The objective of this study was to verify the validity of the hypothetical model and to conduct a comparison of “doping awareness and sports norms” between Japan and South Korea.

The following five points were revealed as the result of conducting a survey using the “Doping Awareness and Sports Norm” scale with Japanese university physical education students (n=987) and South Korean university physical education students (n=305) as subjects.

1. As a result of examining the hypothetical model using structural equation modeling, a result that met the criteria was found and the validity of the hypothetical model was established.

2. The hypothesis that Japanese university physical education students had a lower “awareness to support doping”(had a high anti-doping awareness) compared to South Korean university physical education students was supported.

3. The factor on which the Japanese students showed a higher value than the South Korean students was the “fair play” factor.

4. The three factors that the South Korean students showed a higher value on were the “doping awareness” factor that approves of doping, the “special doping” factor, and the “role model” factor.

5. Between the Japanese and South Korean university physical education student groups, the factors that impact “doping awareness” that showed a difference were the relationship between the “spirit of fair play” factor and the “special doping” factor, revealing that high spirit of fair play had a negative impact on special doping awareness.

The purpose of this study was to clarify the process of establishment of basketball clubs at universities in Japan.

The results of the study can be summarized as follows.

1. The origin of basketball competitions at the university ware basketball teams at the Tokyo YMCA and at a former junior high school.

2. Basketball competitions at universities started around 1920.

3. The Tokyo YMCA played an important role in the guidance and facility aspects even after basketball was started at each university.

4. In the beginning, in regards to basketball teams from each university, an automatic accession to the athletic meet was not allowed. At that time each university was required to obtain a certain competitive result to join the athletic meet, and each university was accepted as a result of the competition and were then able to join the athletic meet.

5. The Tokyo YMCA lost its gymnasium due to the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923, the team was forced to temporarily dissolve. Then, Rikkyo University won over the Tokyo YMCA to reach the top of a national championship. As a consequence, there was an increase in the momentum to establish a Student Association, and an association was established by 3 universities—Rikkyu University, Waseda University and Tokyo Commerce University.

In open skill sports such as soccer, cognitive function is important. In this study, we examined the executive function of junior soccer players with two cognitive function tests, the Design Fluency Test (DFT) and the Trail Making Test (TMT).

The subjects were soccer players who were members of teams in the Spanish Soccer Junior League. Group 1 had 29 male soccer players (age: 12.5±0.7 years old) who played for the top tier Division 1 teams. Group 2 had 34 male soccer players (age: 12.5±0.5 years old) who played for the lower tier Division 3 teams. DFT was significantly higher in the Group 1 than in the Group 2. In contrast, TMT was significantly lower in the Group 1 than in the Group 2. The results suggested that even in the junior soccer players, the execution functions affect soccer performance.

Introduction

There have been reports on performance improvement and injury prevention for pitchers. Unfortunately, only few studies on college pitchers who have pitching speed up to 150 km/h have been reported.

Thus, we aimed to clarify the characteristics of college pitchers who pitch up to 150 km/h during scrimmage and or games.

Methods

Our subjects were twelve college baseball pitchers. We administered a questionnaire and conducted measurements of physical characteristics, such as, range of motion and muscle tightness. Based on the fastest pitch speed during games played in the past year, we divided the subjects into two groups of six subjects, high speed group (148 km/h or higher) and low speed group (139 km/h or less).For statistical analysis, we used an unpaired t test, with a significance level of (P<.05).

Results

BMI and pitching history presented significantly higher values in the HS group compared to the LS group. The HS group also presented significantly higher values for pronation of the non-dominant forearm and thoracolumbar extension in measurement of range of motions in the joints.

Discussions

BMI and pitching history were significantly higher in the HS group, indicating that having a large mass and long pitching history are related to pitch speed. Previous studies recommended that looking over the anteriorly rotated non-dominant shoulder is the ideal pitching motion. In this study, the pronation of the non-dominant forearm was higher in the HS group. This motion guides the anteriorly rotated non-dominant shoulder, leading to the current results. The high range of motion for thoracolumbar extension in the HS group allowed for an ideal pitching motion that links the glenohumeral joint, scapulothoracic joint, clavicle, and thoracic vertebrae, in addition to the shoulder complex, to ultimately enhance pitch speed.

Background: Movement improves remarkably during childhood, but it depends heavily on the development of toe muscle strength and the growth of the sole form.

Objective: This study examined differences in the left and right feet, sex differences, and changes based on age in the toe muscle strength and foot form; it also studied inter-relations between them in children aged 5–10.

Methods: Subjects were 287 boys and girls enrolled in a kindergarten and an elementary school in 2016 and 2017.

Measurement items: Height, weight, toe muscle strength, and foot length, foot width, heel width, center of gravity position, and internal and external arches in the left and right feet were measured.

Results and Conclusion: Toe muscle strength, foot length, foot width, heel width, center of gravity position, and internal and external arches increased with age. However, there were no or negligible differences in the left and right feet and as per sex.

Toe muscle strength had low relations to height, body weight, foot length, foot width, heel width, and center of gravity position. There was no relation between toe muscle strength and arches.

Foot length, foot width, heel width, and center of gravity position were all related to height and weight.

In particular, foot length had a close relation to height.

Although the foot length, foot width, and heel width were related to each other, the relation between the internal and the external arches was low. The arches also had low relationships to the other sole variables.

The purpose of this research was to clarify the holding circumstances of the first and third Jugend Austausch Japan–Deutschland (JAJD) and the actual situation of activities, and aimed to examine the factors that JAJD had on the establishment of the Japan Junior Sports Clubs Association (JJSCA).

The results of this study are summarized as follows.

1) JAJD aimed for exchange between Kenmin Shonen Dan (KSD) and Deutsche Sportjugend (DSJ) for the purpose of youth exchange between Japan and West Germany.

2) In the first JAJD, in August 1954, a delegation composed of representatives of KSD visited each region of West Germany for 20 days, and a youth sports competition and a gathering of leaders were held.

3) In the first JAJD, the delegation from Japan understood the activities of DSJ and recognized the difference between KSD and DSJ. And the consciousness to develop the activities of KSD was born in Japanese youth organization.

4) In July 1956, JAJD was held for the first time in Japan, and 12 representatives of DSJ conducted activities around each city.

5) Activities of DSJ were introduced to Japan through the Third JAJD.

6) Activities to establish JJSCA with reference to DSJ started in December 1958 by Oshima Kenkichi. He was the main promoter of JAJD and it was established on June 23, 1962 after deliberation by the Board of the Japan Amateur Sports Association.

7) JJSCA’s philosophy which was enacted after the establishment of JJSCA referenced DSJ’s philosophy.

Thus, in the process of establishing JJSCA, JAJD plays an important role and it was possible to create JJSCA because JAJD was implemented.

In the study of skiing, it has been studied from various viewpoints, and experimental modal analysis is one of the methods most commonly used in the measurement of dynamic characteristics. However, in the previous research, the dynamics during competition are hardly considered. Therefore, in this approach, eigenvalue analysis was carried out in consideration of contact ratio with the snow surface and the centrifugal force at the turns of alpine skiing using a theoretical mode analysis by the finite element method(FEM).

In this paper, the experimental and analysis results are reported.

The purpose of this study was to clarify effects of low-intensity resistance training with different movement velocities to failure on maximal strength in elderly adults. Both legs of twelve elderly volunteers (age: 64.8±7.6) were assigned to low-intensity (50% of one repetition maximum: 1RM) unilateral knee extensions with either normal movement conditions (1 s for lifting and lowering, 1 s for relaxing; N) or slow movement conditions (3 s for lifting and lowering, 1 s isometric; S). Both conditions were performed in random order on the same day and knee extensions were performed to failure in each set for three sets. Training was conducted twice per week for a total of 9 weeks. As an index of the training volume, total number of repetitions (NR), total work load (NR*weight; WL) and total contraction time (NR*contraction time per 1 repetition; CT) throughout training period were calculated. To evaluate the effect of maximal strength, we made pre and post training measures of 1 repetition maximum (1RM) and maximal voluntary contraction of knee extension (MVC). Following 9 weeks of training, NR and WL were significantly greater in N than S (P<0.01). CT was significantly longer in S than N (P<0.01). In both conditions, 1RM significantly increased after training period (P<0.01) and there was no significant intergroup difference (P=0.799). There was no significant intergroup difference in percent increases of 1RM (P=0.530, N: 8.9±8.6%, S: 11.5±10.7%). In both conditions, MVC significantly increased after training period (P<0.01) without any significant intergroup difference (P=0.908). On the other hand, there were no significant differences in percent increases of MVC between intergroup (P=0.697, N: 14.3±12.5%, S: 12.7±6.5%). These results suggest that effect of low-intensity resistance training to failure on maximal strength in elderly adults is independent from movement velocities.

The purpose of this study was to examine the distance traveled, running speed, and heart rate of male collegiate soccer players during ball possession training of soccer with different area sizes.

Eight subjects performed the following four area sizes of ball possession soccer training for 4 min while the number of players per team was kept constant 4 vs. 4: 1) Small size (15×15, S size); 2) Medium size (18×18 m, M size): 3) Large size (21×21 m, L size); 4) Vertically long size (42×21 m, VL size). The movement characteristics of all players were examined during training by time-motion analysis using a potable global positioning system.

The total distance traveled, average running speed, and average heart rate during ball possession training showed significantly higher values in M, L, and VL size than in S size (P<0.01). And, the maximum heart rate during ball possession training in VL size was significantly higher than that in S size (P<0.05). Moreover, in the distance traveled by speed, the distance travel with 10–15 km/h showed significantly higher values in M, L, and VL size than in S size (P<0.01). And, the distance travel with 15–20 km/h in VL size was greater than that in S, M, and L size (P<0.05).

Thus, the result of this study suggests the ball possession training of higher exercise intensity in soccer can be done by enlarging the playing area size, and the training with higher speed can be performed by moving the place of possession of the ball.