport at the junior level. Findings shed light on the sporting culture at the junior level within the Caribbean region and provide insight into key environmental factors that can influence and foster the development of future World Champions and Olympians.

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O objetivo deste estudo foi analisar a idade de iniciação esportiva, o processo de iniciação na modalidade judô, e o tempo de prática de judocas olímpicos brasileiros. Foi utilizada uma amostra de seis judocas, pertencentes à seleção brasileira nos Jogos Olímpicos de Atenas, 2004. A pesquisa utilizou como instrumento uma entrevista composta por duas perguntas abertas. Os discursos indicaram que o início precoce do treinamento é um dos fatores mais relevantes para a aquisição de um alto nível de desempenho posterior, ao tempo que a idade média de iniciação na modalidade ocorreu por volta dos 6,2±1,3 anos. Não só o apoio familiar, associado a um microssistema de desenvolvimento de atletas, forma um ambiente capaz de gerar judocas de nível internacional.

The objective of this study was to analyze the age of sports initiation, the initiation process in judo and practice time of Brazilian judo Olympic players. For this, we used a sample of 6 judokas belonging to the Brazilian team at the Olympic Games of Athens 2004. The research used an interview tool that consists in 2 open questions. The speeches indicated that early training is one of the most relevant factors for the acquisition of a high level of performance subsequent to the time that the average age of initiation into the sport occurred at around 6.2 ± 1.3 years. Family support combined with a microsystem development of athletes, form an environment capable of generating international level judo athletes.

El objetivo de este estudio fue analisar la edad de iniciación deportiva, el proceso de iniciación en la modalidad judo, y el tiempo de practica de los luchadores olímpicos brasileños. Fue utilizada una muestra de 6 luchadores de la selección brasileña de los Juegos Olímpicos de Atenas, 2004. La pesquisa utilizó como herramienta una entrevista compuesta por 2 preguntas abiertas. Los discursos indicaron que la iniciación temprana del entrenamiento es uno de los factores más relevantes para la adquisición de un alto nivel de desempeño posterior, al tiempo que la edad mediana de la iniciación en la modalidad ocurrió por vuelta de los 6,2±1,3 años. Además, el apoyo familiar, asociado a un microsistema de desarrollo de los atletas forman un ambiente capaz de generar atletas.

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Caracterizado como esporte de alto rendimento, o tênis vive uma fase em que há um notável aumento de tenistas juvenis competitivos. Todavia, não se conhecem os fatores que contribuem para o desenvolvimento do talento na modalidade até o profissionalismo. Assim sendo, o objetivo do presente estudo foi verificar e analisar o processo de iniciação esportiva de tenistas brasileiros talentosos e os consequentes fatores que contribuíram para o alcance do profissionalismo e obter informações a respeito das atribuições ao talento “tenístico” e o início de seu destaque no circuito. Para tanto se utilizou uma amostra de cinco tenistas brasileiros profissionais, caracterizados por terem pontos na ATP (Associação dos Tenistas Profissionais). A pesquisa foi constituída através de um delineamento qualitativo, que utilizou como instrumento uma entrevista composta por quatro perguntas abertas, elaboradas para explorar o contexto de desenvolvimento do talento no tênis. Para a análise dos resultados foi utilizado o “Discurso do Sujeito Coletivo”. Ao analisar as respostas atribuídas para cada questão, pode-se observar a ausência de programas nacionais de desenvolvimento esportivo. Contudo, foi possível verificar que os clubes aparecem como microssistemas capazes de gerar um ambiente favorável para o desenvolvimento do talento no tênis. No que se diz respeito aos aspectos psicossociais, o presente estudo corrobora com a literatura, no qual fatores como o apoio da família, o gosto pela prática e a determinação dos tenistas exerceram papel fundamental no processo de desenvolvimento do tenista brasileiro talentoso.

Defined as a high performance Sport, tennis is in a stage in which there is a considerable increase of the competitive young tennis players. However, it is not known the facts which contribute for the talent development in the modality as far as its professionalism. Therefore, the aim of this present study is to verify and analyze the process of the sporting initiation of talented Brazilians tennis players and the consequent factors that contributed for the professionalism achievement and to obtain information about the attributions for the tennis talent and the beginning of its distinction in the circuit. For the development of this study a sample of five professional Brazilian tennis players was used and they all have point in ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals). The research was done through a qualitative outline which used a four-open-question interview as a tool. The questions were elaborated to explore the context of the talent development in tennis. The “Discurso do Sujeito Coletivo” was used for the analysis of the results. Through the analysis of the given answers for each question, it was possible to observe the lack of national programs in sport development. However, it was possible to verify that the clubs appear as Microsystems and they are able to generate a favorable environment for the talent development in tennis. Concerning the psychosocial aspects, the present study confirms the literature in which facts like family support, practice liking and the determination of the tennis player carry out a fundamental role in the process of the talented Brazilian tennis player development.

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