Sports Training III

Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)

• 3. Good health and well-being
• 4. Quality education
• 5. Gender equality

Objectives

This course aims to enhance students' understanding of the sports training processes aimed at specific populations, including young, female, and master athletes.

Prior knowledge of physiology, kinesiology, and sports training is required to grasp the course content better. It is also beneficial to have a practical interest in the targeted groups that are the focus of the course and technology.

Learning outcomes

Under review. Pending publication

Content

1. Coaching tools
   • Grammar and language tools
   • Artificial intelligence, apps, and IT solutions
2. The young athlete
   • Growth, maturation, and physical performance
   • Talent identification
   • Development of physical fitness qualities in young people
   • Overuse injuries and injury prevention strategies for young athletes
3. The female athlete
   • Physiology of the female athlete
   • Training the female athlete
   • Sport and pregnancy
   • Specific female athlete pathologies and prevention
4. Master athletes
   • The ageing process
   • Principles of training master athletes
   • Master athletes' health conditions
   • Injury prevention and management for the master athlete

Evaluation

The assessment of all students will consider the following elements:

• Acquisition of theoretical knowledge
• Personal work, group work, and practical application of knowledge
• Practical and simulation activities
• Attendance and active participation in sessions and tutorial activities

To pass the course, tests, projects, and activities must be passed individually, achieving a minimum final grade of 5 points.

The assessment instruments and the weight of each element in the final grade are as follows:

• Attendance and participation: Minimum 70% attendance at practical sessions, group meetings, tutorial activities, and visits. If the minimum requirements are not met, students must take an additional test evaluating practical content. In case of injury, attendance remains mandatory unless justified by the teaching staff. This component is non-retakeable and constitutes 10% of the final grade.
• Final project: Assesses the practical application of course content. Preparation and presentation will be done in groups, and tutorial activities must be completed to defend the project. This component is retakeable and constitutes 30% of the final grade.
• Tests: Evaluation of the theoretical and practical course content through tests. This component is retakeable and constitutes 30% of the final grade.
• Other activities: Includes exercises, readings, tasks related to readings, journal clubs, watching videos, etc. This block can be passed with one failed activity, provided the average grade is above 5 points. More than one failed activity results in failing the entire block. This component is non-retakeable and constitutes 30% of the final grade.

Students who do not pass 50% of the assessment items before the semester closure week are not eligible for retake exams.

Students eligible for retake exams can achieve the highest final grade possible. However, raising a mark during the course is not an option.

Plagiarism detectors will be used to evaluate works and tasks. Activities with a plagiarism percentage higher than 30% will be considered "failed", and students will be warned. Lower percentages of plagiarism will also be considered significant and may reduce the final grade.

The use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) in any tasks or activities must be declared, specifying the functions for which it was used (e.g., text writing, spelling or grammar correction, image or graphic generation). Indiscriminate or undeclared use of AI, which violates academic rules and constitutes plagiarism due to a lack of original thinking, will result in a warning and the task being considered "failed".

Methodology

In the plenary sessions, students will work on each topic's key concepts and ideas using different resources such as teaching staff explanations, watching videos, reading articles or book extracts, debating ideas, using technological resources, or receiving expert talks.

The group work sessions are intended for the applied practice of the different contents of the course with practical proposals, simulation activities, generating hands-on content, or working on projects. These sessions can be organized in small groups.

Individual and group tutorial activities are used to monitor the student's learning process and to work on the aspects that present more difficulties for the student.

Bibliography

Key references

• Lloyd, R. S., & Oliver, J. L. (2019). Strength and conditioning for young athletes: Science and application (2 ed.). Routledge.
• Malina, R. M., Bouchard, C., & Bar-Or, O. (2004). Growth, maturation and physical activity (2 ed.). Human Kinetics.
• Mckendry, J., Breen, L., Shad, B. J., & Greig, C. A. (2018). Muscle morphology and performance in master athletes: A systematic review and meta-analyses. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1016/j.arr.2018.04.007
• Stabb, M. (2017). English for sport! Vaughan.
• Vv.Aa. (2022). Women in Sports and Exercise: From Health to Sports Performance. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.3390/books978-3-0365-3132-8

Further reading

Teachers will provide complementary bibliography and compulsory reading throughout the course via the Virtual Campus.