Academic literature on the topic 'Track-and-field athletics'

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2002.<br>Title from first page of PDF file. Document formatted into pages; contains xiv, 233 p. Includes abstract and vita. Advisor: Mary O'Sullivan, Dept. of Education. Includes bibliographical references (p. 213-218).

Sports have become economic activity. Marketing, especially marketing communication has played an important role in its shift from pure nonprofit basis to more commercial character. The thesis examines development of communication in one of the sports, athletics (track & field) in the Czech Republic (CR). In terms of narrow approach to marketing in sports it focuses on these subjects - Czech athletic federation, meetings in the CR, Czech athletes. It analyzes level of communication, suggests solutions to improvement of athletics` status in the Czech Republic using promotion. It is one of the first sources of marketing communication in given sports branch.

Pre-competition anxiety in sports is very common not only among professional athletes, but also among adolescents who are active in sports, compete a lot and experience physical, emotional and social changes in their lives. The aim of the study was to evaluate track-and-field adolescent athletes’ (12-18 years old) personal anxiety level and pre-competition anxiety. The hypothesis of the thesis was based on the assumption that adolescent track-and-field athletes’ personal anxiety level and pre-competition anxiety components (somatic, emotional and cognitive) differ depending on gender. Personal anxiety level was determined using J. Taylor’s test. V. A. Alekseev’s pre-competition anxiety test showed dominant competition state anxiety component among adolescent athletes. Examination of the results and setting the personal anxiety level for the track-and-field adolescent athletes studied showed no gender differences (p>0,05). The findings of the results among track-and-field athletes’ pre-competition anxiety components (somatic, emotional and cognitive) suggest dependable differences between adolescent girls and boys (p<0,05). The test results also showed that cognitive anxiety was most common in both groups, i.e. boys and girls. The comparison of the results (those of both methods studied individually for every athlete) of the personal anxiety level and pre-competition anxiety tests from the perspective of gender suggested that the differences between gender do exist (p<0,0... [to full text]

This dissertation will describe the theory of Market Research focussing on the types and methods. The aim of the thesis is to analyse parent´s decision-making process when they are choosing clubs for their children. I will uncover the process of decision-making by questionnaire and will also find out the level of public awareness of athletics and the Athletics for kids project.

The primary purpose of this study was to determine if life stress had any affect on athletic performance and the occurrence of injury. The athletes in this study ranged in age from 17 to 22, and all had the potential and ability to practice and compete at the Division I level in track and field. The goal of the researcher was to collect as much information as possible on each athlete. Each athlete was required to write in a daily journal. A standard set of questions were asked in interviews prior to competition and following competition. Each athlete completed two types of scales prior to competition as well: Everyday Problem Scale (EPS) and Sport Competition Anxiety Test (SCAT). Through this information five common trends emerged: injury with treatment, external distractions, a higher performance was perceived if their family and friends were present at competition, teammate support, and teammate frustration.The researcher believed there was sufficient evidence to dismiss the comparison between the five common trends and the scores of the SCAT and EPS. The SCAT scores were mainly at the moderate level. The average score among all the athletes was approximately "19" or moderate. The EPS dealt with life stress and not athletic stress.The most frequently cited concern by the athletes were financial problems, difficulties with a girlfriend, wanting a relationship with someone, and so forth, but none were consistently cited.The perception of the stressor was an important factor in this study since the athletes perceived each competition either as distressful or eustressful. Depending on how much the athlete perceived each competition as a stressor may have effected his performance. Few stressors were identified but depending on the competition the athlete may have focused so much on the stressor that it became distressful while at another competition the same stressor was not focused on as much so it was viewed as eustressful.<br>School of Physical Education