For an athlete to be successful at the professional level, he or she should be characterized by extraordinary preparation in four areas: physical, technical, cognitive (related to game strategy, perception, and decision-making), and emotional (coping, emotional control). This study aimed to determine the level of selected cognitive traits in handball players while considering their sports level and assigned position on the court. Fifty handball players participated in the study. Participants consisted of 35 national team players, six first-division players, and nine second-division players. There were no significant differences between players from the elite (national team) and the sub-elite (I and II divisions) group. The results identified major differences in selective attention and short-term memory between handball players assigned to different positions (goalkeepers, compared to players in other positions, had lower attention and short-term memory). Thus, it is possible to develop a more effective psychological training program. However, it must be remembered that the results showed great variability among handball players. With this in mind, individual differences should be taken into account when planning psychological interventions.

Travelling families are interested in urban tourism due to its cognitive and entertainment aspects. Some expectations of parents travelling with children are the same independent of the accommodation location. The purpose of this article is to examine at what level city hotels offer services and amenities within family tourism, how they meet parents’ expectations and whether they adapt offers to children of different ages. Two measurement tools were used for this study. The first one was the authors’ questionnaire addressed to hotel managers. A total of 88 hotels located in Krakow were selected for the study. The survey contained questions on the offers of hotels related to various services and amenities for families with children, which were assigned to one of three groups (24 items): general child-friendly hotel services and amenities, in-room amenities and restaurant amenities. In the second phase of the study, parents of children aged 0–10 years were asked to assess the degree to which the amenities offered by hotels were important for them during the selection of a hotel. In total, 90 surveys were taken into consideration. The tool was designed to examine the needs of parents who have children of different ages, in regard to selected hotel services and amenities (24 items). As in the case of the surveys for hoteliers, the same three groups were created. The research demonstrates that children’s age is the key factor that should lead to the differentiation of the accommodation offer. However, hoteliers largely perceive children as a homogeneous group. In all studied age categories (6) and amenities groups (3), parents’ expectations were higher than the services and amenities offered. No significant differences regarding the category of the hotel or hotel chain membership have been found. The results of the study may provide valuable guidance to hoteliers who wish to attract families with children to urban tourism and adapt their offer to them, thus realising the principle of inclusiveness. They may be also a significant contribution to the literature on the subject, as most published work concerns holiday hotels rather than city hotels.

Despite the extensive literature on stroke rehabilitation, there are few studies that comprehensively show non-ambulatory stroke patients. The aim of the study was to explore the dynamics of the change in physical activity (PA), psychological and functional outcomes, and the correlation between them in non-ambulatory patients during early in-patient post-stroke rehabilitation. Measurements were taken on 21 participants at the beginning of and 6 weeks post-conventional rehabilitation with the Barthel Index (BI), Berg Balance Scale (BBS), Trunk Control Test (TCT), Stroke Impact Scale (SIS), General Self-Efficacy Scale, Stroke Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (SSEQ), the original scale of belief in own impact on recovery (BiOIoR), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Acceptance of Illness Scale and when the patient could walk—Time Up & Go and 6 Minute Walk Test. Daily PA was assessed over 6 weeks using a Caltrac accelerometer. Only outcomes for BI, BBS, TCT, SIS, and SSEQ significantly improved 6 weeks post-rehabilitation. PA energy expenditure per day significantly increased over time (p < 0.001; effect size = 0.494), but PA only increased significantly up to the third week. PA change was correlated with BiOIoR post-treatment. Self-efficacy in self-management mediated improvement in SIS. The BiOIoR and confidence in self-management could be important factors in the rehabilitation process.

Sports activities can constitute a factor in improving postural control. The aim of this study is to compare static balance in the tandem stance between female artistic gymnasts and non-training girls. This was performed with and without visual control, as well as in a position with open eyes, on a 1.25 m high platform. Two groups of thirty girls participated in the study. The first group consisted of gymnasts (mean age 9.50 ± 1.20 years, body height 133.50 ± 11.40 cm, and body mass 28.90 ± 6.90 kg), while the second group comprised non-training girls (mean age 9.80 ± 1.20 years, body height 142.60 ± 10.90 cm, and body mass 37.40 ± 9.70 kg). Balance measurements were taken using the CQ Stab 2P two-plate stability platform. In the measurements conducted with the subjects’ eyes closed, the gymnasts obtained a lower value for displacement regarding the maximal centre of pressure (COP) in the anterior–posterior direction and a higher frequency of COP displacement (p < 0.05). In the trial performed on a platform, a greater COP displacement frequency was found among the non-training girls (p < 0.001). Differences in the values of the variables characterising the static balance of gymnasts and non-training girls were revealed only in conditions of increasing difficulty concerning the motor task (increasing the height of the position and/or without eye control).

Good mental preparation of an athlete plays an important role in achieving optimal sports results. An athlete who enters a competition should not feel fatigue resulting from intense physical exercise. Therefore, new and effective methods are being sought that could help accelerate the process of both physical and mental regeneration. Vibrotherapy is one of them. The aim of the study was to determine the optimal frequency of vibration, its duration and the position in which the subjects were placed during the treatments, in relation to the reduction of subjectively perceived exertion muscle pain, mental discomfort, emotional states and the level of cognitive processes that were disturbed by intense physical activity. Sixteen healthy male volunteers were involved in this study. The participants were assessed for their aerobic and anaerobic capacity. Each of the subjects performed a set of intensive physical exercises and then underwent vibrotherapy treatment. In random order, each of the men tested the effectiveness of eight combinations of frequency, duration, and body position. Psychological tests were conducted for each combination: frequency, duration of treatment, and position during treatment, in four stages: (1) before the start of the experiment (baseline POMS measurements), (2) immediately after the exercise (VAS scale, scale examining psychological discomfort and STROOP test), (3) immediately after the vibration treatment (POMS measurements, VAS scale, scale examining psychological discomfort and STROOP test), (4) 24 h after the vibration treatment (VAS scale examining subjective assessment of perceived pain and psychological discomfort). Based on the results, it was concluded that all the studied variables improved significantly over time (after the vibration treatment and 24 h after training). In addition, a statistically significant interaction measurement × frequency was noted for vigor scale (52HZ favored greater improvement in this state), and a statistically significant interaction was found for measurement × time for the VAS scale (p < 0.05) – the lower pain value was indicated 24 h after the 10-min vibration treatment. The type of frequency used, position, and duration of the treatment did not play a statistically significant role in changing STROOP test results and severity of psychological discomfort (p > 0.05).

Occupational Burnout and Pro-Health Behaviours of Pre-School Teachers from Kraków