No abstract

Studies evaluating the physical fitness levels of elite wrestlers during junior high school are limited. This study aimed to examine the body composition and physical fitness profiles of elite Japanese female wrestlers aged <12 years until >20 years. There were 114 elite female wrestlers enrolled. Measurements were conducted in the following age categories: <12 years (U-12), <15 years (U-15), <17 years (U-17: cadet), <20 years (U-20: junior), and >20 years (senior). Body composition variables consisted of body mass index (BMI), percent body fat, fat free mass, and fat free mass index (FFMI). Fitness measurements included grip strength, back strength, sit-up, rope-climbing, and endurance running tests. The wrestlers in this study demonstrated comparable or greater FFMI values (e.g., FFMI: 17.9 ± 0.4 kg/m2 for light and 19.8 ± 0.9 kg/m2 for heavy weight categories in U-20), when compared with young female wrestlers in previous studies, whereas stature, body mass, and BMI of the wrestlers in our study were unremarkable. Regarding the fitness assessment, a remarkable increase in back strength was observed after late puberty. An outstanding enhancement of muscle strength after late puberty, which is unlikely to occur in ordinary women, would be an important requirement to become the world’s top female wrestler.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between life skills and post-graduation employment for top college student athletes. In March 2011, 24 Japanese top level male wrestlers (mean age＝22.0±0.2) who had graduated from university in March 2011 answered to the Appraisal Scale of Required Life Skills for College Student Athletes (Shimamoto et al., 2013). This scale has following 10 subscales: stress management, setting goals, thinking carefully, appreciating others, communicating, maintaining etiquette and manners, always making one's best eŠort, taking responsibility for one's own behavior, being humble, and maintaining physical health and well-being. The relationships between life skills acquisition level assessed in March 2011 and employment situations (employed or unemployed) by March 2012 were examined with nine members who had not obtained employment by the time of graduation from university. The analysis results showed that the employment group (n＝4) who had acquired employment within one year of graduation indicated a higher acquisition level compared to the unemployed group (n＝5) with regard to setting goals (p＜.05). Therefore, it was suggested that there is the positive relationship between setting goals and post-graduation employment for top college student wrestlers.

No abstract

Regarding sports as an industry, it is indispensable that top athletes become role models and icons. However, a great deal of change has been occurring in the career environment after graduation for the athletes of Japan. They have anxieties about their career possibilities and this is a major problem for developing the sports industry. This study investigated male students who belonged to university wrestling clubs. A survey about employment rates was conducted at five universities. The results showed a lower average rate of employment that of the over all rate, but there were big differences among the universities. Therefore, on the assumption that employment situation is affected by instruction and management in the athletic clubs, it is necessary to make proposals and take positive action to solve these problems.

This research examined the following 2 objectives: one, to clarify the relationship between university athletic activities and the acquisition of life skills (hereinafter called``LS'') through a longitudinal study over four years of the top level athletes' university career, and second, to reveal the relationship between LS and career decision after graduation. Longitudinal research, over the course of four years withˆve survey periods

The aim of this study was to obtain findings that can be used in career development programs for top university athletes in Japan. For 24 top-level university wrestling athletes who graduated in March 2011 (mean age of 22.0±0.2 years at the time of first survey, with continuous years of athletic competition of 7.1±4.1 years) , a survey was performed at 5 time times over a 4-year period. At each survey time the questionnaire consisted of items asking about actual career status and it used a scale for evaluating acquirement levels of life skills (LS) . For all surveys, valid responses were received from 21 subjects (response rate 87.5%) . Changes in career status were that, directly after graduation, nearly half of the respondents were in a state of being unable to obtain a position (regular employment 33.3%; non-regular employment 28.6%; part-time employment 38.1%) , with a gradual increase in the number of persons who could obtain a position thereafter, and almost all persons were working 4 years after graduation (regular employment 80.1%; non-regular employment 14.2%) ; part-time employment 4.7%) . LS levels achieved through sports competition during the university years were maintained over the four years after graduation. In addition, it was suggested that there is a positive relationship between LS levels and career status, determined by focusing on the top and bottom cases on the levels of the primary LS. This might show a positive relation to the competitive

The purpose of this study was to examine the interventional effects of a Japanese training camp, consisting of multiple programs designed to facilitate acquisition of life skills from the short-term and mid-term perspectives. The participants in this study were 139 top-level wrestlers in one of the four categories who participated in the Japanese Training Camp in the fiscal 2015. The scale developed by Shimamoto et al. (2013) was used to assess the life skills (LS). A pre-post comparison of the LS data obtained before and after the camp in the four categories of male and female athletes showed an overall increase in the average scores of LS in the course of the training camp. The survey was conducted one year after the participation in the training camp and indicated an overall higher life skills acquisition levels for the intervention group, and a significant difference was observed in some aspects such as "thinking ability".