Background: This study contributes to expanding the existing literature on learning technical skills in youth soccer by comparing the effectiveness of different training approaches in the development of passing skills. The ecological-dynamic approach, which emphasizes the continuous and adaptive interaction between the athlete and the environment, is analyzed in comparison to the traditional prescriptive approach, which relies on predefined techniques and exercises. The aim of the study is to determine which of the two approaches is more effective in improving the performance of young soccer players. Methods: Thirty players (age 12 ± 1.2 years) were randomly assigned to two groups: the ecological-dynamic group (ECG) and a control group (CON). Both groups underwent an eight-week training program with equal sessions. The ECG group’s training focused on adjusting constraints like the learning environment, game rules, and visual restrictions to boost adaptability and problem-solving skills. The CON group followed a traditional prescriptive approach with specific instructions, goal setting, immediate feedback, and structured exercise progression. Passing abilities were evaluated before and after the program using the Loughborough Soccer Passing Test, with a retention test administered five weeks later. Descriptive statistics, including mean values and percentage improvements, were used. A repeated measures ANOVA compared differences between the groups. Results: The analysis revealed a significant Occasion × Group interaction for all performance variables, indicating that the ECG group experienced greater improvements than the CON group. Specifically, the ECG group showed significant reductions in Trial Time (p = 0.001, η_p² = 0.6), Penalty Time (p = 0.016, η_p² = 0.4), and Overall Performance (p = 0.011, η_p² = 0.8) from pre-test to post-test. However, these improvements did not persist into the retention test (p = 0.131, p = 0.792, and p = 0.192, respectively). The CON group also improved significantly in Trial Time (p = 0.003), Penalty Time (p = 0.002), and Overall Performance (p = 0.001) from pre-test to post-test, but with smaller effect sizes and no sustained gains at retention. Conclusions: The ecological-dynamic approach (EDG) has proven to be more effective in enhancing passing skills compared to the traditional prescriptive approach (CON). Although both methods led to performance improvements, the EDG group achieved more significant progress.

Research purpose. The present study aims to examine the changes in physical activity levels during the lockdown due to COVID-19 in Italy. In particular, it aims to evaluate the impact of physical exercise on psychological health, how much the home environment influences the desire to train and what people think about Smart-fitness and sport in general. Materials and methods. A sample of 268 people from the province of Salerno participated in the study, with an average age of 26 years. To achieve the tasks set, the study relied on the following methods: analysis of scientific literature, formulation and administration of a questionnaire and data analysis through methods of mathematical statistics. A structured questionnaire was prepared, disseminated through social networks. To analyze the data, the Social Sciences Statistical Package (SPSS) and descriptive statistics were used to calculate the demographic variables. The factor analysis was also calculated to verify the characteristics of the sport considered important by the participants. Results. The results obtained made it possible to understand the main type of physical activity carried out during the quarantine (aerobic activity 35%, functional training 27%, anaerobic activity 19%), the time dedicated to each session (52.8% practice for 1 hour) and the weekly frequency of the same (42.9% practice physical activity continuously more than ¾ times a week). It was also understood the reasons that prompted the interviewees to train, the way they planned their session and the equipment used. Finally, it was shown that the majority of the sample (64.17%) knew smart fitness considering it an interesting activity, and the influence attributed to the home environment by a scale of values from 1 to 5. Furthermore, the factor analysis shows us the most relevant aspects wich respondents attributed to sport. More frequently, respondents place greater importance on being loyal and correct, on the contrary, lower values are attributed to the importance of earning money, and not to disappoint others. Conclusions. The study found that COVID-19 did not stop athletes, who quickly adapted to the new situation. The home environment has proved to be very influential on the desire to train, despite this, they hope to return to the gym as soon as possible.

Transversal skills are the knowledge, skills, and personal qualities that are currently needed to meet the demands of the working world and everyday life. Schools have the task of equipping students with these skills, working not only on disciplinary goals but also on operational–behavioral goals. In 2018, the European Union adopted new recommendations on eight key competencies for lifelong learning and asked schools to implement new methods to develop these recommendations. To be successful, it is necessary to stimulate students’ development of these competences, which are also called soft skills, from the earliest years of the school experience. Physical education (PE) is called upon to make its contribution. In Italy, the two teaching methods used during PE classes are prescriptive teaching and heuristic learning. It is not clear which of the two methods is the most effective in improving soft skills, especially the skills involved in teamwork. The objective of this article was to compare the effects of these two teaching methods on students’ teamwork skills during PE classes in primary schools. After verifying the normality of the data, a Student’s t-test for dependent samples was performed to assess pre-test and post-test differences in each of two groups, while a Student’s t-test for independent samples was performed to compare the two groups after 3 months. Heuristic learning proved to be the most effective method for improving teamwork skills. The results may make an important contribution to future teacher training on the most effective teaching methods for developing students’ soft skills.

Volleyball primarily focuses on technical and tactical training with a ball. However, there is growing interest in integrating fitness training into volleyball practice, particularly to enhance explosive strength through plyometric methods, but there is a lack of a direct scientific comparison between training with and without the ball. This study aimed to compare the effects of two training protocols on volleyball players. One protocol combined plyometric exercises with technical gestures (wall drills) using the ball, while the other protocol excluded the ball during plyometric exercises. Twenty male volleyball players (aged 18.6 ± 0.3 years, height 189.8 ± 2.2 cm, weight 79.4 ± 1.6 kg) were divided into experimental (with ball) and control (without ball) groups. The analysis of the results highlights significant improvements in both the squat jumps (SJs) and the countermovement jumps with arm swing (CMJas) for both groups. While there were no significant differences between the groups for SJ, significant differences emerged in CMJas, indicating varied training effects. Specifically, the interaction effect was significant (p = 0.004), demonstrating a meaningful distinction in performance improvements between the two groups. The effect size of the interaction is moderate (η_p² = 0.37, 95% CI: 0; 0.91). These results suggest that incorporating a ball into plyometric training can be beneficial for developing explosive strength in a different way, thereby improving performance due to the motivational stimulus provided. However, given the specificity of the sample and the training protocols used, further studies are needed to confirm these results and evaluate their applicability to a larger sample of volleyball players.

Plyometric training is known to improve jump height in volleyball, but few studies address athletes’ perception and awareness of its benefits. This gap limits its full potential for enhancing performance. This study examines young non-elite volleyball athletes’ awareness of plyometric training effects. A sample of 24 athletes (mean age 18.3 ± 3.8 years) was divided into an experimental group (EXP) and a control group (CON), each with 12 participants. The EXP group underwent plyometric training, while the CON group performed basic technical exercises. Performance and perceptions were assessed using the Spike Jump Test and surveys at pre-, mid-, and post-training phases. The EXP group showed significant vertical jump improvement, from a pre-training mean of 30.14 cm to 32.22 cm post-training, confirmed by the Friedman test (p = 0.00). In contrast, the CON group showed no significant changes (p = 0.47). Perception scores in the EXP group improved significantly, from 3.33 to 4.16, indicating enhanced awareness of plyometric training benefits, whereas the CON group showed no significant changes (p = 0.35). These findings highlight the dual benefits of plyometric training in improving both jump performance and awareness of its effectiveness, emphasizing the value of integrating perception into training for volleyball athletes.

Dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) is the gold standard for the antithrombotic management of patients with an acute coronary syndrome (ACS) or undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Implementation of intensified or prolonged DAPT regimens has proven to lower the risk of ischemic events but at the expense of increased bleeding. Importantly, bleeding is a predictor of poor prognosis. Risk stratification and selection of tailored antiplatelet strategies to maximize the net clinical benefit in individual patients with ACS or undergoing PCI is therefore potentially beneficial. Recently, novel approaches including DAPT de-escalation or escalation have been proposed as possible alternatives to standard DAPT. These strategies, which are generally based on patient’s risk profile, genetics, and/or platelet function have been proposed to offer more tailored treatments in patients with ACS or PCI, with the ultimate goal of providing adequate ischemic protection while mitigating the risk of bleeding. This review summarizes the available evidence on DAPT de-escalation or escalation (both guided and unguided) and discusses the practical implications of these strategies in the contemporary management of patients with ACS and/or undergoing PCI.