Browsing by Subject "Soccer"

Now showing 1 - 9 of 9

Analyzing the policy impact of the Olympic strategy on the soccer professionalization in China
(2018-06-26) Chen, Yiming, M.S. in Kinesiology; Hunt, Thomas M.; Sparvero, Emily Suzanne, 1975-
The U23 regulations in the Chinese professional soccer have received many criticisms since the implementation in 2017. Despite the administrative reform and the approval of the long-term soccer development plan in 2015, the most recent elite development policies in professional soccer are considered having inherited the Olympic Strategy and conflicting with the professionalization prospects. Research has paid attention to the role of the Olympic Strategy on Chinese professional soccer but has yet made any response to the controversial policy conflict at present. This study uses a case study methodology to analyze the policy impact of the Olympic Strategy on the soccer professionalization in China. Extracting meanings from policy documents through three decades produced by various organizations, the study finds that policymakers in Chinese elite sport system justify the prioritization of developing Olympic athletes in three major patterns, which are based on performance, organization, and ideology. The rationales of the latest U23 regulations show that such Olympic-centric patterns have not ceased effects regardless of the unprecedented level of soccer development plan initiated two years ago. The findings suggest that the Olympic Strategy remained the priority of Chinese elite sport system after the Beijing Games and has been in policy conflicts with the soccer professionalization at the elite development level. Consequently, the overemphasis on the pathway of developing Olympic athletes over professional athletes diminishes the professionalization efforts.
The effects of carbohydrate-protein supplementation on glycogen utilization and fatigue during a simulated soccer match
(2010-12) Dessard, Benjamin; Ivy, John, 1945-; Tanaka, Hirofumi
The purpose of this study was to examine if the addition of protein to a carbohydrate supplement (CHO+PRO), provided during a simulated soccer match, would reduce fatigue and muscle glycogen utilization in comparison to an isocaloric carbohydrate only supplement (CHO). Two female and eight male (n = 10) trained soccer players performed a modified version of the Loughborough Intermittent Shuttle Test (LIST) on two separate occasions, followed by a run to exhaustion (RTE). Supplements were provided 10 minutes before the simulated match and at the beginning of half-time, but not during exercise in order to create real-match conditions. Supplements were composed of 2.8% protein + 7% carbohydrate (CHO+PRO) or 9.8% carbohydrate (CHO). Muscle biopsies were performed before and at the end of the LIST, after which iv participants ran to exhaustion. No differences were found between treatments for RTE (489 ± 121 sec for CHO and 589 ± 186 sec for CHO+PRO) or glycogen utilization (37.9 ± 7.6 µmol•g wet wt-1 during the CHO and 29.1 ± 6.0 µmol•g wet wt-1 during the CHO+PRO). No differences were found for the other measurements such as sprint times, heart rate, RPE, blood glucose, lactate, and insulin. Blood Creatine kinase (CK), and overall muscle soreness were measured 24 hours after each trial in order to evaluate muscle damage but no differences between treatments were found. In accordance with these findings, the phosphorylation state of the protein FOXO3a was not altered differently by the treatments. These results suggest that the addition of protein to a traditional carbohydrate-only supplement provided immediately prior to and at the half of a simulated soccer match does not further improve the benefits of a CHO supplement.
Exceptions and exceptionalism : The United States Soccer Football Association in a global context, 1950–74
(2015-08) Kioussis, George Nicholas; Hunt, Thomas M.; Bowers, Matthew T; Dimeo, Paul; Hoberman, John M; Todd, Janice S
Since the 2001 release of Andrei Markovits and Steven Hellerman’s Offside, the dominant narrative about football in the United States has been one of exceptionalism – a term used to denote uniqueness, but also one wrapped up in notions of superiority. A finde-siècle desire for exclusively “native” sports, so the theory holds, prompted Americans to turn a collective cold shoulder to the kicking game in favor of their own national pastimes. In the years thereafter, the American footballing experience diverged still further, as evidenced in the cachet the women’s game achieved at the turn of the millennium and the sport’s transformation from working-class pastime to bourgeois pursuit. Lost in these points of disjuncture, however, are important junctures. This dissertation endeavors to bring these junctures – the exceptions to exceptionalism – to the fore by focusing on the understudied United States Soccer Football Association. Using a rich array of archival materials, it connects America’s “soccer men” to the broader international football system and argues for a moderation of the paradigm of exceptionalism. It begins by focusing on the overlap of people, focusing on the social and developmental links members of the USSFA established with their colleagues abroad. It then transitions to the overlap of ideas – first with regard to the intrusion of business interests into sport, then with regard to adapting football to fit the patterns of an increasingly competitive sport and leisure marketplace. In sum, this work teases out the complexities in a historiography that has typically been written with a view to difference.
The games behind the game : the process of democratic deepening and identity formation in Turkey as seen through football clubs
(2011-05) Blasing, John Konuk; Henry, Clement M., 1937-; Boone, Catherine
The history of football clubs in Turkey is entwined with the political and economic development of Turkey in the twentieth century. This thesis focuses on the history of soccer clubs and the close involvement of the sport with the formation of modern Turkish identity during the late Ottoman period, the early republican period, the multi-party period, and finally the Cold War era. As this study also argues, in addition to their role in identity formation, football clubs were the building blocks of associational life in Turkish democracy and thus represent a major force in the process of democratic deepening in the country. The thesis addresses both the complex political functions and uses of soccer clubs and their economic relationship to the development of Turkish business. Through the twentieth century, the politics behind soccer clubs evolved from an affirmation of national identity to a reassertion of local identity as a challenge to the centralized state system. Increased localization—as evidenced by the rising fortunes of soccer clubs and businesses from Central Anatolia, Turkey’s Muslim heartland—also indicates the increased Islamicization of Turkish society accompanying the advent of the AKP (Justice and Development Party). The changing character of Turkish society and the challenge to traditional secular elites by a rising class of Islamic businessmen from outside of the metropolitan areas—developing businesses concentrated mainly in Central Anatolia—are presented through an analysis of Parliamentary election results since 1962 along with the concurrent change in the geographical transformation of the landscape of Turkish soccer through this period. The study examines the complex, multifaceted interrelationships and lines of mutual determinations between the changing conceptions of Turkish identity, democratic deepening, Islamicization, and the economic development of modern Turkey. This thesis demonstrates how these forces that shape social, political, and economic life are played out on the soccer field.
German soccer stars and the politics of media representation : a case study in ethnicity and celebrity culture
(2023-04-21) Waas, Sabine; Hake, Sabine, 1956-; Pierce, Marc; Hoberman, John M.; Hess, Peter; Ozyurtcu, Tolga
This dissertation examines the (self)representation of German soccer players in social media, sports media, popular literature, and fan discourses. It emphasizes the role of ethnicity in the creation of celebrity sports branding and fan–athlete relationship. Ever since West Germany won its first FIFA World Cup in 1954, soccer has allowed for the construction of an “imagined community” in West Germany and then unified Germany. Since the 1960s, soccer culture has been increasingly intertwined with the entertainment sector, resulting in more money through advertising, merchandising and television coverage. The soccer player Franz Beckenbauer capitalized on that, becoming the first German sports celebrity, scoring endorsement deals, attending social events, and writing his autobiography. Other soccer celebrities followed, including German players mit Migrationshintergrund (a term literally meaning “migration background;” it refers to people who did not acquire German citizenship at birth or whose parents did not acquire German citizenship at birth). While there is scholarship on people mit Migrationshintergrund and sports celebrities separately, there are not many studies about soccer celebrities mit Migrationshintergrund. My dissertation analyzes how soccer players like Lukas Podolski, Jérôme Boateng, and Mesut Özil use their Migrationshintergrund to further their celebrity status and thereby their brand(s). I argue that their branding is governed by fan expectations, masculinity norms, entrepreneurialism, and specific models of migration discourses.
Onside: A Reconsideration of Soccer's Cultural Future in the United States
(2020-05) Dockery, Samuel Reed
Throughout the course of the 20th century, professional sports have evolved to become a predominant aspect of many societies’ popular cultures. Though sports and related physical activities had existed long before 1900, the advent of industrial economies, specifically growing middle classes and ever-improving methods of communication in countries worldwide, have allowed sports to be played and followed by more people than ever before. As a result, certain games have captured the hearts and minds of so many people in such a way that a culture of following the particular sport has begun to be emphasized over the act of actually doing or performing the sport. One needs to look no further than the hours of football talk shows scheduled weekly on ESPN or the myriad of analytical articles published online and in newspapers daily for evidence of how following and talking about sports has taken on cultural priority over actually playing the sport. Defined as “hegemonic sports cultures” by University of Michigan sociologists Andrei Markovits and Steven Hellerman, these sports are the ones who dominate “a country’s emotional attachments rather than merely representing its callisthenic activities.” Soccer is the world’s game. This phrase, though oft-repeated to the point of becoming cliché, holds true in the sporting cultures of nearly every country around the globe, with one glaring exception: The United States of America. Indeed, where most countries’ cultural “sport spaces” are dominated by two sports, the United States is proud of its “Big Four”: American football, basketball, baseball, and ice hockey, represented professionally by the NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL, respectively. Each of these four leagues is regarded as the highest level of competition for its sport in the world, and all four are among the top six sports leagues by revenue worldwide. How is it, then, that soccer has failed to establish the roots of a hegemonic sports culture in America, a country with such vast sociopolitical influence over the rest of the world for much of the 20th century and one that also takes great cultural pride in athletic accomplishment? The previously mentioned Markovits and Hellerman provide some theories in their 2001 work Offside: Soccer & American Exceptionalism, where they argue that in the period from 1870 – 1930, a critical 60-year juncture of sports investment in the West and a time of heightened nativism in America, soccer was essentially crowded-out by the rise of non-European sports: baseball and football, and then basketball and ice hockey later on. At the time of their writing, Markovits and Hellerman were not very optimistic about the future of soccer in the United States. Using related sociological works about sport, quantitative data from FIFA, and other sources that comment on the evolution of American culture into the 21st century, I plan on painting an updated, optimistic picture of soccer’s future in the United States, where I one day believe that it will establish itself as a hegemonic sports culture akin to the Big Four.
The role of parents in early sport specialization : a grounded theory of soccer parents
(2011-05) Ozyurtcu, Tolga; Green, B. Christine; Todd, Janice S.
Sport specialization is defined as a year-round, highly structured commitment to training for and competing in a single sport. Children who begin the process of specialization at an early age are potentially susceptible to several undesirable outcomes, including an increased risk of orthopedic injury, psychological burnout, and limited social development. Despite these inherent risks, the practice of early sport specialization has become prevalent in the United States. This study uses a grounded theory methodology to examine the role of parents in early sport specialization practices. Drawing on in-depth interviews with twelve parents of adolescent soccer players, the study finds that parents are drawn to early sport specialization because of multiple perceived benefits for their children. The two most prominent of these benefits are positive socialization and the use of the sport as a lever for higher education. Parents act on limited information when making decisions regarding early sport specialization, relying on advice and information from coaches, soccer clubs, and other parents to make their decisions. In this manner, the parents themselves are socialized into the culture of early specialized sport, adopting the established values and beliefs of the practice, and furthering the advancement of the practice of early specialization in youth sport.
Understanding the elite youth soccer athlete : a case study approach to the environment of the U.S. Olympic Development Program at the state level
(2016-12) Giraldo, Juan Sebastian; Todd, Jan; Bowers , Matthew T; Hunt , Thomas; Tanaka , Hirofumi; Moore , Leonard
Contemporary work on talent development has mostly focused on the individual athlete and their micro environment. This research uses a holistic ecological approach to examine a specific soccer Olympic Development Program (ODP) at state level. ODP has historically been successful in developing elite youth athletes that transition to senior level sport. The approach highlights the central role of the environment as it affects the development of athletes and brings forth the complexity of talent development in the U.S. context. The athletic talent development environment (ATDE) is considered holistically, using a framework that analyzes micro and macro levels, athletic and non-athletic domains, and a set of factors that help explain the factors that lead to success. Specifically, the ATDE model and the ESF model, provide a framework that leads to heavy description of the environment and helps in summarizing the factors that contribute to success. One of the main objectives of this study was situating results within the previously found common and unique features of other successful ATDE’s. To further test the holistic ecological approach to ATDE’s, this study chose a research setting vastly different to previously studied environments and focused on a single case study to provide more depth to the overall understanding of the environment. Principal methods of data collection included interviews, participant observation, and analysis of data and documents pertinent to the environment. Using the results as a basis, empirical versions of the working models were created for ODP that captured the specific features of the environment. Results revealed that the ODP environment shared a number of characteristics with past ATDE’s examined but also had numerous unique factors. This study represents a step forward in this research area as it varied from past studies by presenting an ATDE in a vastly different setting, focused on a team sport, and it examined a system that has not been analyzed through in-depth qualitative methods. A major objective of this research was to also produce information that can currently be applied to the ODP system in order to improve the talent development system. The holistic ecological approach proved to be a valuable approach to revealing central factors and challenges associated with recruitment, retention, and transition of athletes in ODP as well as the overall U.S. soccer system.
Women's professional soccer in the United States & soccer in Austin : a look into the pub and bar scene
(2013-12) Vega, Aaron, active 2013; Coleman, Renita
This is a two-part story looking at women’s professional soccer in the United States. First, it is a look at the newly formed National Women’s Soccer League. The league is the third attempt to establish a women’s professional soccer league in the U.S. Low attendance, low-ticket sales, and poor team ownership spelled the end for past leagues. The United States Soccer Federation’s involvement in the league has team owners and players overwhelming confident that the league will be a success. Challenges await them as the NWSL looks to learn from the mistakes of its predecessors. The second part looks at women’s professional soccer in Texas. The first audio story focuses on the Houston Aces and Lauren Prewitt. Prewitt plays semi-professional soccer for the Aces. At 30 years old, she still has dreams to play professionally. Aces owner William Brumbaugh is hoping his team can be the first women’s soccer team from Texas, to play in a women’s top league. The second audio story puts a focus on the Austin Nationals and the Austin Women’s Soccer League. Both are attempting to build women’s soccer in Austin but are going about it different manners. Anna Villarreal is attempting to establish a team that is not as reliant on ticket sales as most teams are. Through community outreach and partnerships with local businesses she is hoping to build a team to compete in Europe come 2014. The AWSL is a local soccer league for women that is trying to establish itself in Austin. They receive little outside support in terms of funding but president and vice president Angela Molock and Casey Gannon are hoping the changes they have brought to the league can help it grow. The “Soccer In Austin” piece focuses on the local establishments that have given soccer fans a place to go to watch their favorite clubs on television. Fadó Irish Pub and Cuatro’s have established themselves as the more popular locales when it comes to showing soccer games on television. Others have attempted to emulate Fadó’s and Cuatros’ popularity but many have struggled to attract the committed fan base that have helped Fadó and Cuatro’s become the go-to spots to watch a soccer game in Austin. Aside from showing soccer matches, these places provide people who share interests to come together and interact. For those who come from soccer loving countries such as England and Ireland, these places help to remind of home. While not quite the same in every aspect, the fans have fully embraced having a place to go where they can watch a soccer match while drinking a pint and engage in some friendly banter.