Studia Kinanthropologica, 2023 (vol. 24), issue 2-3
The relative age effect in Czech orienteering runners
A. Agricola, M. Poloprutská, I. Růžička
Studia Kinanthropologica 2023, 24(2-3):43-49 | DOI: 10.32725/sk.2024.002 
The Relative Age Effect (RAE) is a phenomenon that strongly affects the sports development of youth. RAE refers to the disproportionately high percentage of athletes born at the beginning of the calendar (selection) year in sports selections. In recent years, there has been an increase in studies related to this issue, even in less popular sports. The number of studies in these sports is often insufficient, which hinders a comprehensive understanding of the RAE issue. The aim of the presented study was to determine the presence of RAE among the top orienteering male and female athletes (n = 469) in the categories of pupils, juniors, and youth (age...
Benefits of sport participation for athletes with intellectual impairment
L. Francová, K. Mrštinová, I. Růžička
Studia Kinanthropologica 2023, 24(2-3):51-58 | DOI: 10.32725/sk.2024.003
Sports opportunities focused on athletes with intellectual disabilities are undergoing development. The athletic preparation of individuals with intellectual disabilities has its specificities, often requiring a special approach, assistance, and support. In many cases, one or both parents become coaches or accompany their disabled child to sports events. This creates a space not only for necessary support, understanding and development but also for exceptional moments of shared experiences. The aim of this study was to explore the perspectives and benefits of sports from the viewpoint of parents. The chosen research method was interviews with parents...
Muscle imbalance and hypermobility in figure skaters of younger school age
E. N. Nowická
Studia Kinanthropologica 2023, 24(2-3):59-65 | DOI: 10.32725/sk.2024.001
Figure skating is a very demanding sport both physically and mentally. The coach should take care to limit the possible risks of the sport and prevent injuries. The main objective of this study was to try to show that young figure skaters aged 7 to 12 years experience muscle imbalances due to four years of regular training. The study population consisted of 7 female figure skaters of younger school age from HC Tábor. The basic characteristics of the participants were the category of the youngest and younger schoolchildren (age = 8.71 ± 1.10, height = 135.5 ± 6.8 cm, weight = 32 ± 6.9 kg). Both Dostalova and Horkel tests were used to...
Self-talk and its application to competitive swimming
O. Zach
Studia Kinanthropologica 2023, 24(2-3):67-75 | DOI: 10.32725/sk.2024.004
Competitive swimming is a discipline that requires full focus and concentration to achieve peak performance. Athletes use various psychological strategies to achieve their full concentration. One of these strategies is self-talk, which has gained more popularity in recent years. Self-talk may be divided such as internal and external self-talk. Long-term self-talk is proven to be the most effective compared with short-term self-talk. Competitive swimmers can create their scripts with their selection of self-talk cues that they have evaluated with their coach as those that need to be improved. Self-talk can help competitive swimmers improve their starting...