ECSS Paris 2023: CP-SH02
Introduction While sport science has the potential to enhance athletic performance and improve the training process, the integration of evidence-based knowledge into coaching practice in Latvia remains limited. This study aimed to identify distinct psychological profiles of sport coaches based on perceived benefits of sport science and subjectively experienced barriers to their implementation in the training process. Methods A total of 224 sport coaches from Latvia (104 women; 120 men; age range 20-77 years), representing 35 sports, participated in the study. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) with Varimax rotation was conducted to examine the underlying dimensional structure. Components were retained based on eigenvalues greater than 1.0 and scree plot inspection. The resulting factor scores were used for cluster analysis, with the optimal number of clusters determined using the Silhouette method and the Within-Cluster Sum of Squares (WCSS). Differences between clusters in age and coaching experience were assessed using ANOVA and the Kruskal-Wallis H test, while differences in gender, educational attainment, and coaching license category were analysed using Pearson's chi-square test. Results PCA identified four components explaining 57.5% of the variance. The dominant component (22.4%) reflected perceived practical benefits of sport science, while the remaining components represented (PC2) individual barriers and lack of knowledge, (PC3) infrastructure and material resources, and (PC4) organisational climate and colleagues’ attitudes. Cluster analysis revealed three coach psychological profiles: (1) coaches sceptical of the practical value of sport science, (2) coaches with positive attitudes but substantial personal constraints, and (3) coaches characterised by high perceived benefits and low levels of constraints. No significant differences were found between clusters in age, professional experience, educational level, or license category (p > 0.05). Conclusion Latvian sports coaches’ attitudes toward sport science are primarily shaped by perceived practical benefits and personal barriers to implementation. The identified coach profiles reveal a mismatch between positive attitudes toward sport science and its application in practice. These attitudes are independent of demographic and professional characteristics, reflecting distinct psychological patterns of perceived behavioural capacity.
Read CV Edite SprogeECSS Paris 2023: CP-SH02
Effects of Competitive Level and Gender on Visual Information Processing in Fencers Introduction This study aimed to compare visual information processing abilities of fencing athletes across different competitive levels and genders. Method A purposive sample was recruited, consisting of 22 collegiate-level A-group fencers (13 males, 9 females) and 15 collegiate-level B-group fencers (6 males, 9 females). Each participant completed GO/No-go response tasks and the Continuous Orientation Visual Attention Test (COVAT), administered using Stim Software. Outcome measures included GO response time, overall GO/No-go accuracy, COVAT accuracy, COVAT response time, and inhibitory control efficiency (ICE) response time. Two-way analyses of variance (ANOVA) were conducted to examine the effects of competitive level and gender, followed by Scheffé post hoc tests. Results In the GO/No-go tasks, no significant differences were observed across competitive levels or genders. Similarly, no significant differences were found in COVAT accuracy. However, a significant gender effect emerged in COVAT response time for the non-dominant hand. For inhibitory response time, significant effects of both level and gender were observed in the dominant hand, dominant foot, and non-dominant foot. Simple main effects analyses and post hoc comparisons revealed that female B-group athletes had shorter ICE response times than female A-group athletes. Among males, A-group athletes showed shorter ICE response times than B-group athletes, and overall, male athletes exhibited shorter ICE response times than females. Discussion The findings suggest that training strategies can be tailored according to both competitive level and gender. For general-level athletes, interactive training with higher-level fencers may enhance coordination and execution speed. For elite-level athletes, training that emphasizes scenario-based drills and induction strategies may be particularly beneficial. In addition, female athletes may benefit from sparring with male athletes to improve reaction speed and minimize delays between target recognition and action execution. Keywords: Visuospatial attention; Inhibitory response time; Visual information processing in fencing
Read CV Fang-Min HsuECSS Paris 2023: CP-SH02