Category: Football

The advertisement which will be analyzed in this paper is of FIFA 09, the game is a sequel to the FIFA series which is released by EA sports each year. This paper will throw light upon the game and how good the game is. The game is released every year by EA SPORTS, EA stands for Electronic Arts. The paper will also throw light upon how big the gaming industry is.

Gaming has grown as a business over the time, these days there are consoles specifically meant to play games like the Playstation3, Xbox, and Nintendo. This goes to show that the gaming industry presents a very good opportunity for those who are creative and are ready to try their hands at this field. The FIFA series is the most popular football game series, EA sports has established a brand name over a period of time. The game is really a very well designed game, the features of the players faces is very visible from the trailer. This goes to show that EA sports are working really hard to maintain the top position which they have achieved because of the FIFA series and the most developed game till now is undoubtedly FIFA 09. The advertisement of the game showcases the best players to catch the eye of the people who have been waiting for the launch of the game. The advertisement is a very well crafted advertisement it is an impeccable advertisement. It shows trailers of many intriguing matches taking place. The company has left no stone unturned in making sure that they attract as many people as possible. The game has been an immediate hit among the players and some have already started waiting for the next sequel of the game. The madness in the gaming industry is being made use of by EA sports, the company is just making sure that the advertisement designed by them for the game becomes immensely popular and works for the benefit of the company.

Introduction

Organisation has realised the effectiveness of database management for data management. Typically, management of data is essential for management decision, and effectiveness of management decision is fundamental to improvement of business organisation.

For the enhancement of data management, a local amateur football club needs database program to keep personal data of its member in order to have the record of attendance of the club member, best club persons, and players.

The main objective of this paper is to design a database program for a local amateur football club.

A local amateur football club requires database for information storage for its players, administrators, coaches, and essentially to record attendance of its members at various social, and official functions. It should be noted that administration of a local amateur club wants to ensure effective record keeping because of its decision to offer life membership to players who play 250 games for over 10 years.

The rest of the paper is structured as follows:

The paper provides Entity Relationship diagram, which reveals visual presentation of the data in the electronic resources.

The paper also provides a relational model for database.

Additionally, the paper will use SQL script to create tables in the database.

Finally, the paper will provide five-business question, use SQL queries to answer them.

Entity Relationship diagram

This is a diagram that provides visual relationship of record keeping of players, social, administrators, and coaches. It should be noted that decision of club administration for the need of database is also to record attendance at various social and official functions, such as: the Annual General Meeting, Monthly committee meetings, Christmas party, casino night, selection meeting, spring carnival eve party, etc.

Moreover, the committee also wants to keep the records of all life members, best club persons, a list of a given player, and the roles they have played for the club.

Thus, ER diagram illustrates how database will record all members for effective record keeping.

Fig 1 reveals that an entity-relationship diagram (ERD) can be used to manage electronic resources for a system to manage electronic resources that the administration of an amateur football club wishes to use for its database management. Fig 1 shows the relationship of how data will manage between entities. ERD represents database table where records of specific entity is relation to each other. (Cornell University).

It is revealed from the diagram that all records of all members will stored in the database and retrieved as may be necessary by an administration in order ensure that all the attendance of all members are kept in the database.

While ER diagram reveals diagrammatic illustration of database of the club, relational model provides detail analysis of structure of database.

Relational Model

The relational model uses basic concepts to reveal basic concept in the database. This concept can be represented by table. Columns or field in the table identifies some attributes such as names, numbers of attendance, and so on. Typically, relational model is the most popular type of database system most organisations use to store, and retrieve data. Relational model uses relational database table to organise information in the database, and the main advantage of this table is that information can be stored and retrieved without reorganising the table, and table can have many records and each record in the table can have many fields for storing information. Sometimes, the tables in the relational model have relationship with each other. (techFAQ, 2009)

With relation to database of amateur football club, the main objective of database is to make record keeping for all its members. For example, administration wants to ensure that players that participate at 250 games for over 10 years will be awarded life membership.

Thus, the relational database that fits the club will consists of many tables where all tables will be related to record keeping of the club. For example, there will be table for players, Administrators, social, club committee, and coaches all the tables will be linked to record keeping in the database. Typically, all tables will contain members id numbers, names of each member, addresses of members, number of attendances of each member. To identify each record, every record has a unique key that make it to identify a record in the database. For program interface, relational model uses Standard Query Language (SQL). (techFAQ, 2009).

However, SQL can be used to create table in the database, next section examines the use of SQL script to create tables for the club.

Use of SQL Script to create tables

As discussed in the previous chapter, relational database makes use of table for arranging data in order, for storing and retrieving data in the database system. Typically, Standard Query Language (SQL) can be used to create table for database system for the club, and to create table using SQL, there are commands that must be followed. Thus using SQL for creating table for database for the club is illustrated as follows:

The table consists of personal data for players, coach, social, committee, administrators, and all the club members.

First to create table, there is need to create title for the table.

The following command is used to access correct database

DATABASE record attendance;

Thus, SQL commands to create table for the club are as follows:

CREATE TABLE club members

(lifememberid INTEGER NOT NULL,

lastname VARCHAR(25) NOT NULL,

firstname VARCHAR(25) NOT NULL,

reportsto INTEGER NULL);

CREATE TABLE address

(addressid INTEGER NOT NULL,

address Description VARCHAR(40) NOT NULL,

regionid VARCHAR(25) NOT NULL);

CREATE TABLE attendance record

(attendanceid INTEGER NOT NULL,

attendance in a week VARCHAR(40) NOT NULL,

attendance in a year VARCHAR(25) NOT NULL);

CREATE TABLE for club best person

(attendanceid INTEGER NOT NULL,

attendance in a week VARCHAR(40) NOT NULL,

attendance in a year VARCHAR(25) NOT NULL);

CREATE TABLE number of games of each player.

(gameid INTEGER NOT NULL,

games in 1 week VARCHAR(40) NOT NULL,

games in 1 year VARCHAR(25) NOT NULL; (Chappel, 2009)

Meanwhile after using SQL programming for creating table, it is necessary to illustrate how the table will look like when running the table in the database. The whole table in the database will be as follows.

Table 1: Attendance Table for life member.

Table 2: Record attendance for best club person.

Table 3: Record of games played by each player

However, it is necessary to ensure that there is need to create table in case of the need to alter tables in the future to add another attributes in the table, for example, the clubs may decide to create another department whish is not included in the table, and there is need to create table for new department in order to ensure future alteration without disorganise the table. Table future alteration is as follows:

ALTER TABLE new department

ADD name INTEGER NULL;

ADD address INTEGER NULL;

ADD attendance INTEGER NULL;

Business Questions and SQL queries to answer them

Thus, for the best operational database, there is need to include frequent question and answers. The questions and answers are as follows:

How many games can a player play in a year to get life membership?

CREATE DATABSE life members (game in a year is 250 VARCHAR(25) NOT NULL;

Why is the club taking attendance of the club members?

CREATE DATABSE club members (to keep record of each member VARCHAR(50) NOT NULL;

Why is the club taking attendance for the club best person?

CREATE DATABSE club person (to keep attendance of club person VARCHAR(50) NOT NULL;

What are the advantages of database for the club?

CREATE DATABSE advantage (to keep record of all club member and player VARCHAR(50) NOT NULL;

Is football club an amateur or professional?

CREATE DATABSE football (football club is an amateur VARCHAR(50) NOT NULL;

Conclusion

This paper reveals how an amateur football club has designed its database for keeping the attendances of all players, best club persons, and life members in the clubs. The essay reveals that with relational database, there will be proper management of records of all members in the club, and this will enhance administrative decisions on each member in the club.

List of references

Cornell University (nd), Report of the DLF Electronic Resource Management Initiative.

Appendix D: Entity Relationship Diagram for Electronic Resource Management.

Case study of amateur football club, Business school.

Chappel, M, (2009), Creating Database and Tables in SQL, Database Newsletter.

techFAQ, (2009), What is a Database. Web.

Its Sunday afternoon and the churches are full of women with only a few men in the audience. This is not necessarily because the men dont believe in the Christian traditions their women observe, but because they have a stronger, higher calling at this time of day in the autumn. The men can be found scattered through various American living rooms and what are termed sports bars paying due devotion to their one true love  football. Like the churches, these sites of devotion also have their scattered population of female devotees as well and often a healthy dose of children in attendance. Not limited to race or creed or gender or age, American football has a strong, growing and dedicated following of devotional fans that worship the game in the way that people used to worship God on Sunday afternoons. They have specific forms of expression, ritual activities in association with the game and have even been known to take up pilgrimages to the famous stadiums in which the games take place. Although all different in the level and degree of their devotion, these people comprise a subculture centered around the popular sport and, in most cases, around a particular team. The reason why these subcultures develop is perhaps best understood from a sociological viewpoint as a natural extension of human nature which also explains the activities, expressions, pilgrimages and radical forms they undertake.

According to Anderson, the concept of community was fashioned by regional religious traditions previous to the surfacing of mass access to the printed forms of communication that were not of the church and were written in familiar languages. These longstanding structures of society [churches] were radically and permanently changed when the new technologies [newspapers and books] permitted communities to communicate effectively and therefore subsist without their constituents coming into direct contact with one other. Through technological ties, Anderson theorizes, communities became the product of a collective imagination which was structured by and proliferated as a result of mass communications. People participate in and thus experience the society in which they live as it exists either outside their front door or brought to them each week through their television screen. This awareness of community becomes more intense during periods of shared ambitions and interests such as defending the borders, celebrating an event or mourning a collective loss. Anderson theorizes that a very tangible nation is an imagined community because the members of even the smallest nation will never know most of their fellow members, or even hear of them, yet in the minds of each live the image of their communion (Anderson, 1991: 6). People generally sense an instantaneous affiliation with others simply because they speak similarly or are from within the same borders. All people have an us and them mentality to some extent. Communities are imagined as limited because even the largest of them, encompassing perhaps a billion living human beings, has finite, if elastic, boundaries, beyond which lie other nations (Anderson, 1991: 7). All of these concepts, applied to the nation by Anderson, are equally applicable to the American football fan.

Investigating the football subculture reveals several shared elements between the national application brought forward by Anderson and the subculture itself. According to Anderson, awareness of a particular community or culture becomes more intense when the individuals in it have shared ambitions like needing to defend borders, celebrate success or mourn a loss. These are certainly elements of the football subculture as well as the fans gather around their TV sets to collectively encourage their team to the ultimate victory, the Superbowl championship and bragging rights for a year. Each week presents a new opportunity to celebrate a win and an advance toward this goal or to mourn a loss and lament about the teams chances this year. While these are general nationalistic ideals, American football has also been closely linked to specifically American ideals as well. According to sociologist Robin M. Williams (1951), there are several identifiable core American values that link the nation that can also be found in American football. These include individualism, achievement, morality (the concept that there is a right and wrong), activity, work, material comfort, equality and efficiency. As they trace their way through the fascination that football has over its followers, authors Frank Hoffman, Martin Manning and Gerhard Falk (2005) illustrate how the game matches these core values in the superstars that emerge as coaches or players, the celebration of extraordinary events such as stupendous plays or outstanding careers, the insistence on (and perpetual disbelief in) the fairness of referees, the material comfort suggested by the high rates of pay these athletes receive and the activity of the game itself.

The football fan subculture can be identified because they have their own specific forms of expression, ritual activities in association with the game and places of worship. Certain forms of expression that might have once been common in the church are re-formulated in the world of football to take on new meanings. For instance, the phrase Hail Mary is a staple of the Catholic rosary, but it is also used to refer to a deep pass, meaning long downfield throw, from the quarterback to a receiver. Anyone wishing to discuss football with a fan must also know the various positions on the field, defensive and offensive, and some of the more common strategies used in the game such as the screen pass, blitz and the fly pattern. The red zone may mean an area where no parking is permitted to most people, but for a football fan, it refers to that region of the field between the 20 yard line and the goal. Approximately 30 years later, football fans can still be heard talking about the Immaculate reception when Franco Harris caught a deflected ball and ran it in for a touchdown in the AC championships, Pittsburgh v. Oakland in the 70s. Football fans also share common ritualistic activities that might be anything from as simple as donning the preferred teams logo-shirt or cap on the day of the game to something as major as hosting a neighborhood barbeque or tail-gate party. The tailgate is an essential element of football fandom, a way to make the precious few games on the schedule stretch into daylong affairs, where strangers form a community around food, drink and the beloved home team (Wilgoren, 2002). And of course, no football fan worth his salt will be found anywhere but watching the game on Sunday or during the Monday night features. For some football fans, the ultimate ritual is the pilgrimage made to see their favorite team in every stadium in which they play.

However, even within this subculture of football fandom, there are a few standout behaviors. The more unusual expressions of the football fan can be at least partially attributed to societal pressures. Humans have the tendency to alter their behavior, beliefs, morals and ethics based upon real or perceived societal pressures because of the fundamental and universal need for acceptance by social peers, which also plays into the football subculture. This has been proven through studies conducted by Solomon Asch in 1951 and Stanley Milgram in 1961, both of which have been duplicated, to some degree, in other countries and by other scientists throughout the world with the same general results. In order to assert their own sense of belonging within the group as well as their individuality within it, there are pockets of individuals who associate themselves specifically with an expected radical element. These are described by Spenser Harrison (2008) as the drunk guy, the old-timer, Mr. Facepaint and The Hater. Harrison indicates the drunk guy is the most common form of radical football fan in that his primary purpose in life is to get drunk at the football game (or just before) and then yell out whatever comes into his head in an attempt to be heard over the loudspeakers. The Old-timers are those individuals who pride the game as it was played when he was younger to the way it is played now and only nominally associates himself with the team on the field. The most unusual form of football radical is described as Mr. Facepaint and is the type of fan who gets his face on camera because of its bizarre team-oriented decoration. Mr. Facepaint lives and dies through the achievements of his team. Generally the most rabid fans of this bunch, football has gone far beyond a passion and into a way of life (Harrison, 2008). Less extreme forms of this extreme type of behavior can be found in the headgear worn by fans such as the Wisconsin Cheeseheads, the Washington Hoghats or the Cleveland Dogpound. Finally, the Hater, as described by Harrison, is the ultimate anti-establishment rebel, looking for any excuse to separate himself from the general crowd while still enjoying the game.

American football has definitely become the focus for an entire subculture based upon the rituals, locations and expressions of the game as it reinforces their concepts of community and Americanism. Understanding how community forms, as a means of achieving a common goal, celebrating a victory or mourning a defeat, helps to establish the reason why football has become such a strong focus. The unique concepts generally valued by the American community such as individualism, achievement, activity and work are also reinforced by the construct of the game itself and reflected within its fan base. Football fans have developed their own means of identification through common expressions, rituals and pilgrimage activities while radical elements have also broken out within the subculture as a means of individuating and yet still identifying with the overall base.

Works Cited

Anderson, Benedict. Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origin and Spread of Nationalism. London: Verso, (1983; 1991).

Asch, S.E. Effects of Group Pressure Upon the Modification and Distortion of Judgment. Groups, Leadership and Men. H. Guetzkow (Ed.). Pittsburgh, PA: Carnegie Press, 1951.

Blass, T. The Man Who Shocked the World: The Life and Legacy of Stanley Milgram. New York: Basic Books, 2004.

Harrison, Spenser. Examination of the American Football Fan: Part II, Typology of the Generic Fan. Bleacher Report. (2008). Web.

Hoffmann, Frank; Martin Manning & Gerhard Falk. Football and American Identity. New York: Routledge, 2005.

Wilgoren, Jodi. Driving; Cold Beer, a Warm Grill and 80,000 of Your Closest Friends. New York Times. (2002). Web.

Williams, Robin M. American Society: A Sociological Interpretation. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1951.

Project overview

The problem under consideration deals with the human brain and changes which occur after concussions as the result of the head injury while football playing. The research is important as being a very popular game in the country, football may result in heavy injuries of childrens brain which may lead to irreversible results. The research is based on the observation of human behavior in adulthood after the cases of head injury during football playing in childhood. The research is conducted in a high school among 1359 students who regularly play football and have ever had concussions as a result of a head injury while playing. Students have magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in childhood and in adulthood, computer tests are conducted as well for understanding whether there is a difference in development or not.

Introduction

The main reason for conducting this research is to understand the dependency of the head injuries got in childhood after the development and changes in the human brain in adulthood. The results of this research may affect football game rules and change the means of head protection. Parents should take care of their children and they are to know how playing football may affect children in the future. Similar research was conducted among professional players, however, the main idea of the research, in that case, was the consideration of the effect of the brain injury on the organism functioning. Amen, Wu, Taylor, and Willeumier (2011) conducted SPBCT imaging as one of the means for results consideration. Our study is constructed out of this research.

Having an intention to analyze the seriousness of head injury in childhood, the research is going to result in reconsideration of the prediction methods. There are some effective prediction methods, however, they are based on the research of short-term head injury (Post & Hoshizaki). The significance of this research is in football game playing and concussions in childhood and consideration of how these head traumas affect adults if measures are not taken.

Sports concussions differ from simple cases of head injury as while playing football, children appear at constant risk. Moreover, the cases of concussions during football playing and in other cases differ by the frequency and by the possible power of the hit. Epstein (2010) tried to contradict this statement saying that all of the players were able to complete the test with relative accuracy, but the brain activity of the four players who took a lot of middling hits-but suffered no concussions-changed dramatically (p. 42). Conducting research we are going to answer the question of whether football is too dangerous, which raises much debate (Is Football Too Dangerous, 2012). Even though much research has been conducted, the problem remains urgent and unconsidered from different angles. Therefore, the main idea of this study is to conduct the research of human brain activity in childhood and in adulthood of those who were subjected to head injury while football-playing which resulted in concussions having proved that those who had cases of concussions in childhood have worse mental activity due to changes in the brain.

Research plan

Subject

To conduct research, we are going to divide children of high school who play football into two groups, those who had cases of concussions connected with football playing and those who were lucky to avoid concussions. The research is going to be focused on MRI in childhood and MRI in adulthood followed by computer-based testing aimed at defining the level of human knowledge, brain activity, and understanding the dependency of the injuries in childhood and the lower brain mental activity in adulthood.

Method

MRI and computer-based testing are going to be used to follow the changes (Brooks, 2007). The results will be organized in a table to see how the control group and the experimental group differ as well as how the correlation of the results changes through age.

Study design

The research will involve 1359 students who regularly play football. 987 of them have ever had a head injury resulting in concussions, this is going to be an experimental group. Others were not injured and the results of this group are going to be used as the control one. MRI and computer testing are going to be used during childhood and at the age of 35 years.

Boarder impacts

Tarshis (2011), DeKosky, Ikonomovic, and Gandy (2010), and Henry et al. (2011) made the first step on the way to understanding the effect of head injury while football playing on people. However, their research projects lack specific recommendations and do not contain the outcomes for adults. Our research is going to result in specific data which will explain that head injuries while football-playing followed by concussions result in brain change and worse mind activity in adulthood. These results will help develop the strategy for reducing the harmful effect of injuries and limiting the number of hard head hits.

Timeline and budget

Development of the study  January 2013
Selection of students  February-March, 2013
The first stage (MRI of students)  May-July 2013
The second stage (MIR of these people in adulthood)  May-July, 2031

Total budget  1359 students*$2,500 cost of MRI = 3,397,500 (at the first stage). The cost on the second stage cannot be calculated due to the long-term duration of the research.

Reference List

Amen, D.G., Wu, J. C., Taylor, D., & Willeumier, K. (2011). Reversing brain damage in former NFL players: implications for traumatic brain injury and substance abuse rehabilitation. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 43(1), 1-5.

Brooks, D. A. (2007). Use of computer based testing of youth hockey players with concussions. NeuroRehabilitation, 22(3), 169-179.

DeKosky, S. T., Ikonomovic, M. D., & Gandy, S. (2010). Traumatic brain injury: Football, warfare, and long-term effects. The New England Journal of Medicine, 363(14), 1293-1296.

Epstein, D. (2010). The damage done. Sports Illustrated, 113(16), 42.

Henry, L. C., et al. (2011). Metabolic changes in concussed American football players during the acute and chronic post-injury phases. BMC Neurology, 11(1), 105-114.

Is Football Too Dangerous? (2012). Junior Scholastic, 115(1), 15.

Post, A., & Hoshizaki, T. B. (2012). Mechanisms of brain impact injuries and their prediction: A review. Trauma, 14(4), 327-349.

Tarshis, L. (2011). Head Trauma. Scholastic Scope, 60(3), 4-10.

NFL is among the most popular sports in the United States, with an ever-growing interest in the international arena. One of the key business issues in regards to the selected sport is the evaluation of player performance metrics, which is especially critical in regards to quarterbacks, who are responsible for scoring touchdowns (TDs). Therefore, there is a need to properly assess a players touchdown rate on the basis of other metrics.

The given analysis will primarily focus on Passing Yards (PY) assessment and its predictive capacity in regards to touchdowns. PY can be easily measured on the basis of historical data as well as on-field training sessions, where a players activeness can be potentially linked to ones touchdown rates. In other words, the core question is whether a players PY score can predict his or her touchdown rates.

The relevant data collected for the analysis is derived from the Nextgenstats website, where all NFL-related data is provided. The touchdown raw data is taken from the top 30 athletes because they are the targeted quarterbacks and give the most plausible playstyle, which is in tune with the business question. Accordingly, the PY data is also collected from the selected players, which is denoted as YDS on the website (Passing, 2020).

The ranking is based on 2020 NFL data on touchdowns or TDs in order to make the assessment as up-to-date as possible. There are two sets of raw data; the first dataset is comprised of the top 30 TDs, which will be the dependent variable data, and the second is comprised of PYs, which is independent variable data. The average football field is 120 yards wide, but the plays take place within the 100 yards, which means that each TD takes place within these 100 yards (Athlon Sports, 2019). Therefore, PYs and TDs have a relationship, because each touchdown is made by passing certain amount of yards, and it can have the predictive capability since ones PY will be directly indicative of his or her active movement measurements.

The scatter plot for each independent variables (TDs) and dependent variables (PYs) is presented in Figure 1. The R Square is equal to 0.6285, and the regression line formula is Y = 0,0089X  6,5889.

The appropriate analysis technique is a linear regression analysis, which is critical to determine whether or not there is a statistically significant relationship between an independent predictor (PY-independent variable) and the dependent target (TD-dependent variable). The first major step of linear regression analysis is to determine the goodness-of-fit factor through the R-Square value, which is equal to 0.6285. The given value means that fitness level for R-Square is high, which ranges from no fit of 0 to an ideal fit of 1 (Linear regression, n.d.). The next step revolves around determining whether or not there is a statistically significant relationship between two variables through p-value, which is equal to 0,000000294. F is equal to 45,683.

• Null Hypothesis: There is no statistical relationship between PY and TD.
• Alternative Hypothesis: There is a statistically significant relationship between PY and TD.

Since p < 0.05, the null hypothesis gets rejected, which means that there is a statistically significant relationship between PY and TD. The last step is centered around deriving the linear regression formula Y = mX + b, which is TD = 0,00895PY  6,5889. Therefore, by inputting X or PY values, it is possible to predict Y or TD value. The F statistic is 45.683, and the p-value for the ANOVA is 0,000000294, and the latter is less than the significance level of 0.05. In other words, the Null hypothesis, that there is no statistically significant relationship between PY and TD, is rejected. The R-square value is 0.6285.

The inputs and outputs are presented in Table 1. The null hypothesis is that there is no statistical relationship between PY and TD. In Table 1, the TD and PY columns are raw data taken from the Nextgenstats website. The calculations are made through Excels Data functions called Data Analysis, where the regression analysis was selected in order to determine all important values, such as R-Square, p-value, F, m, and b.

The linear regression analysis is the most appropriate and plausible analysis technique because it allows for determining if there is a statistically significant relationship between an independent predictor (PY-independent variable) and the dependent target (TD-dependent variable). It also helps to identify trends for each PY value, and there is a possibility to predict a dependent variable or TD from an independent variable or PY. Linear regression is designed to predict continuous numeric variables. In addition, the modified version of linear regression implemented in the Deductor analytical platform also allows for solving the classification problem. Regression is the conditional expectation of a continuous dependent (output) variable for the observed values of the independent (input) variables.

Linear regression is based on the hypothesis that the desired relationship is linear. Each independent variable contributes additively to the resulting value with some weight, called the regression coefficient. Regression is called simple if there is only one input variable. However, such a model is too rough an approximation of reality, and in practice, as a rule, dependences on several variables are interesting. Despite its versatility, a linear regression model is not always suitable for qualitatively predicting the dependent variable (Linear regression, n.d.). For example, if the output variable is categorical or binary, different modifications of the regression have to be used.

The advantages of linear regression are the speed and simplicity of model generation. For linear regression, typical problems and their solutions are known, tests for assessing the static significance of the resulting models are developed and implemented. A large number of real processes in economics and business can be described with sufficient accuracy by linear models. The linear model is transparent and understandable for the analyst. Based on the obtained regression coefficients, one can judge how a particular factor affects the result and draw additional useful conclusions on this basis.

The results of the data analysis show that one can claim that a players PY or passing yard measurements can predict his or her rate of TDs or touchdowns. In other words, there is a statistically significant relationship between PY and TD. The linear regression analysis rejected the null hypothesis, which stated that there is no statistical significance between TD values and PY values. In other words, there is a strong statistical significance between PY and TD values of a player, which means that measuring ones passing yard metrics can predict his or her touchdown rates.

The F statistic is 45.683, and the p-value for the ANOVA is 0,000000294, and the latter is less than significance level of 0.05. In other words, the Null hypothesis, that there is no statistically significant relationship between PY and TD, is rejected. The R-square value is 0.6285. y = 0,00895x  6,5889. P-value is for the x coefficient is 0,000000294 (less than 0.05), thus x coefficient is statistically significant. The equation can be used to predict TD on the basis of PY.

The key limitation of the study is the fact that the linear regression analysis methods only look for an average mean value of the Y variable, which is TD. In other words, the technique focuses on assessing the corresponding correlational relationship between independent variables and the mean of touchdowns (Flom, 2018). In addition, the given approach can be considered highly sensitive to outlier values, where the latter severely skew the derived measurements (Advantages and disadvantages of linear regression, 2021).

The main recommendation on the basis of the acquired results is that coaches, team managers, and players should actively measure players, especially quarterbacks passing yards or PY values during training and plays because it will be a strong predictor of touchdown rates of these players. In addition, a team owner and managers, who plan to acquire or buy a professional player, such as quarterbacks, from an existing team or recruit one from a newer pool of emerging players, should look for passing yard measurements because it will predict the touchdown rates of these individuals.

References

Advantages and disadvantages of linear regression. (2021). Web.

Athlon Sports. (2019). Football field dimensions: How long and wide is a football field?Athlon Sports. Web.

Flom, P. (2018). The disadvantages of linear regression. Sciencing. Web.

Linear regression. (n.d.). Web.

Passing. (2020). Web.

Introduction

Sports athletes due to the nature of their activities are often faced with a variety of both occupational diseases and injuries that seem to have short-term consequences to health. One of the health issues that has been underestimated in its consequences to health is a concussion. This health problem is widespread among football athletes in particular. Thus, per 100000 football athletes, almost 77% of players are exposed to concussions.

This problem has become more evident and critical during the last years, and it is now researched more comprehensively. It is crucial to note that earlier the concussion was perceived as causing short-term functional problems such as memory loss or impaired concentration (Solomon, Ott, & Lovell, 2011). However, athletes, healthcare professionals, and the society, in general, are becoming increasingly aware that concussion entails structural damage to the brain, in particular, to the thin fibers of nerve cells, called axons, which are located deep inside the brain.

Moreover, the criticality of the situation is reflected in the fact that many people believe that a concussion can be obtained as a result of a serious collision solely, but it is not so. The researchers argue that only 10% of concussions are accompanied by the loss of consciousness. Concussion has a number of symptoms, yet it is often neglected. It is necessary to state that football athletes experiencing concussion are exposed to an increased risk of further injury and detrimental effects on health status.

Population

The paper researches the football athletes aged 20-39 years since it is believed that they are at a higher risk of suffering from concussion and experiencing long-term consequences to health further on (Solomon et al., 2011). Despite the fact that the environmental scan was done in a specific region, the academic research evidence that this situation is typical for many countries and regions. For instance, in such countries as Canada, America, and some of the European countries concussions are the leading cause (in more than 60%of cases) for health complications in football athletes and they often remain either neglected or undiagnosed, which is a worrying sign (Hollis et al., 2011).

Hence, this health care issue proclaims the existing gap between the health care issue that is urgent and the appropriate response by the government, the society, and sports bodies to address the issue in a sufficient way.

Health Issue

Despite the fact that many athletes perceive concussion as a minor problem, it is essential to emphasize that regular concussions can lead to serious brain damages and, consequently, to violations of the cognitive functions in the long-term (Solomon et al., 2011). For instance, scientists have defined the effects of a concussion such as memory loss, perceptual disorders, uncontrollable mood swings, and so on. However, until recently, large-scale research in this area has not been conducted, and the relevant system of indicators to assess the state of the players after the concussion does not exist (Leddy, Baker, Kozlowski, Bisson, & Willer, 2011).

Head injuries in football raise attention when the player has a skull fracture or bleeding. However, the earliest studies in the area revealed that nearly 8% of the players were constantly experiencing minor concussions during matches and training. The latest studies have shown that more than half of the athletes experience headaches for at least five days, which is one of the signs of concussion. A quarter of all players experiences memory problems, nausea, and dizziness.

It is crucial to note that concussions are perceived as micro-trauma from the part of coaches, assistants, and players. Nonetheless, they may have a negative impact on the brain of the athletes (Barr, Prichep, Chabot, Powell, & McCrea, 2012). At present, the list of concussion symptoms is long enough. For example, headaches, seizures, memory loss, and visual disturbances are among the typical symptoms, but the most common is a headache. The symptoms can last for hours and even days after the injury. Many athletes and representatives of the sports industry do not perceive it a serious threat to the health; thus, the brain of athletes is subjected to degenerative changes that are more serious, and this is the greatest difficulty and danger (Lehman, Hein, Baron, & Gersic, 2012).

Analyzing the statistics, the chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) or concussion is a common neurological disorder that affects many former football athletes. In different countries, different practices have been developed with respect to this health issue. For example, in America, the financial aid for football players with identified serious neurological disorders equals approximately 5 million USD. With CTE such consequences can also develop.

In this relation, the most serious consequences are unmotivated aggression and dementia (the disintegration of mental functions due to brain injury) (Vagnozzi et al., 2010). However, such a diagnosis can be confirmed by autopsy in the majority of cases. Over the past decade, there have been many occasions when athletes have sued clubs and associations for such health complications. For example, about 20 thousand former professional football players filed a class-action lawsuit. As a consequence of that, the league has removed the restriction on the total amount of the final payment. However, the growing number of complaints indicates that the preventive measures of concussion are needed.

SDOH

It is worth noting that the social determinants of health (SDOH) are a comprehensive paradigm, which allows describing a health issue from different perspectives. Determinants are not limited to the conditions of peoples living, but they also define the setting in which they operate.

The favorable or unfavorable circumstances are influenced by factors such as the distribution of power, money, and resources. Regarding the target population, which are the football athletes aged 20-39, the primary source of influence is the policy of the state and the sports organizations of all scales (Baillargeon, Lassonde, Leclerc, & Ellemberg, 2012). Thus, the social determinants of health are the main causes of health inequities in this context.

To be more precise, there are three key SDOH issues that influence the population group the most. They are individual factors, social factors, and gender. It should be noted that the first factor is directly linked to the unequal distribution of financial resources, especially in the cases of professional and amateur football athletes. The researchers claim that elite players are secured by various financial and medical means, which is not characteristic of the players of the lower leagues.

In addition, the majority of players of the younger age (starting from 20) do not have sufficient knowledge of concussion and its consequences though already experiencing its effects on their health (Mitka, 2010). Moreover, many of them come to the senior leagues while having health complications, which means that effective concussion preventive measures are not taken at the amateur levels. It implies that senior football athletes (aged 25 and older) have to manage the effects on health due to improper policies rather than being secured from the very beginning of their careers (Kimbler, Murphy, & Dhandapani, 2011).

In addition, the age of athletes plays a major role in this health issue since younger players do not possess enough financial sources to purchase the protective equipment and they are not knowledgeable enough about the unsafe practices. According to the researches examining different age groups of athletes, the majority of the population aged 20-23 were not aware or had erroneous beliefs about the potential causes of injury (Halstead & Walter, 2010). That is to say that the percentage of young athletes exposed to concussions was approximately 70-76% compared to the older sportspersons aged 30-39.

The social factor also depends on a variety of aspects. For instance, scientists evidenced that athletes from poorer regions or communities were more exposed to concussions due to the insufficient protection and low concern of the coaching staff. The unequal distribution of sources facilitates diverse conditions for training and conducting matches. In particular, almost 80% of concussions are gained during group working out or training.

It means that poorer settings tend to have a detrimental effect on the awareness and contribution of the coaching staff, assistants, and even the medical team. All of that results in the emergence of greater exposure of the younger players to concussion (Lincoln et al., 2011). In this matter, it should be stressed out that age is also indeed important. One of the studies conducted during the past five years revealed that younger athletes might experience stronger consequences to health compared to those aged 30 and older. Therefore, younger athletes should be paid increased attention, and more resources should be allocated to provide sufficient training opportunities for football athletes (Lincoln et al., 2011).

The third SDOH that has a great impact on this health issue specific to the target population is gender. It is worthy of mentioning that the majority of teams are for men. One of the researches showed that men are four times more likely to be injured since they are more susceptible to adrenaline rush under the effects of which they can become more unguarded. That is to say, male athletes, especially those aged 20-27 are more likely to experience concussions.

Recommendations

To achieve the best results, the measures should be implemented at different levels, at the community level, and at the state level as well. The two strategies that can make a difference in this health issue are the community-based interventions and increasing the awareness of the population of the consequences and threats of concussions. To improve the health status and tackle inequities, it is necessary to ensure fair access to health care (Grady, 2010).

In the absence of medical care, many changes for fundamental health enhancement are absent. Speaking of the young athletes, it is necessary to analyze the system of care and prevention of concussions covering the entire population regardless of their ability to pay. It is necessary to provide coverage of the protection systems of those who have precarious conditions for training and inadequate conditions for conducting competitions.

Focusing on the three social determinants of health described above, the inequitable distribution of power, money, and resources should be addressed. Moreover, it is crucial to assess the existing problems and the impact of measures taken. As mentioned previously, the sports organizations do not have the appropriate policies with respect to concussions and the initial step to solving the problem will be to forbid football athletes to play if there are any suspicions of concussion (Grady, 2010). Both the local and national communities should undertake this policy in the aftermath. In particular, the directions to overcome the inappropriate conditions that are determined by SDOH will create fair opportunities for a healthy and safe lifestyle and activities.

The second strategy is the education of the population. This is one of the most important determinants of health in regards to the fact that the level of awareness determines mortality and morbidity. In general, it is necessary to establish an inter-agency mechanism to ensure a coherent policy and to create a comprehensive program of quality initiatives for all athletes.

Community Health Nurse Role

The role of the nurse in this question is essentially diverse. The CHN should perform both preventions of concussion through education and serve as an advocate for the population on the higher authority level through promoting the corresponding policies (Competencies, 2014). The health care practitioner should educate all the parties involved in the football activities including coaches, players, assistants, and medical teams about the symptoms and signals of concussions and raise their awareness of the activities increasing the risks of injury (Working in different roles, 2009).

CHNs should provide the referral to the appropriate services if the athletes of the community are not knowledgeable about the places where they can get the help of support if they consider the actions of one of the parties incorrect. For instance, if a coach justifies continuing to play when the athlete has any worrying signs by the financial or any other interest. In particular, more advanced athletes are more susceptible to pursuing the money benefit, this way putting their health at risk; thus, it is required to inform all of the population groups about the possible consequences to health (Kutcher & Eckner, 2010).

Regarding the community-level interventions, CHNs can advocate for a healthy environment and policies by promoting the practices that are safer (Nurse practitioner, 2016). In addition, they can propose their suggestions for improvements to the community concussion policy. It is advisable that health care specialists take an active part in expanding the existing protocols for concussion and keep track of their implementation (Grady, 2010). Thus, by being the population advocates, nurses will provide both the educational services and execute autonomy and leadership in facilitating better environment and conditions for the athletes.

Conclusion

Thus, the football athletes aged 20-39 years are at a higher risk of suffering from concussions and experiencing long-term consequences to health. CTE can occur during matches, practices, and other athletic exposures; however, as per the research results, not many organizations have the corresponding policies to address this critical issue. Consequently, the community-based interventions and raising the awareness of the population of the consequences and threats of concussions should be the two approaches to respond to the health issue faced by this target group. Following the holistic approach will ensure higher awareness and bring the attention of the respective bodies to this problem.

References

Baillargeon, A., Lassonde, M., Leclerc, S., & Ellemberg, D. (2012). Neuropsychological and neurophysiological assessment of sport concussion in children, adolescents and adults. Brain Injury, 26(3), 211-220.

Baron, S., Hein, M., Lehman, E., & Gersic, C. (2012). Body mass index, playing position, race, and the cardiovascular mortality of retired professional football players. The American Journal of Cardiology, 109, 889-896.

Barr, W., Prichep, L., Chabot, R., Powell, M., & McCrea, M. (2012). Measuring brain electrical activity to track recovery from sport-related concussion. Brain Injury, 26(1), 58-66.

Competencies. (2014). Web.

Grady, M. (2010). Concussion in the adolescent athlete. Current Problems in Pediatric and Adolescent Health Care, 40(7), 154169.

Halstead, M., & Walter, K. (2010). Clinical report-sport-related concussion in children and adolescents. Pediatrics, 126(3), 597615.

Hollis, S., Stevenson, M., McIntosh, A., Li, L., Heritier, S., Shores, E.,&Finch, C. (2011). Mild traumatic brain injury among a cohort of rugby union players: Predictors of time to injury. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 45, 997-999.

Kimbler, D., Murphy, M., & Dhandapani, K. (2011). Concussion and adolescent athlete. Journal of Neuroscience Nursing, 43(6), 1-11.

Kutcher, J., & Eckner, J. (2010). At-risk populations in sports-related concussion. Current Sports Medicine Reports, 9(1), 16-20.

Leddy, J., Baker, J., Kozlowski, K., Bisson, L., & Willer, B. (2011). Reliability of a graded exercise test for assessing recovery from concussion. Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine, 21(2), 89-94.

Lehman, E., Hein, M., Baron, S., & Gersic, C. (2012). Neurodegenerative causes of death among retired National Football League players. Neurology, 79, 19701974.

Lincoln, A., Caswell, S., Almquist, J., Dunn, R., Norris, J., & Hinton, R. (2011). Trends in concussion incidence in high school sports: A prospective 11-year study. American Journal of Sports Medicine, 39, 958963.

Mitka, M. (2010). Reports of concussions from youth sports rise along with awareness of the problem. JAMA, 304(16), 17751776.

Nurse practitioner. (2016). Web.

Solomon, G., Ott, S., & Lovell, M. (2011). Long-term neurocognitive dysfunction in sports: What is the evidence? Clinics in Sports Medicine, 30(1), 165177.

Vagnozzi, R., Signoretti, S., Cristofori, L., Alessandrini, F., Floris, R., Isgro, E.,& Lazzarino, G. (2010). Assessment of metabolic brain damage and recovery following mild traumatic brain injury: A multicentre, proton magnetic resonance spectroscopic study in concussed patients. Brain, 133(11), 3232-3242.

Working in different roles. (2009). Web.

Any football team member has to meet several requirements before being allowed to join a team, and they must submit personal information to the institution before joining. In this case, the school must know his medical history before the boy is given a physical check-up. Details on any illnesses the boy has now or has had in the past, such as diabetes, asthma, or seizures, are included in this history. The institution will ask about allergies, insect bites, and prior injuries like sprains, fractures, or concussions (Moseid et al., 2019). If the boy has ever experienced chest pain, disorientation, dizziness, or breathing difficulty while exercising, he must notify the school immediately. Any medication that the boy uses, including prescription medications, over-the-counter medications, and herbal supplements, should be disclosed to the school. The school will also be interested in learning about any significant ailments the boys family may have, if any family members are athletes, and the familys attitude towards sports.

The doctor will examine the boys physical vitals, particularly their pulse and blood pressure, to assess their heart rate and rhythm and examine him for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. The electrical signals in the heart are frequently monitored using an electrocardiogram during the physical examination (Ko et al., 2020). To do this, sensors with adhesive pads are applied to the chest and sometimes the legs to measure the electric currents coming from the heart. An electrocardiogram can detect hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in a student by revealing abnormal cardiac rhythms and symptoms of the heart.

To detect any cardiac issues that may exist but are not manifested in the boys daily life, the school uses a stress test or exercise tolerance test can help record the hearts activity and how the heart responds to activities. The doctor may also use a thallium scan, conducted at rest and during exercise, to evaluate how well blood reaches the heart muscle and detect potential cardiac issues. Overall, all of these precautions are taken to guarantee that only physically fit people who meet the necessary standards are permitted to join the squad. A proper evaluation will guide the youngster to his highest level of performance while also enhancing his safety.

References

Moseid, C. H., Myklebust, G., Slaastuen, M. K., BarYaacov, J. B., Kristiansen, A. H., Fagerland, M. W., & Bahr, R. (2019). The association between physical fitness level and number and severity of injury and illness in youth elite athletes.Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, 29(11), 17361748. Web.

Ko, W.-Y., Siontis, K. C., Attia, Z. I., Carter, R. E., Kapa, S., Ommen, S. R., Demuth, S. J., Ackerman, M. J., Gersh, B. J., Arruda-Olson, A. M., Geske, J. B., Asirvatham, S. J., Lopez-Jimenez, F., Nishimura, R. A., Friedman, P. A., & Noseworthy, P. A. (2020). Detection of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy using a convolutional neural network-enabled electrocardiogram. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 75(7), 722733. Web.

Introduction

The world of professional sport in America undergoes several negative features. The thing is that in most of the leagues represented in the United States the economical issues became dominating over the direct approach to the sport. The National Football League (NFL) during its long-lasting development is colored today, as the sphere where business interests seem to be more significant. The public opinion outlines that among fans and observers of the activities maintained in the NFL there is a great attitude toward antitrust. This idea is emphasized in the paper. Major points are concentrated on what the essence of contemporary development in the NFL is. Furthermore, the idea of the antitrust status of the league is primary today for society. Professional sport is the domain of competition and challenges, and it cannot just represent business struggle among teams.

General evaluation

The conduct of professional sport in the United States is the sphere where competition and entertainment are united to warm up the concernment of the fans and ordinary viewers. In this respect, the performances of teams are significant for making a challenge for the best ones. However, this field of activities is also interesting for the business circles. The ability to predict matches by means of financial inputs is outlined today with the interests of magnates and the richest people of the US. Such an assumption is not new. It is apparent for todays NFL due to various cases when teams were bribed or somehow prevented from reaching the top of ratings. Such negative cases fell into trials not only in NFL but in other professional leagues. For instance, the Supreme Court comments on such cases of antitrust as follows: No professional sports league operating throughout the country can function successfully if it is subject to inconsistent antitrust regulation depending upon the forum chosen for an antitrust attack (Mishkin, 2009, p. 5). This is why the idea of an antitrust attitude is viable for publicity today.

It is necessary to admit that antitrust exemptions touched upon every professional sports league or association in the United States. The thing is that the major manufacture companies have deals with the leagues in the United States. American Needle, Nike, Reebok, and others are in favor of the American sport. The disagreements which appear nowadays consider the urge of the teams for changing their equipment sponsor. Such cases are frequent when among teams. This is why the antitrust laws seem for NFL a simple practice, in fact.

NFL and antitrust law

The point is that the antitrust case, called American Needle Inc. (ANI) versus NFL was huge and most significant for the sport. Bearing hats and caps of ANI are claimed to be mandatory for NFL. However, the representatives of NFL claimed for their reasonable action to change the requirements of the agreement. The trial was useful for both parties of the process. It is because of the facts and arguments which were represented. Munson (2009) observed the peculiarities of the trial in their fullness and thinks that to decide the future of the law by means of numerous anti-trust cases is Armageddon. The author admits that the antitrust attacks on NFL are considered with the disagreement that it is a single entity (Munson, 2009). Notwithstanding that NFL defended the trial; ANI promoted new requests to the Supreme Court. Such a case of stubbornness is reasoned by the intention of the company to have also immunity production on the players of the NFL (Munson, 2009). The advantage for NFL is in its straightforwardness in claims and its distinct position about lawful decisions which the league made. ANI, on the other hand, is driven by business interests in terms of such a popular kind of sport in America.

Pros and cons

Just like the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961 this trial gives a way for making agreements of NFL with equipment companies more transparent and rational (The Associated Press, 2009). The consensual feature was lacking initially. It concerns also the antitrust cases considered with team merchandise. The Associated Press (2009) comments, that with such disturbances inside the structure of the league NFL looks like a league of one team. Such evaluation confirms that in NFL business-related prospects are at a core today. As a result, the precedents for cases in the Supreme Court appear. However, NFL succeeds in the litigation process. This is why anti-trust law seems to be an instrument for the regulation of the leagues personal intentions disregarding the official law. If the NFL is successful, then players, maverick owners, networks, paraphernalia manufacturers, fans and others will find themselves conducting business with what would be one of the most powerful cartels ever (Munson, 2009, p. 1). This statement has a hidden sub-sense of the systematic approach in the league. Nonetheless, the points of the process were determined at large. This is why there is no objection to the NFL as of allegedly prior business interests.

Conclusion

To conclude, the antitrust law as for NFL was of great concern among the highest bodies of power in 2009. The positive side of the litigation is that it did not provide harmful effects on the leagues schedule of games for a season. On the contrary, the defense in the process only means its continuation with opponents of the NFL for an undefined period.

Reference

Munson, L. (2009). Antitrust case could be Armageddon. Web.

Mishkin, J. A. (2009). American Needle Inc vs. National Football League. 

The Associated Press. (2009). NFL wants Supreme Court to hear antitrust case over team merchandise. Web.

Introduction

Soccer is one of the most popular sports in the world, with over 240 million registered players at all levels, and at least 3.5 billion fans (Soccer). Despite its relative simplicity, the sport has tremendous appeal, ranging from kids playing with an old ball in the yards of Rio de Janeiro to a professional final hosted at Wembley Stadium with 100,000 fans and tens of millions watching around the world. Most large countries have an internal soccer league, which oversees and organizes semi-professional and professional teams at different levels and are generally responsible for the development of the sport in their respective countries. The ways that leagues operate depends on a wide range of factors such as popularity of the sport locally, available financing from the government and sponsors, available infrastructure, experience, and goals. In this paper, starting a new league will aim to utilize a grassroots approach as it is most effective in the long-term for the quality of the sport locally and financially the most sustainable.

Grassroots Strategy

The grassroots strategy generally refers to the development of the league by focusing on a wholesome player pathway starting from early youth and creating community conditions so that more people are interested in the sport and willing to try it. The goal is to offer age and stage appropriate development activities in soccer and to educate all involved stakeholders including players, parents, and coaches on making the participating in the sport a challenging but positive experience (Andersson 615). Grassroots embraces long-term player development, identifying those who possess strong interest and early capabilities for soccer, and working to develop their abilities, behavior and emotions, functioning, and potential as they age. In order to do so, a grassroots approach requires infrastructure and organizational structure for the league to exist at all the appropriate levels of development for a healthy player base growth. As children grow into adolescents, and adolescents into youth and young adults, the grassroots design cultivates high-skilled, emotionally mature, educated, and dedicated players that are capable to play soccer at a high professional level within a team environment (U.S. Soccer Grassroots Player Development Framework).

Finances

The following is a breakdown of revenue and expenses for the new league.

Long-Term Development

Despite being economic powerhouses, the United States and China both have relatively weak mens national teams and overall, a low quality of leagues. For the US, the MLS is seen as a place for superstars to retire at for a good salary, while the Chinese CSL is viewed as a joke, and the few expensive players they are able to loan, indicate it as a vacation. In both cases, the leagues are not showing much promise because their domestic leagues, which is a vital building block for strong national and professional teams, are mired in mediocrity (Chinas football troubles). Part of it is the strategic approach that the league has and another part, is the finances, an element that even the best European leagues have struggled with recently, largely due to the overinflated costs of superstar salaries as well as maintaining a team of professional players.

The top-down approach which may be effective in many other areas such as building infrastructure, does not work well within a professional sports league. In order for a league to be successful, it needs a strong foundation. Soccer federations often see this by attempting a top-down approach of hiring excellent staff and star coaches, making sweeping changes, and imposing new systems to force a certain culture  and it continuously fails because it is unsustainable despite the fast and focused approach. Meanwhile, the grassroots strategy offers opportunity for long-term development from the bottom up. It allows to gradually build systems that are necessary to support athletes, to generate a healthy culture, to inspire and train leaders, as well as establishing a potentially financially viable organization. Much of these elements depend on the organizational culture, that at its essence is based on the ecological approach, meaning that perception cannot be detached from action (Pichardo 1189). The interactions that are involved in the daily basis (perception) drives actions.

The key to long-term sustainable development is understanding the concept of value in a football league. Development patterns can be complex and require significant resources, so there has to be an understanding regarding the path the league is taking, particularly being grassroots and built from the bottom-up. It needs to be taken into account that politics and society, management and control, and business are all intertwined in the leagues structure. Attempts to pursue fast returns or not adequately supporting the organizational mechanism will lead to a dysfunctional system (Rozier). Some aspects which have to be considered are policy and rule of law at the federation and league levels, guiding behaviors and customs to represent proper values, and ensuring that competition order is adequate. After all, the most successful leagues are those where regions offer strong competition and there is innate culture of soccer, not just in the population but within the leagues themselves. These leagues demonstrate high levels of professionalism across all levels, from professional to youth programs, and have effective supervision, similar to a large business.

The long-term development of the league using the grassroots strategy will have to incorporate three key elements. First is guiding ideology and transformational leadership. There should be a modern soccer philosophy developed and established that would serve as a vision for the league and its foundational principles. Services and parts of the league should be used to comprehensively develop the players, and everyone involved, building a culture. Furthermore, transformational leadership is needed to essentially drive the organization towards this vision and long-term goals, using reform and innovation as a driving force. Efforts should be made to build the organizational foundation, develop a talent base, provide infrastructure and facilities for all levels to increase the popularization of soccer and to continuously increase the quality of the sport.

The next step to consider is strategic positioning. Soccer is a sport which carries extensive influence, both domestically and on the global stage. The development of soccer in a new league can promote a comprehensive development of sport and allow the league to enter the top echelons of performance in the sport. It can also expand consumption and stimulate economic growth, both for the league and national soccer federation, but a range of other industries, if there are those willing to be involved and finance the sport. Furthermore, soccer has a significant educational function on youth, and it can be used as a vehicle to promote healthy social and other values, that will lead to respectful and hardworking adult athletes. The grassroots approach can also be used to empower those not commonly involved in soccer to participate, such as more women and minorities, creating equal opportunities (Wesely and Dublon).

Conclusion

Finally, what needs to be considered are development principles. As discussed, sustainable development is one key principle, ensuring that the environmental and societal impact of the leagues activities are in-line with the best practices. It is important to maintain a pattern of development, use scientific and business planning, and be socially oriented in order to build an orderly organization over time, starting with the youth programs and the grassroots efforts of growth. Reform and innovative development take on many forms including institutional changes and focusing on governance that is in line with the rule of law and complies to the latest recommendations of the public interest and sports development.

Works Cited

Andersson, Erik. A Referee Perspective on the Educational Practice of Competitive Youth Games: Exploring the Pedagogical Function of Parents, Coaches and Referees in Grassroots Soccer. Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy, vol. 24, no. 6, 2019, pp. 615628, 10.1080/17408989.2019.1652806.

Chinas football troubles reflect broader issues within the economy. The Economist, 2021.

Pichardo, Andrew W, et al. Integrating Models of Long-Term Athletic Development to Maximize the Physical Development of Youth. International Journal of Sports Science & Coaching, vol. 13, no. 6, 2018, pp. 11891199, 10.1177/1747954118785503.

Rozier J. III. Organizational expansion within professional sports. The Sport Journal, vol. 21, 2018. Web.

Soccer. Library of Congress, 2022.

U.S. Soccer Grassroots Player Development Framework. Arlington Soccer Club. Web.

Wesely, Marissa, and Dina Dublon. Empowering Women at the Grassroots. Stanford Social Innovation Review, 2015.

The research question for this paper focuses on soccer fans motivation for supporting their teams through stadium attendance. Many believe that fans go to stadiums for games out of love for their teams or the sport in general, but there are indications that it could be something else (Reed, 2018). This research seeks to interrogate the true motivation through observation. The setting chosen for this research is a soccer stadium on a match day. The researcher sits among the fans and quietly takes notes. The stadium is ideal because it is the easiest place to find several soccer fans gathered together since the research seeks to specifically analyze why the fans come to this specific place.

The physical setting of this research is a soccer stadium a few minutes away from the city center. This particular venue is overwhelming by the sheer beauty and magnitude of its physical structure. It stands at over 200 feet high, where it hosts over 30,000 fans. The first noticeable thing, once the awe of its architectural structure starts to fade away, is the roar and number of fans, whom before analysis seem like one passionate family of crazy believers. In their tens of thousands, they are clad in their teams colors. Replica jerseys, scarfs, jackets, tracksuits  they have it all. There is excitement and anticipation in the air as the fans sing, chant, and shout to support their teams. They cram themselves into every available seat and before long, there is literally nowhere to sit.

The stadium seats are not the most comfortable the researcher has used in his lifetime. They are made of cold, hard plastic and painted in the teams colors as well. They are truly uncomfortable and sitting on them is true pain. However, people in the stadium seem not to mind, as they hardly use the seats anyway. However, they are built so close together that one feels as if they are squeezing into them. There are different smells in the stadium, from the cold winter breeze to the stench of human odor. The aromas from different foods are very strong, one can almost taste them, but there is the smell of warm beer that has been spilled from time to time, alongside stale urine from fans who apparently did not want to miss any minute of the beautiful game. The floodlights are set high above the stadium where one can spot them from miles away. A scoreboard reminds everyone of the state of the battle on this ground. The fans seem to live in every moment of the game, cautious not to miss anything.

The researcher notes that soccer fans have different motivations for going to the stadium on a match day, many of which may not necessarily trace back to love for their team. It is apparent that for most, the experience comes first. This is because there was joy and merry-making on many fans faces, despite the home team having conceded three goals to the visitors, something that put them in real threat of relegation from the league. The fans seemed to care more about the things that created a good experience for them. Many focused on the quality of the food and the drinks instead of what was going on the pitch. The researcher even overheard a young couple swear they would never have come if they knew they would be served such trashy beer, in their own words. Even the cheering and singing seemed more angled towards creating an experience for the fans rather than supporting the team to perform.

Notably, many fans had their own activities taking away focus from the match while it was ongoing. At some point, a man seemingly in his thirties challenged another to a bottle game that would soon capture the attention of a whole section of the stadium, while the match went on the pitch below. There was an indication that most of the fans were here to enjoy a day out, and would still have had the same experience if it was another sport going on in the stadium. However, there was still a good number of fans that genuinely seemed to care for the team, and some of them left in frustration and anger when the team conceded the third goal during the second half of the match.

This was a wholesome experience for the researcher, who takes an interest in soccer. It was eye-opening because he had always presumed all fans went to the stadium out of love for their team  it seems from the findings that they would still go to watch paint dry if they had the same experience with their day out. It felt awkward having sideshows within the stadium amidst the discomfort of its seats, as it was irritating. The setting was, however, perfect for collecting data for this research, and the researcher looks forward to similar forms of practical learning and research.

Reference

Reed, S. (2018). Im Not a Fan. Im a Journalist: Measuring American Sports Journalists Sports Enthusiasm. Journal of Sports Media, 13(1), 27-47. Web.