The main aim of this systematic review is to analyse the most recent literature regarding the relationship between sports tourism and its economic impact on a specific region. This research employed a systematic literature review methodology following PRISMA guidelines. A total of 64 relevant articles were identified through comprehensive searches across databases, resulting in the selection of 14 articles that met the established inclusion criteria for the study. The studies were analysed and synthesized to identify the key economic benefits and challenges of hosting sporting events. The review identified that sports tourism positively impacts regions by attracting tourists, creating job opportunities, and generating revenue for local businesses. Both small-scale and major sports events can potentially contribute to regional economic development. However, proper planning and management are essential to ensure that the benefits are maximized and that any negative impacts are minimized. There is need for further research to identify best practices for maximizing the economic benefits of sport tourism and to explore its potential for sustainable economic development.

Background and Study Aim. Given the recent mandate by the Budget Law 2022 for compulsory two hours of physical education (PE) in IV and V classes of Italian primary schools, understanding the dynamics of gender stereotypes during movement activities becomes crucial. This review aims to summarize the scientific evidence of the gender gap in PE lessons and identify barriers to female participation in movement activities. Material and Methods. The methodology employed was a systematic literature review guided by the PRISMA 2020 guidelines. The literature search was conducted in April 2023, utilizing a range of databases including Web of Science and Scopus. The search strategy applied MeSH terms and text words, connected by AND: "gender stereotypes" OR "gender gap", "PE" OR "physical education" OR "school" OR "children". Additionally, relevant articles were manually selected from Google Scholar to supplement the database findings. The inclusion criteria were centered on studies within the school context. Only articles published in English within the time frame of 2012 to 2023 were considered. Exclusion criteria ruled out conference proceedings, literature reviews, articles published before 2012, and non-English language publications. Results. Thirteen items met the inclusion criteria. The main barriers included personal beliefs of pupils towards sporting activities, particularly highlighting concerns from the female gender. Other significant barriers were attitudes of teachers and the perpetuation of gender stereotypes in PE textbooks. Several interventions were conducted, primarily focused on co-educational methodologies. These interventions proved effective in dismantling some gender stereotypes. Conclusions. The results demonstrated the presence of gender stereotypes during PE lessons. There was a need to improve teacher training, which was perceived as inadequate to work on gender inequality from primary school onwards.

Competitive dancesport (DS) performance is a multifactorial phenomenon influenced by physical and mental factors. The emotions experienced by athletes in competition are strongly linked to their sports performance. However, to our knowledge, no studies have investigated the direct relationship between performance and emotional states in DS. Consequently, the aims were four: (I) to investigate the influence of anxiety and self-confidence on DS performance; (II) to examine the influence of years of experience, prior victories, and perceived preparedness on performance outcomes; (III) to identify the optimal emotional state levels for peak performance; (IV) to investigate differences between different athletes’ levels and class. The participants were 71 Italian DS athletes divided into three groups (22 B-class, 25 C-class, 24 D-class). Before competition, they supplied demographic information about their gender, years of experience, perceived preparedness, previous winnings in the current class, followed by the completion of the Italian version of Revised Competitive State Anxiety Inventory–2 (CSAI-2R). To assess the athletes’ performance, the final classification of the competition was taken into consideration. The results showed that both overall and relative variables from the CSAI-2R significantly predicted performance outcomes (p < 0.05), although somatic anxiety did so to a lesser extent. Significant differences emerged between athletes of different classes in terms of years of experience (p = 0.000), perceived preparedness (p = 0.000), cognitive anxiety (p = 0.000) and self-confidence (p = 0.000). The optimal levels for good performance were cognitive anxiety (11.61 ± 2.27), somatic anxiety (15.77 ± 1.72) and self-confidence (15.12 ± 2.56). The findings of this study provide valuable insights into the multifactorial nature of competitive DS performance, particularly highlighting the significant role of emotional states such as anxiety and self-confidence, as well as other variables such as class, level, years of experience and perceived preparedness.

Study purpose. The increasing amount of research in Exercise and Sport Sciences emphasized the use of increasingly heuristic statistical tools appropriate to the aim in terms of qualitative, quantitative, and qualitative-quantitative data. Often, a lack of knowledge of statistical tools and their appropriateness for data analysis, especially between the use of parametric and non-parametric statistical techniques, is encountered by researchers. This requires the indispensable use of statistical experts, who, for the comprehensive understanding of the research design, need the use of human and economic resources that could probably be used differently and more efficiently. The aim of this study was to provide a list of the most used statistical methods in Exercise and Sport Sciences, focusing on the distinction between parametric and non-parametric statistical processing for both quantitative and qualitative research. Materials and methods. The method was the literature review with argumentative elaborations concerning the validity of the use of the statistical tools. Results. A total of 22 statistical tools, both parametric and non-parametric, were found: 5 useful to test relationship, 7 to compare two groups and 10 to compare two or more groups. For each statistical tool, a scientific paper related to Exercise and Sport Sciences was collected. Conclusions. These data allow developing potential guidelines, applying to Exercise and Sport Sciences, for the rigorous model of research projects with a systematic use of statistical processing in the complete hypothesis of the study.

The search for overarching factors involved in both sport and broader lifestyle and achievement domains may help to understand the early drop-out phenomenon. This study aimed to analyze the association between early sport drop-out and strategic learning skills, checking for the individual and joint role of nationality, school type, gender, age and sport habits. Six hundred and fourteen Italian and Spanish students aged 14–18 years completed two self-assessment questionnaires concerning physical activity, sports habits and learning strategies. Outcomes were analyzed with frequency analysis. Higher affective–motivational strategic learning skills were associated with lower drop-out rates in Italian but not Spanish students. In high schools with an enhanced sports curriculum, drop-out rates were negligible compared to other Italian and Spanish curricula. A lack of persistence in the same sport type was significantly associated with a higher drop-out rate in males but not in female students, who had overall higher drop-out rates. This study suggests that overarching personal skills, cultural characteristics and sports habits may independently and jointly contribute to sport drop-out. Specifically, affective–motivational learning skills may play a key role in sport persistence and in strategies tailored to drop-out prevention.

The present study aimed to verify the (1) differences between players’ roles in relation to technical and tactical and time–motion indicators, and the (2) relationships between individual time–motion and technical and tactical indicators for each role in a men’s Italian football Serie A team. A total of 227 performances were analyzed (28 players: 8 forwards, FWs; 11 midfielders, MDs; 9 defenders, DFs). Technical and tactical indicators, such as ball possession (played balls, successful passes, successful playing patterns, lost balls, ball possession time), offensive play (total and successful dribbles, crosses, assists), and shooting (total shots, shots on target) were obtained by means of Panini Digital (DigitalSoccer Project S.r.l). In addition, a time–motion analysis included the total distance, distances covered at intensities of 16.0–19.8 km/h, 19.8–25.2 km/h, and over 25.2 km/h, the average recovery time between metabolic power peaks, and burst occurrence, the latter of which was performed by means of a 18 Hz GPS device (GPexe Pro2 system tool) worn by the players. Results showed role-specific differences: MDs covered more distance, while DFs had better ball possession. MDs and DFs had more successful playing patterns, and MDs and FWs performed more dribbles and shots. Strong correlations (p < 0.01, ρ > 0.8) were found between bursts and assists for FWs, high-intensity running and ball possession for MDs, and distance, dribbling, and shots for DFs. These findings highlight the importance of individual and tailored training programs to optimize role-specific performance demands.