ISSN : 1598-2939
Athletes' performance in sports is influenced by both personal and environmental factors, among which sport orientation plays a particularly critical role. This study examines whether gender differences exist in the perceived relationships among physical literacy, sportspersonship, and sport orientation in Taekwondo athletes. A total of 259 collegiate athletes registered with the Korea Taekwondo Association in 2024 participated in the study. Research hypotheses were tested using SPSS 23.0 and the PROCESS Macro program. The results revealed that physical literacy positively influenced both sport orientation and sportspersonship, and sportspersonship also had a positive effect on sport orientation. Notably, physical literacy enhanced sport orientation only among male athletes. These findings suggest that male athletes with higher levels of physical literacy tend to perceive sport orientation more strongly than their female counterparts. The study highlights the importance of strengthening educational programs that promote physical literacy in sports settings.
The current study examines how college-aged men (ages 18 - 25) construct and negotiate masculinity in sport contexts. Using qualitative interviews with 24 male students from a large Midwestern university, the research examines how socializing agents may shape masculine identities, cultures, and behaviors related to toughness, competitiveness, risk-taking, or emotional expression. While previous research has established the prominence of masculinity in sport cultures, the present study extends this work by demonstrating that inclusive or alternative masculinities tend to appear in exceptional and context-specific ways within participants’ narratives. The analysis demonstrates that masculinity remains a highly resilient and adaptable cultural framework, reproduced through socialization and peer regulation, and expressed through norms of toughness, competitiveness, emotional control, and physical pain. Although some men in the study described moments of relational openness or questioned the value of playing through the norms of masculinity, these forms of resistance or negotiation appeared partial, limited, and dependent on specific interpersonal conditions rather than representing broader shifts in masculine norms. Intersectionality also emerged in limited ways in this research; while a few participants alluded to racialized expectations or heteronormative pressures, the dominant patterns reflected shared generational and institutional contexts rather than clear differences across race or sexuality. Overall, the findings highlight the continued prevalence of masculinity in college men’s sport experiences while illustrating how emergent forms of inclusive masculinity coexist in narrow and situational ways, contributing to ongoing discussions about gender, identity, and the cultural reproduction of masculinity in sport.
The purpose of this study was to investigate the trial order effect on sagittal-plane kinematics and neuromuscular adaptations during repeated-measures footwear tests on an uneven surface to establish reliable evaluation protocols. Eleven habitual trail runners performed four 3-minute running trials on an uneven treadmill, with different footwear presented in a randomized order. Sagittal-plane lower limb kinematics and the activity of six muscles were recorded using IMU motion sensors and surface EMG. Data were analyzed during the final 20 seconds of each trial. No significant differences were observed in most kinematic variables across the four test trials (p>.05), except for the maximum knee flexion angle during the pre-strike phase (p=.041). In contrast, post-strike muscle activity showed a systematic reduction for the vastus medialis (p=.001), gastrocnemius lateralis (p=.003), soleus (p=.040) and biceps femoris (p=.039). Our results indicate that while sagittal-plane kinematic patterns stabilize quickly, the neuromuscular system undergoes a continuous tuning process. This suggests that kinematic stability does not equate to neuromuscular stability, necessitating approximately 10 minutes of familiarization to secure reliable and reproducible data in trail running footwear evaluation protocols.
This study compared the kinematic and kinetic time-series characteristics of the lower-limb joints between bounce drop jumps (BDJ) and countermovement drop jumps (CDJ) to clarify differences in energy absorption and control mechanisms. Twenty male participants performed BDJ and CDJ under identical relative loading conditions based on individual countermovement jump height. Kinematic and kinetic data of the ankle, knee, and hip joints were collected using a motion capture system and force plates, and joint angular velocity, moment, and power were calculated via inverse dynamics. Statistical Parametric Mapping (SPM) t-tests were applied across the entire ground-contact phase. The analysis revealed that joint-angle differences between BDJ and CDJ were primarily driven by the hip and knee across all three planes, whereas the ankle showed only brief and relatively small angular differences but consistently higher angular velocities in BDJ. Angular-velocity patterns indicated a distal-to-proximal redistribution strategy, with BDJ exhibiting earlier and more frequent dominance at the ankle and CDJ showing broader and more sustained dominance at the hip and knee. Kinetic differences were mainly observed in the sagittal plane: CDJ demonstrated larger and longer-lasting joint moments across all joints, reflecting greater eccentric control, while joint-power differences were confined to short, phase-specific intervals, indicating distinct energy-distribution strategies despite comparable overall output. These findings suggest that BDJ emphasizes rapid elastic utilization at the distal joints, whereas CDJ relies more on active proximal force generation. Accordingly, BDJ may be preferable for explosive rebound tasks, whereas CDJ may be more suitable for controlled force production. These findings further demonstrate the value of SPM for identifying phase-specific biomechanical differences.
This study examines sports ticket scalping in the expanding digital platform environment and proposes policy directions for ticket transaction management following recent legal reforms. Using a qualitative policy analysis based on literature review, institutional analysis, and case studies, the study investigates ticket transaction concepts, the Korean regulatory framework, market conditions, and international policy approaches. The findings reveal several limitations of current policies. First, regulations focused primarily on illegal activities such as the use of automated purchasing programs are insufficient to address the diverse transaction patterns emerging in digital platform markets. Second, digital platforms have transformed ticket transactions into a complex ecosystem in which purchasing and resale activities are closely interconnected. Third, although multiple stakeholders—including government agencies, platforms, event organizers, and consumers—play important roles, existing policies do not adequately reflect their responsibilities. Fourth, recent legal reforms have expanded regulatory coverage by introducing platform accountability and reporting mechanisms, creating a foundation for policy change. Based on these findings, sports ticket management should move beyond enforcement-centered regulation toward a comprehensive operational management approach. Recommended measures include stronger purchase controls, platform-based data management, consumer education, participatory enforcement systems, technological monitoring tools, and official resale platforms. Ticket scalping should therefore be understood as a structural issue within the digital marketplace requiring integrated management of the overall transaction environment.
