Discobolul Vol. 2//2024

Sport management is a rapidly expanding field of study that produces a growing body of academic literature. Using bibliometric analysis, data from the Web of Science database and VOSviewer software, this paper attempts to provide a general overview of the field and highlights the consensus among academics. The analysis found that Web of Science published 156 unique articles. It also seeks to pinpoint the key subjects that brought together the research on European football sport management, as well as the most important clusters and emerging trends of study in this field. The multidisciplinary nature of the topic is reflected in the Web of Science categories associated with the articles: Hospitality, Leisure, Sport, Tourism, followed by Management. The following subject areas registered, also, significant results in terms of number of articles: Sport Sciences, Business and Economics. In considering publishers, the highest number of articles were released under the auspices of Taylor & Francis, Emerald, MDPI, Elsevier and Sage. From a practical perspective, the study helps sport managers become more situational aware by emphasizing the critical issues and assisting them in identifying research gaps for further academic exploration. This closes the feedback loop between theory and practice.

The study of personality has gained increasing significance, with scientific insights now presented through a complex, multifactorial model. In contexts such as performance, leisure activities, and health-related sports, personality acts as a mediating factor that connects cognitive and emotional skills to a range of behavioural outcomes, including aggressive behaviour. The primary objective of this study is to explore the relationship between emotional stability as a personality trait and aggressive behaviour among Romanian soccer players. Data was collected from a sample of 60 soccer players (N = 60), divided into two groups. One group comprised professional footballers playing in regional or national competitions, while the other group consisted of local amateur players practicing football in their spare time. The information in the study is quantitative and based on data collected from two questionnaires: the Five-Factor Personality Inventory (FFPI), and the Romanian adaptation of the Makarowski Aggression Questionnaire. A positive correlation was identified between the Emotional Stability and Assertiveness scales. Furthermore, a comprehensive data analysis revealed a significant difference in the Foul Play scale based on the athletes’ age. These findings offer important insights into the interplay between emotional stability and aggressive behaviour among football players, providing valuable implications for player development strategies and the management of aggressive behaviour in sports. However, further research is necessary to deepen the understanding of these relationships.

Aerobic dance athletes in Limpopo province follow various nutritional practices, some of which may pose health risks. However, the specifics of these practices have not been clearly documented until now. A descriptive, cross-sectional study recruited 66 part-time aerobic dance athletes from Limpopo. Ethical clearance and written consent were obtained from Turfloop Research Ethics Committee and the athletes. Data was gathered on the characteristics of athletes, including their age, gender, and training profiles. The dietary intake and nutrient timing were collected using multiple (two) 24-hour-recall questionnaires. Energy and macronutrients data were loaded onto the South African Medical Research Council Food Finder and average values were considered for further analysis. All data were then loaded onto SPSS (v.26) for descriptive tests analysis to report the nutritional practices of athletes. A p-value of ≤0.005 was a criterion set for variables to be significant to each other. Female athletes dominated (78.8%), with a majority (63.6%) training 1 – 2 hours daily. Nearly half (46.3%) of the athletes consumed energy (70.1±16.6 kcal/kg) excessively, while fat intake (0.6±0.4 g/kg) was optimal (54.5%). Carbohydrates (2.3±1.3 g/kg) and protein (0.9±0.6 g/kg) were consumed suboptimally by 89.3% and 69.6% of athletes respectively. In general, athletes (63.6%) ate 3 – 4 meals per day. The majority (81.8%) did not consume any food before exercise, while 83.3% hydrated with water during exercise. About 65.1% ate within an hour after exercise. There was no significant correlation between energy and macronutrient intake and sports nutrition practices. Nutritional practices of aerobic dance athletes diverged from established sports nutrition recommendations.

The triple jump is a complex athletic event where performance relies on a combination of speed, strength, and advanced technique in executing the three phases that form the biomechanics of the event. Due to the specific forces exerted on the athlete's musculoskeletal system, along with potential weaknesses in physical training, athletes are at risk of injury. This case study presents the original approach used to rehabilitate and prevent new injuries usually experienced by the Romanian athlete G.R.C., a 25-year-old European junior vice-champion in the triple jump. He sought treatment at the MediSport SRL clinic for multiple chronic and acute injuries that were limiting his performance. Comprehensive clinical and functional evaluations revealed all these limitations, prompting an integrated approach to his rehabilitation and training program. After the kinesitherapy program consisting of 18 sessions focused on functional musculoskeletal balancing using an electronic dynamometer, a key component of the BackFix system and method, important improvements were observed in core stability, static balance, and posture. Additionally, muscle strength in the previously deficient areas increased, pain disappeared in all affected regions, and recovery time after competitive effort improved, laying the foundation for optimal performance in the 2024 summer season. The successful use of the BackFix method leads us to recommend it as an alternative to other traditional training and recovery methods, while also encouraging further research into its application in the triple jump and other sports branches.

Orofacial education of children with cerebral palsy is a long-lasting process that requires perseverance especially from their families. The main methods based on active orofacial exercises and those from speech therapy continue to question the effectiveness of oral motor treatment, leaving a gap in the literature concerning the feeding skills improvements of the children diagnosed with cerebral palsy. Based on this concern, we ask ourselves the question: are there other better methods of oral motor rehabilitation for these children with special needs? In this study we aimed to investigate, within the complex rehabilitation programme for CP, the impact of manual orofacial stimulation in order to reduce sialorrhea and improve mandibular movements, which play an important role in the feeding process. The study included 10 participants (5 girls and 5 boys), aged 8-10 years, diagnosed with cerebral palsy, spastic tetraplegia form with severe orofacial impairment and the intervention protocol consisted of a manual orofacial stimulation programme 4 times a week. Statistical results revealed that the application of the proposed orofacial stimulation programme was highly effective for the 10 research participants, whose scores improved significantly at the final assessment compared to those achieved at the beginning of the study, reaching almost normal values even in the case of mandibular parameters.

Sports education has the role of promoting ethical values and behaviors, thus contributing to the protection of athletes and the development of sports activities. Its necessity is indisputable given that the antidoping tests carried out at the national level, in different categories of athletes, have highlighted violations of the anti-doping rules, including at the junior level. For this reason, between April and May 2023, a study was conducted that aimed to highlight the influence of risk factors for doping behavior at the level of junior athletes (14-16 years old), in relation to the effectiveness of an anti-doping education program. The study was conducted at the National College Emil Racoviță from Bucharest, with 22 student-athletes, practitioners of various sports disciplines. From the analysis of the obtained data it resulted the fact that a series of accumulated knowledge and learned behavioral characteristics do not provide sufficient support in the anti-doping fight or consistent positive changes in the attitude to resist the temptation to use banned substances. Under certain conditions and under the influence of the entourage, especially the coach, athletes show an average willingness to use prohibited substances. The results of this intervention show us that there is a need for the development of a future anti-doping educational curriculum, for the training of the moral skills necessary for athletes to resist the temptation to use prohibited substances in sports.