Women motorcyclists: Childhood foundations and adult pathways

Women have been involved in motorcycling for almost one hundred years, but it has always been an activity dominated by men. However, recent data suggest that women are now becoming active motorcyclists in greater numbers. This study identifies variables which are related to a woman becoming a motorcyclist and the nature of the process. It also investigates the possibility that the meaning of motorcycling may be different for women. The women riders in this study reported substantial involvement in outdoor activities as a child, and they tended to be involved in competitive sports. Most reported enjoying boys ' games and playing with boys prior to adolescence. Many appeared to be the products of gender neutral child rearing, especially from fathers. The most common entrance to motorcycle operation was via a boyfriend or spouse. For many of these women, motorcycling has special meaning for them as a woman

The influence of date and place of birth on youth player selection to a National Football Association elite development programme

Aim: This study sought to examine whether the place and date of birth of elite youth Irish footballers influences their selection onto the Football Association of Ireland's primary development pathway; 12 regional centres of excellences called the “Emerging Talent Programme” (ETP). The proposed hypothesis was that players born earlier in the year would be over-represented compared to those born later in their age band. A secondary hypothesis was that access to the ETP would be independent of place of birth. Methods: The dates and place of birth of all elite youth footballers (n = 1936) selected onto the ETP since its inception were examined. χ2 tests were used to establish if the dates of birth differed from the expected population distribution. Odds ratios were used to identify spatial variation in relation to place of birth and talent production. Results: The results showed that admission to the ETP is not independent of quarter of birth (P .05, χ2 = 256.817, w = .388). Place of birth analysis showed an unequal geographical distribution of players gaining selection onto the ETP. Selection onto the ETP was not independent of place of birth (P < .05, χ2 = 149.457, w = .278). Footballers developed in counties that had an ETP centre were almost 50% more likely to gain selection than those without a centre (OR 1.455, 95% CI 1.314 -1.612). Conclusion: The current programme demonstrates inequitable distribution of opportunities to access elite development pathways due to biases related to date and place of birth

Physical characteristics and the talent identification and development processes in male youth soccer: A narrative review

Talent identification and development in male youth soccer are complex and multidimensional processes. The English Football Association “4 Corner Model” is often adopted by academies to support coaches and practitioners to implement a multidisciplinary approach to their talent identification and development framework. This holistic approach is characterized by technical/tactical, psychological, social, and physical attributes, which are central to academy recruitment and individual long-term athlete development. The aim of this narrative review is to provide a critical synthesis of the physical characteristics within this model, which facilitate talent identification and development, namely physical performance, growth and maturation, and the relative age effect

O Índice de Desenvolvimento Humano e a Data de Nascimento podem condicionar a ascensão de jogadores de Futebol ao alto nível de rendimento?

O presente trabalho objetiva identificar a possível influência do Índice de Desenvolvimento Humano (IDH) e da data de nascimento (DN) na ascensão de jogadores ao alto nível de rendimento. A amostra integra os 643 jogadores que disputaram o Campeonato Brasileiro Série A de 2010. Foram coletados dados referentes à data e ao local de nascimento juntamente com seu IDH. Foi utilizada a estatística descritiva e os testes Kolmogorov-Smirnov, Qui-quadrado, Kruskall-Wallis e coeficiente de corelação de Pearson. O nível de significância adotado foi de α=0,05. Os resultados sugerem que jogadores nascidos em cidades com valores populacionais inferiores a 100 mil habitantes, com IDH médio (entre 0,501-0,800) e, nascidos nos primeiros meses do ano, apresentam maiores chances de atingir a elite. Afigura-se plausível concluir que a DN e o IDH são fatores que associados podem determinar a ascensão de jogadores ao alto rendimento

The relationship between age and conservative opinions

Throughout the recorded pages of sociological literature it has generally been contended that older people are more conservative than younger people. The major focal point of this thesis is an application of this generalization to a specified, temporal situation via an empirical investigation of the relationship between age and conservative opinions on contemporary issues. In this manner an empirical demonstration of the theoretical relationship between age and conservatism was accomplished. Additionally, an analysis of the relative importance of age as an independent variable related to conservative opinions was achieved. Interviews were administered to a random sample of wives of Virginia Polytechnic Institute faculty members. Data consisted of scores on a Likert-type scale of conservative opinions centering on issues relative to race, law enforcement, and patriotism. With respect to the instrument employed and the sample surveyed, five general findings were noted. First, older persons expressed more conservative opinions than did younger persons, but not to a great extent. Second, there is a positive correlation between age and conservative opinions, but the degree of correlation is not high. Third, the relationship between age and conservative opinions is quantitative, not qualitative. In other words, a polarization of opinions on the basis of age does not exist. Fourth, education is much more important than age as an independent variable related to conservative opinions, although the direction is one of negative correlation. Finally, age is more important than the region or community size of one's childhood as an independent variable related to conservative opinions.Master of Scienc