“Coming into my late 20s – ending my 20s, essentially, this year – I feel very grounded in the player that I am and the person that I am,” said Press, who turns 30 in December. “I feel clear in the goals of what I want to achieve in my personal game and also in more team goals. I feel that’s clearer than I have ever have [been]. Now it’s, what am I going to do to get there? I think that for the first part of my 20s, I put so much on myself – how I was training, the offseason, what types of drills I was doing, my fitness. I made strides with that, and I just got to a point where I feel like I want to play a certain type of soccer, and I’m willing to search for it.
“And I want to be in a certain type of environment that I feel like I can get better. I can play the type of soccer that I want to play; I can have a coach that can push me and teach me new things. It’s not easy for any player to find a good home, a good fit, but I think it’s worth searching for. A lot of ambitions that I’ve had with the national team, I’ve fallen short in those. So, I don’t think that continuing to do the same thing, you should expect different results. So, I think this is my way of kind of searching for what I think can propel me to the next level.”
Azurá Stevens surprised many in April by foregoing her final year of NCAA eligibility and declaring early for the WNBA draft. It is uncommon for players in the women’s game to decline their final year of eligibility even though many transfers are eligible. Perhaps even more eye-catching, Azurá Stevens was both the 6th player in the UConn rotation and the 6th overall pick in the 2018 WNBA draft.
… ELA: You played hockey growing up. Do you see any parallels between hockey and basketball? How has knowing one game helped you play the other?
LW: I mean it’s five-on-five, so the movements are kind of the same. I feel like growing up playing hockey really gave me a solid advantage to playing basketball now. I’m thankful I grew up playing the game. Hockey is maybe a little more physical, but basketball is pretty physical too. So, I learned a lot from playing the sport.
Des Linden won the Boston Marathon on April 16, the pinnacle of her already impressive running career. And while she’s still a long way from retirement, she already has her next venture launched: linden & true coffee. Similarly, recently retired elite runner Lauren Fleshman manages her Picky Bars business, coaching, a partnership with clothing maker Oiselle and a twice-yearly running retreat. Professional trail runner Jax Mariash juggles her racing career with her passion for coffee as the owner of STOKED Roasters + Coffeehouse.
Des Linden’s victory in April in Boston was a career high point, yet she’s already thinking of her next move outside of running.
It might seem as though these elites have their hands full — and they certainly do — but the bottom line is that the careers of professional runners are short, and the smart ones have the next step lined up. If they’re lucky, they’ve carved out a second passion beyond running and figured out a way to make a go of it, as these women have.
Each of them is at a different stage in their running careers and came to their side gigs via varying methods. But one thing is clear: The same skill set that allowed them to become elite runners translates well to entrepreneurship.
Determine the influence of movement profile on systemic stress and mechanical loading before and after high training load exposure. Design
Cross-sectional cohort study. Methods
43 physically active, college-aged field or court sport female athletes participated in this study. Participants were assigned to a “excellent” (n = 22; age = 20.5 ± 1.9 yrs, height = 1.67 ± 0.67 m, mass = 64.5 ± 7.8 kg) or “poor” (n = 21; age = 20.4 ± 1.3 yrs, height = 1.69 ± 0.67 m, mass = 60.9 ± 6.1 kg) movement group defined by The Landing Error Scoring System. Participants completed five cycles of high training load exercise of 5-minute treadmill-running at a speed coincident with 100–120% ventilatory threshold and 10 jump-landings from a 30-cm box. Jump-landing vertical ground reaction force and serum cortisol were evaluated prior to and following exercise. Vertical ground reaction force ensemble averages and 95% confidence interval waveforms were generated for pre-exercise, post-exercise, and pre-post exercise changes. A two-way mixed model ANOVA was used to evaluate the effect of movement profile on systemic stress before and after exercise. Results
There was no significant difference in changes in serum cortisol between the poor and excellent groups (p = 0.69) in response to exercise. Overall, individuals in the poor group exhibited a higher serum cortisol level (p < 0.05, d = 0.85 [0.19,1.48]). The poor group exhibited higher magnitude vertical ground reaction force prior to (d = 1.02–1.26) and after exercise (d = 1.15) during a majority of the stance phase.
Conclusions
Individuals with poor movement profiles experience greater mechanical loads compared to individuals with excellent movement profiles. A poor movement profile is associated with greater overall concentrations of circulating cortisol, representative of greater systemic stress.
… “No heroes.” That was James Madison head coach Shelley Klaes-Bawcombe’s locker room message before the game. “We play as a team.”
That isn’t to say that the Dukes don’t have heroes. They do.
With three and a half minutes left, Gaudian dropped the ball in the middle of the Boston College defense. Three Eagles surrounded her, but somehow Gaudian scooped it up, pivoted toward net and split two more defenders to score and put her team up 15-13 at the time. It was ridiculous and it was her 80th goal on the season. There’s a reason that Boston College defender Hannah Hyatt was employed on Sunday as a full-time Kristen Gaudian faceguard. She’s a Tewaaraton finalist and was named the 2018 CAA Player of the Year.
Although increased training load (TL) and impaired sleep are associated with decreases in subjective well-being in adult athletes, these relationships among female youth athletes are unclear. It is unknown whether the effects of sleep and TL on well-being are independent or whether alterations in sleep mediate the effects of TL on subjective well-being. Hypothesis:
Sleep and TL exert independent effects on subjective well-being among youth athletes, although alterations in sleep mediate a significant portion of the effect of TL on well-being in female youth athletes. Study Design:
Prospective cohort study. Level of Evidence:
Level 4. Methods:
A total of 65 female soccer athletes (age range, 13-18 years) were monitored for 1 year. Daily TL was determined by session rating of perceived exertion and converted to z-scores. Every morning, participants recorded sleep duration in hours and rated stress, mood, fatigue, and soreness on a scale from −3 to +3 (worst to best). Linear mixed-effects models and mediation analysis were used to evaluate the independent effects of TL and sleep on well-being. Results:
Average sleep duration was 7.9 ± 1.4 hours during the study period. In the multivariable model, TL and sleep duration were independently associated with fatigue (TL: β = −0.19, P < 0.001; sleep: β = 0.15, P < 0.001), mood (TL: β = −0.030, P = 0.014; sleep: β = 0.13, P < 0.001), stress (TL: β = −0.055, P = 0.001; sleep: β = 0.13, P < 0.001), and soreness (TL: β = −0.31, P < 0.001; sleep: β = 0.022, P = 0.042). Sleep duration mediated a significant portion of the effect of TL on mood (26.8%, P < 0.001), fatigue (12.6%, P < 0.001), and stress (24.5%, P < 0.001).
Conclusion:
Among female youth athletes, decreased sleep duration and increased TL are independently associated with impairments of subjective well-being. In addition, decreased sleep mediates a significant portion of the negative effect of increases in TL on subjective well-being. Clinical Relevance:
Monitoring and promoting sleep among female adolescent athletes may significantly improve subjective well-being, particularly during periods of increased TL.
Serena Williams has always been a risk taker. Her powerful look from her first match in Paris — a sleek black catsuit paired with sparkling SW shoes — highlights her relentless drive to break barriers and sends a strong message.
Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction (ACLR) is the most commonly used method for helping athletes regain function and return to preinjury activity levels after ACL injury. Outcomes after ACLR have suggested that athletes return to a level of function that would support a return to sport participation; however, in a recent meta-analysis, pooled return rates were only 55%. It is unclear whether this discrepancy is a result of functional impairments. OBJECTIVE:
To compare patient-reported outcomes (PROs), dynamic balance, dynamic functional performance, strength, and muscular endurance in athletes who have returned to sport (RTS) and athletes who have not returned to sport (NRTS) after ACLR. DESIGN:
Case-control study. SETTING:
University research laboratory. PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS:
Two groups of participants with primary unilateral ACLR: 18 RTS individuals (7 males, 11 females; age = 23 ± 11 years, height = 163.58 ± 40.41 cm, mass = 70.00 ± 21.75 kg, time since surgery = 4.02 ± 3.20 years) and 12 NRTS individuals (5 males, 7 females; age = 26 ± 13 years, height = 171.33 ± 48.24 cm, mass = 72.00 ± 21.81 kg, time since surgery = 3.68 ± 2.71 years). INTERVENTION(S):
The PROs consisted of the International Knee Documentation Committee Subjective Knee Evaluation Form, Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score, Tegner Activity Scale, and Marx Activity Scale. Functional performance outcome measures were the anterior and posteromedial reach on the Star Excursion Balance Test, a battery of single-legged-hop tests, isokinetic quadriceps and hamstrings strength at 60°/s and 180°/s, and a novel step-down-to-fatigue test. All measures were taken during a single laboratory session. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S):
The Limb Symmetry Index was calculated for all functional performance measures. Mann-Whitney U tests were used to compare measures between groups ( P < .10).
RESULTS:
Compared with the RTS group, the NRTS group had lower scores on the International Knee Documentation Committee Subjective Knee Evaluation Form (RTS median = 92.52, range = 66.67-97.70; NRTS median = 82.76, range = 63.22-96.55; P = .03) and Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score Symptoms subscale (RTS median = 88, range = 54-100; NRTS median = 71, range = 54-100; P = .08). No differences were observed for any functional performance measures. CONCLUSIONS:
The NRTS athletes displayed lower PROs despite demonstrating similar function on a variety of physical performance measures. These results further support existing evidence that physical performance alone may not be the ideal postoperative outcome measure. Measures of patients’ symptoms and self-perceived physical function may also greatly influence postoperative activity choices.
The parents of two teenage girls from eastern Pennsylvania who have suffered concussions playing soccer say the sport’s governing body hasn’t done enough to protect young female players.
In a suit filed Friday in U.S. District Court in Pittsburgh, the families and their lawyers say the U.S. Soccer Federation and its largest member, the U.S. Youth Soccer Association, have failed to mandate the use of protective headgear despite evidence that it works.
Lawyers for the families say recent studies show modern headgear could reduce concussions.
The suit was brought by attorneys for two girls — Alivia Sherman and Adiah Siler — in the Scranton and Allentown areas; they are seeking class-action status that would cover all current and former female youth soccer players, and more plaintiffs are expected to be added in a future complaint.
There is a lack of literature-based objective criteria for return to sport after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury. Establishing such objective criteria is crucial to improving return to sport after ACL reconstruction (ACLR). Hypotheses:
Patients who return to their preinjury level of sport will have higher isokinetic, postural stability, and drop vertical jump test scores 6 months after surgery and greater patient satisfaction compared with those who did not. Additionally, quadriceps strength deficit cutoff values of 80% and 90% would differentiate patients who returned to preinjury sports level from those who did not. Study Design:
Cohort study. Level of Evidence:
Level 3. Methods:
A retrospective search was conducted to identify all patients who underwent ACLR and completed isokinetic evaluation, postural stability analysis, and drop vertical jump testing at 6 months postoperatively. Patients were asked to complete 3 questionnaires at a minimum 1 year after surgery. Chi-square and logistic regression analyses were used for categorical dependent variables, while the Student t test, Pearson correlation, or analyses of variance with Bonferroni post hoc testing were used for continuous dependent variables. A post hoc power analysis was completed. Based on the results regarding correlations between return to preinjury level and all other variables, effect sizes from 0.24 to 3.03 were calculated. With these effect sizes, an alpha of 0.05 and sample size of 58, a power ranging from 0.15 to 0.94 was calculated. Results:
The rates of return to preinjury level and to any sports activity were 53.4% and 84.4%. Those who were able to return to their preinjury level of sport (n = 33) showed significantly higher Lysholm (91.6 ± 9.7 vs 76.7 ± 15.4) and International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) (83.6 ± 10.6 vs 69.8 ± 14.6) values compared with those who were unable to return to their preinjury level of sport (n = 25) (P < 0.001). No significant differences were found for the clinical evaluations between those who were and those who were not able to return at the same level for the clinical evaluations (isokinetic evaluation, postural stability, drop vertical jump test) (P > 0.05). No significant differences were found when comparing quadriceps strength deficit with cutoff values of 80% and 90% for return to preinjury activity level (Tegner), Lysholm, and IKDC scores. Conclusion:
Quadriceps strength deficit, regardless of cutoff value (80% or 90%), at 6 months after ACLR does not predict return to preinjury level of sport. Patients who returned to sport at their preinjury level were more satisfied with their reconstruction compared with those who did not. Clinical Relevance:
Quadriceps strength deficit is not a reliable predictor of return to sports, and therefore it should not be used as the single criterion in such evaluations.
Find one more like our best: That’s the motto which guides scouting for the United States women’s national team.
In theory, that should be pretty simple. This is, after all, the world’s most storied women’s program – three-time World Cup champion and four-time Olympic champion. This is a country which has long embraced women’s soccer and thus turned over world-class players across several generations. It is home to one of the world’s best professional leagues and it boasts an incredible depth of talent in the professional and collegiate ranks.
The national team is the top of that pyramid – the one percent of the one percent. Every two months or so, a group of 20-some players are called into training camp. Logically, these are the best American players at any given time. But how are those players actually picked? How does the national team program – from the Under-15 level to the senior team – actually select its players?
… Over the past 96 hours I’ve had discussions and exchanged messages with people at all sorts of different clubs inside and outside the current top two tiers of women’s football, trying not just to build a picture of how the leagues might look but how it has affected people whose jobs and livelihoods have been, and now are, very much on the line.
“Horrible” and “upsetting” were words which often popped up and the lack of clarity even led to members of staff and players from clubs messaging me to see if I knew what was going on, such was the level some were kept in the dark over their club’s fate.
As of 8:30 am on Monday morning Sunderland players still hadn’t been informed by the club of their situation, but one told me they believed “silence was deafening” in regards to their FA WSL fate.
Sunderland sadly weren’t the only team to lose out as both Oxford United and Watford lost out on their spots in Tier 2. Watford, in particular, feel a deep sense of frustration after they were misled when the first round of license applications ended last year.
The Liberty will start their 22nd W.N.B.A. season on Sunday with a for-sale sign over their heads, a new head coach and a new home arena separated from the old one by about 25 miles on land and by light-years in prestige.
The Madison Square Garden Company, which has owned the Liberty since the league’s first season, in 1997, announced in November that it intended to sell the franchise. When a buyer had not surfaced by February, the company moved the Liberty’s home court from the Garden, in the heart of Manhattan, to the suburban Westchester County Center in White Plains.
For now, the Liberty seem disinclined to gripe about being relocated from a world famous arena to a facility that also hosts a reptile expo and a seminar on knife fighting.
… According to a recent GWI report, one in three esports fans are aged between 20 and 25. Overall esports fans are now representing around 15% of internet users, and 71% of them are male. This reflects quite well the pro-gamers crowd. Yet, gaming overall has not been so male-dominated for quite some time. Already in 2012, a study by the Entertainment Software Association showed that gamers were split 53% male and 47% female.
So why are we not seeing more female pro-gamers? The answer is pretty straightforward: culture and gatekeeping. Female gamers are often made to feel they do not belong that they do not have the skills. I am sure some of you will quickly run a list of heroines like Cortana, Lara Croft, Sonya Blade but as you continue and you pay attention to their outfits you quickly spot one of the problems: objectification.
A huge rise in the number of reports of sexist discrimination in football targeted at high‑profile women in the game is worrying but not surprising, according to the sport’s leading gender equality pressure group.
There has been an overall increase of almost 400% in the number of reports of sex discrimination and harassment incidents received by Women in Football, with alleged abuse on social media accounting for the biggest leap.
During the course of the 2017‑18 season, Women in Football claims to have received complaints from individuals across the football industry. Lewd comments of a sexual nature, racist, gendered remarks and threats of violence were reportedly made to a number of high‑profile female journalists, broadcasters, players and referees.
