Game Nexus

Background: Selecting a coach in professional football is a strategic managerial decision that affects technical performance, organizational stability, public legitimacy, and long-term club development. The Iranian Premier Football League requires a context-sensitive model that explains how coach-selection decisions are formed and how they can be professionalized. Objective: This study aimed to design a grounded theory model of factors affecting coach selection in the Iranian Premier Football League. Methods: A qualitative grounded theory design based on the systematic approach of Strauss and Corbin was used. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with football executives, head coaches, coaches, agents, players, and sport-management experts. Participants were selected through purposive and snowball sampling. Theoretical saturation was reached after 17 interviews, and 20 interviews were completed to enrich the data. Interviews were analyzed through open, axial, and selective coding using constant comparison. Coding trustworthiness was supported by expert review and inter-coder reliability assessment. Results: The analysis identified approximately 175 initial codes that were refined into 116 non-repetitive open codes, 28 subcategories, and 15 main categories. These categories were organized into six paradigmatic dimensions: causal conditions, core phenomenon, contextual conditions, intervening conditions, strategies, and consequences. The model shows that professional competence and individual characteristics influence coach selection, while organizational structure, social context, informal influence, and competitive pressure shape the decision environment. The main strategies were structured evaluation, professional decision-making, and interaction management. Conclusion: The model provides a practical framework for clubs and football authorities to make coach selection more evidence-based, transparent, merit-oriented, and development-focused.

Contemporary education increasingly rewards measurable cognitive performance and digital competence, yet many students report low motivation, anxiety, and a weakened sense of educational purpose. The present article reconceptualizes Philosophy for Children (P4C) as a meaning-centered interactive system capable of responding to this educational meaning crisis. A qualitative theory-building design was adopted, combining systematic conceptual review with philosophical reconstruction. Literature on P4C, meaning in life, dialogic pedagogy, and interactive learning systems was examined across major scholarly databases and synthesized through thematic analysis. The review yielded three core findings: first, mainstream P4C is predominantly framed through cognitive and reasoning-based outcomes; second, current educational discourse insufficiently addresses purpose, coherence, and personal significance; and third, the P4C community of inquiry already contains the structural elements of an interactive system, including rules, roles, feedback, and collaborative interpretation. The article proposes a Meaning-Centered P4C model in which philosophical dialogue functions not only as a method for cultivating reasoning but also as a structured process of collective meaning-making. In this expanded framework, students interpret lived experience, negotiate significance, and orient themselves toward worthwhile forms of participation in a shared world. The model contributes to interdisciplinary discussions across philosophy of education, educational technology, and game-informed learning design by showing how inquiry can support both thinking and meaning.

A 12-week high-intensity interval training (HIIT) program appears to be an effective and practical strategy for improving body composition in boys aged 10–12 years. Based strictly on the results reported in the source study, 20 boys were randomly assigned to either a HIIT group or a control group, and baseline comparisons showed no significant differences between groups in age, height, weight, or body mass index, supporting the comparability of the sample before the intervention. The HIIT program was performed three times per week for 12 weeks, with each session lasting about 40 minutes and including warm-up, repeated exercise bouts with active recovery, and cool-down. After the intervention, the HIIT group showed a statistically significant reduction in body fat percentage compared with the control group (p = 0.029), while lean body mass increased significantly in the HIIT group relative to the control group (p = 0.002). In contrast, the control group did not demonstrate meaningful change, indicating that the observed improvements were associated with the exercise intervention rather than normal variation alone. These findings suggest that HIIT may offer a time-efficient method for promoting healthier body composition during childhood, which is especially important given current public health concerns about low physical activity and increasing childhood obesity. Current World Health Organization guidance recommends that children and adolescents accumulate at least 60 minutes of moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity daily, including vigorous activities regularly, and systematic reviews have shown that HIIT can improve health-related fitness and selected cardio metabolic outcomes in children and adolescents, particularly in structured and school-based settings. Overall, the study supports the use of a structured HIIT protocol as a feasible, short-term, and school-compatible approach to reducing body fat and increasing lean body mass in young boys.

The present study aimed to examine the role of the dimensions of the sport engagement model in explaining the components of social capital, namely interpersonal trust and social participation, among athletes in Mazandaran Province, Iran. This study employed a descriptive-correlational design with a quantitative approach. The statistical population consisted of active athletes across the cities of Mazandaran Province. A total of 359 participants were selected through convenience sampling. Data were collected using the Sport Engagement Model Questionnaire, comprising cultural commitment and educational commitment, as well as the Social Capital Questionnaire. Data analysis was performed using Pearson’s correlation coefficient and simultaneous multiple regression analysis. The results showed that both dimensions of sport engagement were positively and significantly associated with interpersonal trust and social participation (p < 0.001). Cultural commitment showed a strong positive correlation with interpersonal trust (r = 0.805), while educational commitment was also significantly related to interpersonal trust (r = 0.408). In addition, cultural commitment (r = 0.482) and educational commitment (r = 0.237) were positively and significantly related to social participation (p < 0.001). Multiple regression analysis indicated that the dimensions of sport engagement jointly explained 65.1% of the variance in interpersonal trust and 23.4% of the variance in social participation. Cultural commitment was the strongest predictor of interpersonal trust, whereas both cultural and educational commitment made significant contributions to the prediction of social participation. Overall, the findings suggest that greater sport engagement, particularly through strengthening cultural and educational commitment, may contribute to the enhancement of social capital in sport settings.

This study aimed to examine whether collective efficacy could be predicted by commitment to physical activity and social dynamics among students with disabilities. The study employed a descriptive–correlational design. The statistical population consisted of all students with disabilities enrolled in the second level of secondary schools in Kermanshah Province during the 2021–2022 academic year. Using multi-stage cluster sampling, 135 students were selected. Data were collected using the Collective Efficacy Questionnaire, the Commitment to Physical Activity Questionnaire, and the Social Dynamics Questionnaire. The findings revealed significant positive associations between social dynamics and collective efficacy (r = 0.48, p < 0.01) and between commitment to physical activity and collective efficacy (r = 0.45, p < 0.01). Multiple regression analysis further indicated that commitment to physical activity (β = 0.38, p < 0.01) and social dynamics (β = 0.32, p < 0.01) significantly predicted collective efficacy. The overall regression model was statistically significant (F = 15.46, p < 0.01), explaining 33% of the variance in collective efficacy (R² = 0.33; adjusted R² = 0.32). These findings suggest that both commitment to physical activity and social dynamics are significant correlates of collective efficacy in students with disabilities. Promoting team-based physical activities in educational settings may provide a practical pathway for strengthening social interaction, enhancing engagement in physical activity, and improving collective efficacy in this population.

The objective of this study was to develop an integrated educational model for sports empowerment grounded in educational innovation among students in Northwest Iranian schools through narrative synthesis of contemporary scholarly evidence. This study employed a qualitative narrative review design to synthesize theoretical and empirical research related to educational innovation, school sports, and student empowerment. Eighteen peer-reviewed articles were purposively selected from international and national academic databases based on relevance to innovative physical education, psychosocial development, technological integration, and inclusive sports participation. Data collection involved systematic reading, conceptual extraction, and interpretive comparison of selected studies. Narrative thematic analysis was conducted through iterative coding, categorization, and synthesis procedures to identify recurring conceptual patterns and construct an integrated educational framework suitable for school contexts. The analysis revealed that sports empowerment in educational environments is a multidimensional construct emerging from the interaction of five core domains: innovative learner-centered pedagogy, psychosocial and emotional development, technology-supported learning environments, inclusive participation structures, and institutional sustainability mechanisms. Educational innovation was found to enhance students’ motivation, leadership capacity, resilience, and social competence while strengthening physical literacy and mental well-being. The findings further suggest that digital technologies and supportive school leadership accelerate student engagement and individualized development pathways. Inclusive sport programs were inferred to reduce participation inequalities and promote equitable empowerment outcomes. Overall, effective sports empowerment depends on systemic alignment between teaching innovation, organizational support, and holistic developmental objectives. The study concludes that sports empowerment cannot be achieved through isolated physical education interventions but requires an integrated educational ecosystem combining pedagogical innovation, technological advancement, inclusive policy design, and institutional coordination. The proposed model provides a conceptual foundation for transforming school sports into a comprehensive educational strategy capable of promoting holistic student development and sustainable educational innovation within Northwest Iranian schools.

The evolving dynamics of elite football require coaches to integrate advanced tactical intelligence with adaptive leadership competencies. This study aims to forecast the future trajectory of football coaching by identifying emerging leadership patterns and strategic intelligence mechanisms within elite clubs. This research employed a mixed-method exploratory sequential design with a future-oriented approach. In the qualitative phase, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 18 elite football coaches, performance analysts, and sport management scholars selected through purposive sampling. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis to extract emerging leadership dimensions and tactical intelligence indicators. In the quantitative phase, a researcher-developed questionnaire based on qualitative findings was distributed among 146 professional coaches and technical staff from elite clubs. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was applied to test the proposed conceptual model and validate relationships between leadership patterns, tactical intelligence, and projected performance sustainability. Findings identified four dominant emerging leadership patterns: adaptive-transformational leadership, data-driven decision leadership, collaborative strategic governance, and psychologically intelligent coaching. Tactical intelligence was strongly associated with real-time analytics integration, scenario-based planning, and adaptive game modeling. SEM results confirmed a significant positive relationship between adaptive leadership and tactical intelligence (β = 0.63, p < 0.001), and between tactical intelligence and sustainable competitive performance (β = 0.58, p < 0.001). The future of football coaching will be defined by hybrid models integrating human-centered leadership with advanced analytical intelligence systems. Coach education programs and elite clubs must prioritize emotional intelligence, digital literacy, and strategic adaptability to sustain competitive excellence in an increasingly complex football ecosystem.

Cross-education refers to strength gains in the untrained limb following unilateral training. Blood flow restriction (BFR) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) are known to induce peripheral and neural adaptations, respectively. This study investigated whether combining unilateral BFR and tDCS enhances cross-education effects in the untrained arm. Thirty-eight healthy young men were randomly assigned to four groups: tDCS-pBFR, Sham-pBFR, tDCS, and Control. Over four weeks, participants performed unilateral dumbbell curl training (30% 1RM, 3 sessions/week). The primary outcomes for the untrained arm were one-repetition maximum (1RM), arm muscle circumference (AMC), and electromyography (EMG) activity. ANCOVA with pre-test as covariate was used for statistical analysis. Strength of the untrained arm (1RM) increased significantly in tDCS-pBFR and Sham-pBFR groups compared with control (p < 0.05), while AMC changes were significant only in Sham-pBFR. EMG activity did not differ significantly among groups. No significant difference was observed between tDCS-pBFR and Sham-pBFR groups. Unilateral BFR training, with or without tDCS, produces cross-education effects in the contralateral untrained arm. Strength improvements appear to be primarily mediated by neural adaptations, with limited changes in muscle size or EMG activity. These findings support the use of BFR and neuromodulatory interventions to enhance contralateral strength, particularly in rehabilitation settings.