The present study investigated the contribution of positive and negative youth sport experiences (i.e., processes or experiences that occur in a particular activity or setting) to self-reported mental toughness among youth-aged cricketers. A sample of 308 male cricketers aged between 13 and 18 years self-reported mental toughness using the Cricket Mental Toughness Inventory (CMTI; Gucciardi & Gordon, 2009), with 187 of these cricketers also documenting their exposure to a variety of positive and negative developmental experiences. Confirmatory factor and internal reliability analyses supported the hypothesized mental toughness measurement model. Structural equation modeling analyses indicated that a variety of developmental experiences were related to various mental toughness components, with initiative experiences evidencing the strongest overall relationship with mental toughness followed by negative peer influences. The number of years playing experience and hours per week training evidenced largely insignificant relationships with the exception of desire to achieve and attentional control components of mental toughness, as well as its global factor. Collectively, these findings lend support for the validity of the CMTI as a valid measure among adolescent cricketers, and highlight the importance of initiative and interpersonal experiences for mental toughness in cricket.
Search Results
The Relationship Between Developmental Experiences and Mental Toughness in Adolescent Cricketers
Daniel F. Gucciardi
Adaptations to Task Constraints in Catching by Boys with DCD
Frederik J.A. Deconinck, Dirk De Clercq, Geert J.P. Savelsbergh, Rudy Van Coster, Ann Oostra, Griet Dewitte, and Matthieu Lenoir
One-handed catching behavior was studied in nine 6- to 8-year-old boys with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) and nine matched typically developing boys. The participants performed a catching task under two conditions. In the first condition, one ball speed was used while three ball speeds were randomly presented in the second condition. Boys with DCD showed a significantly smaller maximal hand aperture and a lower maximal closing velocity in both the first and the second condition; however, the temporal structure of the catch as well as the adaptations to the varying ball speeds did not differ between groups. This leads to the suggestion that the motor problems of boys with DCD in one-handed catching are not primarily due to debilitated visuo-perceptual or planning processes but are more likely caused by problems at the execution level.
Prediction in Ball Catching by Children with and without a Developmental Coordination Disorder
Carole Lefebvre and Greg Reid
This study aimed to determine how predicting ability in ball catching changes with age and to explore this among children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) as judged by performance on the Movement Assessment Battery for Children (Henderson & Sugden, 1992) and by clinical evaluation. In Experiment 1, participants were 157 non-DCD children, age 5-12. In Experiment 2, 46 participants (age 5-7) from Experiment 1 were controls for 40 same-age children with a DCD. In Experiment 1, younger children (age 5-6) did not predict ball flight as well as older groups at short viewing times, and girls did not predict as well as boys. In Experiment 2, DCD children predicted more poorly at most viewing times compared to non-DCD peers. It was concluded that age and gender are crucial factors in predicting ball flight and that predicting ability is a fundamental problem in catching for younger, female, and DCD children.
Effects of Motor Skill Intervention on Developmental Coordination Disorder: A Meta-Analysis
Mia Pless and Marianne Carlsson
The purpose was to determine whether evidence exists in published research from 1970 to 1996 to support motor skill intervention for children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) or equivalent conditions. The following questions were addressed: (a) Which (if any) of three theoretical approaches to motor skill interventions is supported by evidence? (b) How do age of participants, research design, intervention setting, and intervention duration affect motor outcomes? (c) What are the results of meta-analysis? Twenty-one relevant studies were identified, and 13 (all that reported means and standard deviations) were subjected to meta-analysis. Findings indicated that motor skill intervention is most effective when applied with (a) children with DCD over age 5, (b) the specific skill theoretical approach, (c) intervention conducted in a group setting or as a home program, and (d) intervention frequency of at least 3 to 5 times per week. No clear findings emerged in regard to other variables.
Engagement in Playground Activities as a Criterion for Diagnosing Developmental Coordination Disorder
E. Jane Watkinson, Janice Causgrove Dunn, Nancy Cavaliere, Karen Calzonetti, Larry Wilhelm, and Sean Dwyer
The purpose was to develop a valid protocol for use by physical educators in assessing whether children suspected of having developmental coordination disorder (DCD) meet the American Psychiatric Association (1994) diagnostic criterion of interference in activities of daily living when interference is defined as culturally subaverage engagement in activities of daily living in physical play (ADL-PP) on the playground. Participants were 136 children (75 girls, 61 boys) from Grades 1 to 4 at three elementary schools in Canada. Data were collected two ways: (a) three administrations of an ADL-PP self-report of activities done during recess and (b) observation of children’s ADL-PP during two recess periods. Examination of reactivity, accuracy, content relevance, and content representativeness of the ADL-PP report form indicated protocol validity. An example illustrating the use of the ADL-PP self-report protocol to identify interference is described.
Bridging the Gap Between Empirical Results, Actual Strategies, and Developmental Programs in Soccer
António J. Figueiredo, Carlos E. Gonçalves, and Antonio Tessitore
Being one of the most prominent globalized sports, soccer played at club, national, and continental levels has a relevant societal role. At present, the specific competencies, interests, and languages of the different actors involved in the selection, development, and support of long-lasting careers of players might limit opportunities for potential talented players. Unless the cultural environment of soccer resolves the gaps between empirical results and actual soccer strategies, scientific discussion relating to the effectiveness of talent selection and development remains limited. This commentary is intended to highlight the need for developmental programs to prepare soccer personnel for a transdisciplinary dialogue, which could foster a future development of this sport. Finally, in considering the wide soccer-related employment opportunities at local, national, and international levels, the need for a clear qualification framework is crucial.
Nature of Spatial Coupling in Children With and Without Developmental Coordination Disorder in Ball Catching
Eryk P. Przysucha and Brian K.V. Maraj
The nature of intra- and interlimb (bimanual) coordination was examined in ten boys with (M = 10.5 years, SD = 1.0) and without DCD (M = 10.8 years, SD = .9) in a two-handed catching task. Children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) caught significantly fewer balls (MDCD = 56%, SD = 17.6 vs. MnoDCD = 93%, SD = 7.5), and both groups solved the “degrees of freedom problem” differently at intralimb level of coordination. Typically developing children coupled and decoupled the respective spatial relations, whereas the majority of children with DCD segmented their actions. At interlimb level, both groups exhibited a comparable degree of spatial symmetry. However, individual profiles also showed that children with varying degrees of movement issues exhibited movement patterns that were qualitatively and functionally diverse. Overall, in the context of previous research on interlimb coordination it appears that spatial, in addition to temporal organization, may be jeopardized in at least some children with DCD.
Effects of Fundamental Movement Skills Training on Children With Developmental Coordination Disorder
Jie Yu, Cindy H.P. Sit, Angus Burnett, Catherine M. Capio, Amy S.C. Ha, and Wendy Y.J. Huang
The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of fundamental movement skills (FMS) training on FMS proficiency, self-perceived physical competence (SPC), physical activity (PA), and sleep disturbance in children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) compared with children with typical development (TD). A total of 84 children were allocated into either experimental group (DCD[exp], TD[exp]) who received 6 weeks of FMS training or control groups (DCD[con], TD[con]). FMS were assessed using the Test of Gross Motor Development-2, whereas PA was monitored using accelerometers. SPC and sleep disturbance were evaluated using questionnaires. Results showed that the DCD[exp] group had significantly higher scores in FMS and SPC compared with the DCD[con] group at posttest. The DCD[exp] group scored lower in sleep disturbance at follow-up when compared with posttest. It is suggested that short-term FMS training is effective in improving FMS and SPC and reducing sleep disturbances for children with DCD.
The Nature and Control of Postural Adaptations of Boys with and Without Developmental Coordination Disorder
Eryk P. Przysucha, M. Jane Taylor, and Douglas Weber
This study compared the nature of postural adaptations and control tendencies, between 7 (n = 9) and 11-year-old boys (n = 10) with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) and age-matched, younger (n = 10) and older (n = 9) peers in a leaning task. Examination of anterior-posterior, medio-lateral, maximum and mean area of sway, and path length revealed one significant interaction as older, unaffected boys swayed more than all other groups (p < .01). As a group, boys with DCD displayed smaller anterior-posterior (p < .01) and area of sway (p < .01). Analysis of relative time spent in the corrective phase (p < .002) revealed that boys with DCD spent 54% under feedback control while boys without DCD spent 78%. This was attributed to reduced proprioceptive sensitivity, as confirmed by significant differences between the groups (p < .009) in spectral analysis of peak frequency of sway.
Determining Daily Physical Activity Levels of Youth with Developmental Disabilities: Days of Monitoring Required?
So-Yeun Kim and Joonkoo Yun
This study examined sources of variability in physical activity (PA) of youth with developmental disabilities (DD), and determined the optimal number of days required for monitoring PA. Sixteen youth with DD wore two pedometers and two accelerometers for 9 days, including 5 weekdays (W) and 2 weekends (WK). A two-facet in fully crossed two-way ANOVAs were employed to estimate sources of variability across W, WK, and W and WK combined (WWK) for each device. Primary sources of variability were the person and the person by day interaction for both devices. Using a pedometer, four, six, and eight days of measurements were required to determine typical PA levels of the participants during W, WK, and WWK, respectively. Using one accelerometer, four days of measurements were estimated across all days.
