CPSS Sport-Specific Needs Analysis 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When conducting a needs analysis for a collision sport like American football, which factor distinguishes it most from a non-contact sport?
- Emphasis on impact force tolerance and contact mechanics (Correct answer)
- Prioritizing aerobic capacity over all other qualities
- Focusing exclusively on linear speed development
- Minimizing strength training to reduce injury risk
Correct answer: Emphasis on impact force tolerance and contact mechanics
Collision sports require athletes to generate and absorb high-magnitude contact forces, making impact tolerance a defining training priority.
Question 2: A needs analysis reveals that a sport involves repeated high-intensity bouts of 6–10 seconds separated by 30–60 second recoveries. Which energy system is predominantly taxed?
- Oxidative phosphorylation
- Glycolytic system
- Phosphocreatine (PCr) system (Correct answer)
- Beta-oxidation pathway
Correct answer: Phosphocreatine (PCr) system
Efforts of 6–10 seconds at maximal intensity rely primarily on stored phosphocreatine, the dominant fuel for very short, explosive work.
Question 3: Which movement plane is most dominant in sports like tennis and baseball batting, and why does this matter for needs analysis?
- Sagittal plane, because most locomotion is forward
- Frontal plane, because lateral shuffling is primary
- Transverse plane, because rotational power generation is central (Correct answer)
- All planes equally, so no differentiation is needed
Correct answer: Transverse plane, because rotational power generation is central
Tennis groundstrokes and baseball swings are driven by transverse-plane hip and trunk rotation, which must be a training priority identified in the needs analysis.
Question 4: During a sport-specific needs analysis, a strength coach examines the 'work-to-rest ratio.' What does this ratio primarily inform?
- The optimal rep range for hypertrophy
- Training prescription for energy system development (Correct answer)
- The appropriate volume load for strength blocks
- Selection of exercise modality for flexibility
Correct answer: Training prescription for energy system development
Work-to-rest ratios define the metabolic demand pattern of the sport, directly guiding conditioning drills and recovery intervals in training.
Question 5: A needs analysis for soccer identifies peak running speeds of 30–34 km/h during sprints. Which physical quality does this highlight as a training priority?
- Maximal aerobic power only
- Alactic speed and speed-endurance (Correct answer)
- Slow-twitch fiber hypertrophy
- Static strength endurance
Correct answer: Alactic speed and speed-endurance
Sprint speeds of 30–34 km/h demand high alactic power output and the ability to repeat sprints, making speed and speed-endurance central training targets.
Question 6: Which method provides the most ecologically valid data for quantifying the physiological demands of team sport play during a needs analysis?
- Laboratory VO2max treadmill testing
- Sport-specific GPS/accelerometer match monitoring (Correct answer)
- One-repetition maximum strength testing
- Isokinetic dynamometer assessment
Correct answer: Sport-specific GPS/accelerometer match monitoring
GPS and accelerometer data collected during actual competition capture real movement demands—distances, speeds, accelerations—with high ecological validity.
Question 7: In a needs analysis, 'positional demands' refer to which of the following?
- The general physical profile required for all athletes in the sport
- Sport-specific requirements that vary based on a player's role within the team (Correct answer)
- The psychological demands shared equally across all competitors
- Technical skill requirements independent of physical qualities
Correct answer: Sport-specific requirements that vary based on a player's role within the team
Positional demands capture how physical and physiological requirements differ by role (e.g., a goalkeeper vs. a midfielder in soccer) within the same sport.
CPSS Sport-Specific Needs Analysis 2
When conducting a needs analysis for a collision sport like American football, which factor distinguishes it most from a non-contact sport?