Perception of the Sports Social Environment After the Development and Implementation of an Identification Tool for Contagious Risk Situations in Sports During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

This study details the methodological process for creating a tool for the identification of COVID-19 potential contagion situations in sports and physical education before, during, and after practice and competition. It is a tool that implies an educational and methodological process with all the agents of the sports system. This tool identifies the large number of interactions occurring through sports action and everything that surrounds it in training, competition, and organization. The aim is to prepare contingency protocols based on an exhaustive analysis, risk detection, and proposal of contingency measures trying to reduce the residual risk to a minimum. In the second part, the results of the implementation of this tool in the sports system of Galicia (Spain) are shown. The technicians have changed their perceptions about the coronavirus transmission in sports. They highlight the problem for returning to sports participation for athletes under 18 years in the pandemic context.

Handball Training and Competition With Facemasks in Galicia: The FISICOVID-DXTGALEGO Protocols Experience

“…In the USA (Pierce et al, 2020 ), more than 10,000 parents of athletes were surveyed in 45 states, from 13 sports, resulting in perception favoring masks of only 24.3% and against 33%. The sports managers of Galicia significantly improved their ability to identify and perceive the risk of contagion and declared high satisfaction with the participatory methodology FISICOVID-DXTGALEGO (Lete Lasa et al, 2021b ). In China, it was also found that cultural differences and people's perception styles include their ability to cope with stressful events related to COVID-19 (Cheng and Tang, 2004 ), so it is reasonable to think that there are athletes with different styles of coping with stress in the face of stress.…”

“…In China, it was also found that cultural differences and people's perception styles include their ability to cope with stressful events related to COVID-19 (Cheng and Tang, 2004 ), so it is reasonable to think that there are athletes with different styles of coping with stress in the face of stress. COVID-19 (Lete Lasa et al, 2021b ), there may also be different response levels to sports mask use.…”

“…Research and opinion polls reported that most of the population is willing to use the mask (Angus Reid Institute, 2020 ; Tendencias COFARES, 2020 ; Yermal, 2020 ; Taylor and Asmundson, 2021 ); however, it has not been applied as a widespread solution in sports. In Galicia, the challenge has been met through the FISICOVID-DXTGALEGO protocols (Lete Lasa et al, 2021a , b ), from deconfinement to the present. These protocols have established COVID-specific operational measures for all sports federations under the command of the Galician Administration (i.e., mandatory use of mask).…”

Psychological variables, physical activity and physical education

“…This study is carried out within the FISICOVID-DXTGALEGO methodological process (Lete Lasa et al, 2021a) of the Galician Sports Administration (Secretaría Xeral para o Deporte, Xunta de Galicia) with the Handball Galician Federation, implementing together a COVID-19 specific protocol that identifies the possible routes of contagion in sports situations.…”

“…Regardless, the perception of 40% of the athletes improved after regular use. The Galician sports administration has worked together with all the stakeholders to ensure the human factor contributed so that the adopted measures could be accepted and effective (Lete Lasa et al, 2021a).…”