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The strength deficit is a very evident problem in the comparison between wheelchair tennis players and able-bodied tennis players, with important repercussions from a technical-tactical point of view. The aim of the study is to demonstrate that with strength-hypertrophy training using the Bill-Starr methodology, it is possible to fill, at least in part, the deficit in this motor capacity. Participants in the study are twenty tennis players (age: 28, weight: 70 kg; height: 184 cm) who compete regionally, comprising 10 wheelchair tennis players belonging to the experimental group and 10 able-bodied players belonging to the control group. The study includes three phases: a pre-test phase where players took a quantitative assessment test, an 8-week adapted Bill Starr strength-hypertrophy training period, and a post-test phase where the athletes they repeated the quantitative assessment test. Through the use of the t-test for dependent samples, a significant increase in the average speed impressed with the service by the experimental group was found. Specifically, the average increase was 19.7 km/h, with a gap with the able-bodied companions which went from an initial value of 77.6 km/h to 57.9 km/h. This therefore not only led to actual improvements for wheelchair tennis players, who will be able to rely more on the service to search for direct points and therefore reduce the time duration of exchanges and better manage energy, but also leads to the possibility of playing mixed matches in a more balanced way than before.

Physical activity (PA) is an essential component of people's well-being. Copious evidence argues for its protective effect across individuals' lifespan. However, its role as a factor of enhancement for human cognitive skills is still a matter of study. The present work aims to provide conclusive evidence about PA's role in modulating working memory skills in active pre-adolescent children. By enrolling a large number of participants, we tested the effect of PA on Digit Span Backwards (DSB), a well-consolidated test taxing primarily short-term auditory memory, i.e., less dependent on attention fluctuations. Higher working memory capacity was assumed to emerge in the participants practising PA compared to the less active ones. Moreover, due to the different activities participants reported to practice, we expected that children practising open-skill activities manifested better memory skills than the peers practising closed-skill activities, due to the intrinsic nature of the two forms of exercises. Data supported the previous hypothesis highlighting PA's positive effect; however, they did not keep the assumed differences for open vs closed skills. Results are discussed in the light of the cognitive efforts required to sport beginners, particularly in the light of what they are prompted to code, remember and recall in each step of the proposed exercises.

Physical activity practice is very important for individual’s wealth status. Moreover, it is possible to consider physical activity one of the teachers’ tool to improve the academic achievement and the cognitive functions in children. However, according to some evidences it seems that the physical activity at high intensity increase the cognitive functions compared to the low intensity physical activity. In this project, we investigate how the intensity of physical activity affects a series of cognitive functions such as Attention and Working Memory. Eleven participants of a summer camp participated at the study. Three experimental weeks with different physical intensities were involved (Standard Intensity, High intensity and Low Intensity). Participants performed the cognitive tasks at the beginning and at the end of each experimental week. Our results indicated an effect of the physical activity intensity in some kind of attention. Working Memory instead, was not affected. Thus, our results suggested that intensity could be an important factor to increase some cognitive functions, but not all of them.

The link between motor and executive function (EF) development is unclear. To test whether learning difficult motor task drives EF development, we measured EF changes in 5-year-old children from 3 kindergartens in north-eastern Italy engaged in a specific motor program including a difficult motor task (walking on unstable bar). One-hundred children divided in 2 groups participated for 1 hour/week for 10 weeks: Group A was supported by a teacher and group B no. The capacity to perform the difficult task was assessed at the beginning and end of the study; the children able (Groups A1 and B1) or unable (Groups A2 and B2) to perform the task at the Pre-test were similar in the 2 groups. To assess EF, the day/night test (Gerstadt et al., 1994) was used. Dynamic balance results. Time at spring bar: Group A pre 69.2 post 29.6 - Group B pre 71.8 post 48.8. EF results. Group A1 pre 4.90 post 2.71 - Group B1 pre 3.62 post 3.54. Group A2 pre 4.64 post 1.22 - Group B2 pre 5.30 post 3.55. Conclusions. Teacher support significantly promoted improvement of motor skill; teacher’s scaffolding significantly promoted EF development in children with initial low motor competence only.

The present research investigated the role of the physical activity on cognitive functions and psychosocial characteristics. Pre-adolescent children of a middle School of Rimini participated to extra physical activities (EPA) organised by the school. They performed a Free Recall memory Test (Nielson, Radtke & Jensen, 1996) and filled the self-esteem questionnaire (Rosenberg, 1965) and their results were compared with a group of students that did not performed the activity proposed (non-EPA). Moreover, to control the level of physical activity of the sample, participants filled the International activity questionnaire. The results showed that the students who participated to the extra physical activities had high self-esteem compared to the non-EPA group, while no differences between the groups emerged from the Free Recall Memory test.

The teaching methodology in juvenile football features various approaches, spanning from prescriptive teaching to heuristic learning. The aim of this research is to theoretically point out which of the two below is the most proficient way of improving the dribbling qualities: 1) Making the pupils steadily repeat the same exercise under the coaches' eyes; 2) Letting the kids free to express their own abilities avoiding the use of a pre-packaged schedule. All along the process, the teacher catches up with the most updated existing knowledge in the field of motoric learning. The first method sets an ascending degree of difficulty beginning with low-intensity exercises right up to a tougher dribbling making. The little boys are firstly requested to lift the ball with their hands up until the moment when they are expected to do it with the sole use of their feet. On the contrary, the second method grants the young learners complete freedom. Although they are not given any rules, they are asked to reach the best dribbling quality by doing their utmost. All in all, that those who proceed under the teacher's prescriptions acquire a better knowledge shows that the traditional system is the only possible option.

Usually, the training planning large amounts of technical skills and tactical work are planned, neglecting the part of athletic physical training, while it is necessary to combine the athletic phase with the technical one according to principle of the complexity of the sports performance that integrates the quantitative part with to the qualitative one. The study aims to show whether specific workouts aimed at developing and consolidating the basic motor patterns then lead to an improvement in performance in basketball, which is not only athletic but also technical and tactical components. Surveys were carried out every two months taking into account the evolutionary phase of the athletes, monitored on height and weight, in some there was an improvement and then a deterioration, while for others there was a constant improvement. This study helps to use the test administration method to monitor the correlation between training and performance activities.

Basketball, such as soccer and volleyball, has the issue to rehabilitation too deep for re athletisation early. The work carried out aims to demonstrate how improving dorsal flexion of the ankle is an excellent tool for the prevention of all injuries for athletes who play basketball. This study has as a sample a group of 12 athletes aged between 16 and 18 years who in the past have found, albeit mildly, problems with the lower limbs linked to reduced mobility of the ankle joint, as demonstrated by the tests that were performed on each subject of the chosen group. The work protocol chosen for the aforementioned group was submitted to each subject three days a week for the duration of two months. The exercises performed were exercises of myofascial release, passive mobility, proprioception and dynamic stretching. All the athletes have meticulously carried out the work protocol and in the end, from the data that emerged, a general improvement of the subjects involved in the protocol can be seen, above all by the most suffering and most frequently exposed to injury. Specifically, the data showed an increase in dorsiflexion of 3.1% for the left ankle and 6.2% for the right ankle.

Following the transition period, there is a clear reduction in performance levels for individual skills such as jumping, speed, dexterity and strength of the upper limbs. A compensatory working hypothesis is urgently needed to mitigate the damage. The aim of the study is to investigate the motivation, thought and self-criticism of athletes on this subject through the case study with the method of administration of a questionnaire that evaluate the propensity to train in the transition period and preference for methodological choices. The administration was done through a special online platform, in total anonymity so as not to incur in false data. The study is submitted to volleyball athletes of different sex and age. The study involved 67 athletes divided into 3 groups: 19 boys aged between 18 and 29 years, 22 girls aged between 13 and 18 years and 26 other girls aged between 19 and 30 years. From the study conducted shows a favourable propensity to continue the activity during this period by athletes preferring group activities over solo activities. And there is a tendency to leave the decision on the planning of activities to the figure of the coach. In conclusion, the study gives an immediate response to the hypothesis of solving the problem by finding fertile ground in the will of the athletes and in any case ascertains the functionality of the method to be adopted for a study with a large and representative sports sample.

Nowadays, recreational sports activities are focused on health and wellness aspects for a physiological study on the effects of the elite sport due to the spread of recreational sport, especially football. This work addresses the physical benefits originated from recreational five-a-side football and aims at the perceptions about self-evaluation of the physical and the psychological data. It also proposes a questionnaire in a group of young men aged 23 to 29 who played amateur five-a-side football for 8 weeks just 2-3 times a week. The requests basing on the overall research conclusions on the studies performed on recreational football (Kustrup et al., 2010). The most significant results showed that practicing amateur sports activities makes you feel better both physically and psychologically (respectively 87,3% e 93,3% of the answers) and it is less tiring and stressful than playing football agonistically (respectively 80% e 80% of the answers) or practicing strength training or interval running training. Furthermore, according to the data complex, it can be potentially satisfactory from the point of the view healthy and well-ness sport that can improve general well-being and it can prevent lethal diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases and obesity. In conclusion, it can be affirmed that recreational five-a-side football can produce not only physical benefits, as Kustrup's article shows, but also significant psychological benefits, which makes you feel better and more relaxed.

As previously introduced in the preliminary study (Forte & Altavilla, 2018) we want to estimate the reduction in performance in the transition period, the purpose of this work is to expand the sample of data on the ability to jump. The method is experimental and the study was conducted on the same sample of 22 female athletes divided into two experimental groups, the first composed of athletes aged 12-16 years and the second on athletes aged 18-25 years. In all subjects the following parameters were assessed: height with a stretched arm and height with two extended arms. The elevation and coordination skills were evaluated with the Abalakov test using the technical gesture of the attack and the wall. Other data were obtained by evaluating the results obtained from the difference between the measurement of the attack and the height with an extended arm, and between that of the wall and the height with two extended arms. The test results showed significant reductions in ability to jump after the transition period.

As introduced in the preliminary study previously carried out, the spread of technology in sports provides a monitoring of objective activity, accurate and not invasive. This led to the creation of a technological instrument, Power Glove, which investigates specific aspects of sport performance. The aim of this study is to evaluate the difference of serve performances through a test, to establish its feasibility and to obtain information that will allow to determine the calibration of the final instrument, taking into account the metrological characteristics of a measuring instrument. The carried out test, considers the serve, one of the fundamentals of volleyball, which starts ay every action of the game. The study was conducted on a sample divided into two groups: group A composed of 12 female volleyball players aged 12-16 years; and group B composed of 10 female volleyball players aged 18-25 years. It is a controlled and designed clinical study method in which subjects are exposed to various tests of strength, speed and precision in an alternated or simultaneous and supervised manner.

The aim of the study was to analyze and evaluate the differences in jumping ability and in the fundamental technical of the float serve in volleyball, in order to evaluate the effectiveness of a working method. The study was performed on a sample of 11 male volleyball players (Under 20). Data were collected in two periods (September and October), subjecting the players to intensive technical and physical work. At the beginning of the training period, anthropometric data were collected, such as mean and standard deviation, and jumping ability. Players made a series of float serve to a specific area of the opponent's field and incremental effects were estimated after the intensive training period (in October). The statistical analysis of the data provided for the estimation of the percentage data and a Test t student to verify the difference between pre and post workout. The significant difference was set with p <0.05. The results show, after four weeks of intensive training, an improvement in jumping ability, at the Vertec test, equal to 3.45cm and a significant difference with p = 0.001, between the two series of jumps; while the estimate of the effect of technical training (float service) was 22%. These physical and motor tests allow the training process to be monitored by estimating the effects induced, allowing the coaches to design and adequately choose the methodology and the training load for an effective performance.