To investigate how contextual or environmental factors may influence the athletic performance of female soccer players during competitions, this study aimed to assess the impact of match-related variables (playing surface; opponent levels; opponent result trends; match status, and match outcomes) on the athletic performance of professional female soccer athletes. Seventeen athletes (25.5 ± 4.3 years of age) from the same team competing in the Italian second division were divided into two groups according to their roles and athletic characteristics: Group A (central defenders and forwards) and Group B (right/left full-backs and midfielders). Total distance (TD) and sprint distance (SD); high-speed running (HSR), acceleration (ACC), and deceleration numbers (DEC); average and maximal heart rate (HR_avg; HR_max); and match-related factors were collected during the 22 regular season matches. A T-test and ANOVA were used to calculate the differences between groups in GPS and HR variables and the effects of match-related factors, respectively. Results showed higher running performance in the B group compared to the A group during matches. Increased ACC number was seen in matches played on artificial turf; winning was associated with decreased HR_max and increased DEC number. Athletes covered higher TD reaching lower HR_max when playing against lower-ranking opponents while matches lost/drawn resulted in higher HSR. High HRs (max and avg) were found when playing against a team with a positive performance trend. In summary, match-related factors and opponents’ characteristics can affect athletic performance in female soccer athletes. These factors should be considered during in-seasonal training to personalize match preparation and optimize athlete performance.

Youth motor performance changes are not strictly linear during their sports career, and within-year birth timing may introduce relative age differences, known as the relative-age effect. In a cross-sectional study of 170 male young soccer players (8–12 years old), field tests were compared between adjacent age groups and within each of them: countermovement jump (with and without arm swing); 15 m linear sprint and agility test with and without the ball. Non-parametric tests with post hoc comparisons revealed significant differences between consecutive birth years in physical skills, particularly between the youngest and oldest groups. Specifically, differences were noted in the jumping test between U12 and U11, and between U10 and U9. Additionally, linear sprint and agility tests showed significance in U13 versus U12 and U10 versus U9. Finally, dribbling skills mature later (in both tests, U13 v U12, U12 v U11; with the ball, U10 v U9). Differences were found within the groups based on the semester, but not the trimester of birth, confirming a progressive yet non-linear pattern and semester-level within-year differences. These findings suggest the key role of motor skills development trajectories in creating individualized training programs tailored to the needs of individual young soccer players.

Background: People with multiple sclerosis (PwMS) face a wide range of social barriers, including stigma, limited support, and inaccessible environments, that restrict participation in physical activity (PA). Although PA is known to improve physical and psychological outcomes, its role in reducing social barriers has not been clearly synthesized. Methods: Following PRISMA 2020 guidelines, we conducted a systematic search of PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science (January 1997–October 2025). Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods studies examining how PA relates to social barriers, facilitators, or social outcomes for PwMS were included. Data were synthesized using a thematic analysis approach due to heterogeneity in study designs and outcomes. Risk of bias was assessed using JBI, NIH, RoB 2.0, and MMAT tools. Results: Twenty-nine studies met the inclusion criteria. The thematic synthesis identified three overarching mechanisms through which PA contributes to reducing social barriers: (1) peer support and shared experience, whereby group-based PA reduced isolation and normalized fluctuating symptoms; (2) guidance from knowledgeable professionals, which fostered trust, confidence, and perceived safety; and (3) changes in social identity, with participants shifting from a “sick role” toward identities such as “exerciser” or “athlete.” These mechanisms were supported by high-quality qualitative studies and by quantitative evidence showing small-to-moderate effect sizes for improvements in self-efficacy, social participation, and perceived social support. Conclusions: PA functions as a socially transformative practice for PwMS when delivered in group-based, supervised, and accessible formats. Programs designed to intentionally cultivate peer connection, professional support, and identity-building processes may be especially effective in overcoming social barriers and promoting social inclusion.

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Self-efficacy is relevant to sport performance, but its role in artistic gymnastics is unclear because studies vary in construct definition, timing, and outcomes. This PRISMA 2020- and PERSIST 2021-informed systematic review was prospectively registered in PROSPERO (CRD420251266838). PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and EBSCOhost (SPORTDiscus and APA PsycInfo) were searched from inception to 18 December 2025, supplemented by backward reference-list checking and forward citation searching. Eligible quantitative studies assessed self-efficacy or task- or apparatus-specific efficacy expectations, or used performance predictions or an adapted gymnastics-task confidence measure as efficacy-related proxies and reported a performance outcome; qualitative evidence was contextual only. Nine studies were included (eight quantitative; one qualitative). Competitive studies using direct task- or event-specific efficacy measures or efficacy-related proxies and judged outcomes generally reported positive associations, but correlations and predictive patterns varied across apparatus, samples, and measures. Educational findings and broader confidence constructs were treated as indirect evidence. Meta-analysis was inappropriate because constructs, samples, apparatus, timing, outcomes, and reporting were heterogeneous. The evidence therefore indicates a possible positive but inconsistent, low-certainty association between task- or apparatus-specific efficacy-related beliefs and performance. Contemporary longitudinal studies and standardized gymnastics-specific measures are needed.