@article{ajssm2016432,
author={Irving, Rachael},
title={Transitional Nurturing Determines Performance in Elite Sprinting},
journal={American Journal of Sports Science and Medicine},
volume={4},
number={3},
pages={74--77},
year={2016},
url={http://pubs.sciepub.com/ajssm/4/3/2},
issn={2333-4606},
abstract={<b>Objectives</b>: The aim of the study was to determine what factors account for the selection of athletes to represent Jamaica in track and field events at the Olympics and World Championships. <b>Methods and materials</b>: One hundred and twenty athletes who represented Jamaica between 1948-2015 in track and field events were interviewed. The athletes were classified based on athletic disciplines: Sprinter (S:100¨C 400m, <i>n</i> =80), jumper, hurdler and thrower (JHT, <i>n</i> = 23), and middle distance runners (Mdr: 800¨C3000m, <i>n</i> =17). The athletes were further sub-divided into athletes who represented Jamaica at the Olympic Games and the World Championships (highest level games) and those who represented Jamaica at the Pan-American, Commonwealth, World Junior Championships, World Youth Olympics, World University Games and the CARIFTA Games (other games). Each athlete was administered a questionnaire. The questionnaire was designed based on models used in studies elite athletes from Ethiopia Kenya and Jamaica who were competitors in international games. The questions elicited the following information: age, gender, event/s participated in, place of birth of athlete and parents, secondary/high school athlete attended and yes or no for living arrangements with adult/s) other than family members during athletic development in high schoool. The data were analyzed using the Statistical Packages for the Social Sciences, Version 21. Statistical significance was set at P &lt;0.05%. Cross tabulations for statistical associations and binary regression for influence of independent variables on a dependent variable were utilized in the analysis. <b>Results</b>: The majority of athletes, 83.3% who represented Jamaica in track and field and their parents, 79.2% were born in Jamaica. There were slightly more females than males, 50.8 % versus 48.2%. Approximately 91.7% of athletes attended high school in Jamaica defined as having a strong history of participation in athletics and 85% lived with adults other than family members during athletic development at the high school level. More than 66% of athletes participated in the 100-400m sprints but only 26.6 % of participants were selected to represent Jamaica in the highest level games. Secondary/high school the athlete attended influenced selection to represent Jamaica in the highest level games and in the sprint events. <b>Conclusion</b>: Selection to represent Jamaica in the sprint events at the Olympics and World Championships is influenced by the secondary school the athlete attended.},
doi={10.12691/ajssm-4-3-2}
publisher={Science and Education Publishing}
}