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Volume 18, Issue 1, 2026
Online ISSN: 2406-1379
ISSN: 1821-3480
Volume 18 , Issue 1, (2026)
Published: 17.12.2025.
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Contents
17.12.2025.
Original scientific paper
Multidimensional Effects of COVID-19 Lockdowns on Youth Athletes: Evidence from Slovenian Coaches
The COVID-19 pandemic, which emerged in early 2020, caused widespread disruptions to youth sport, including curriculum-based physical activity, organized sports, and active transportation. This study investigated the impact of repeated lockdowns on organized youth sport participation, physical fitness, skill development, and psychosocial well-being in Slovenia. An online survey was conducted between November and December 2021 with 116 coaches of U13–U19 athletes across multiple sports disciplines. Descriptive statistics and non-parametric analyses were employed to examine participation trends, training adaptations, and perceived athlete outcomes. Following the first lockdown, 14.6% of athletes dropped out, while 6.5% of teams reported increased membership. After the summer break, participation rebounded, and the second lockdown had a smaller impact, indicating partial resilience in youth sport engagement. Training frequency and modality were substantially affected, with 20% of coaches not implementing remote sessions and fewer than half conducting post-lockdown fitness assessments. Coaches reported declines in general physical fitness (71%) and sport-specific skills (70%), heterogeneous changes in body mass, and reduced self-confidence and motivation in over 50% of athletes, whereas team spirit remained relatively stable. A significant association between perceived changes in body mass and motivation highlighted the role of physical self-concept in supporting engagement. These findings demonstrate that prolonged interruptions to organized youth sport have multidimensional effects on physical, technical, and psychosocial development. Future research should explore long-term consequences, identify effective mitigation strategies, and consider sport-specific, age, and gender-related factors to enhance resilience in youth sports systems under exceptional circumstances.
Saša Pišot, Ivana M. Milovanović, Kaja Teraž
11.12.2022.
Original scientific paper
Hip-hop from dancers’ viewpoint: Dance, lifestyle, and/or subculture?
The paper presents the results of field research on the population of dancers – members of the hip-hop community who are “contestants” in battles. The field research was carried out in April 2022 on a sample of dancers aged 17 to 40 (N = 31). The research results indicate that the hip-hop community in Serbia is small, but that such battles in specific forms contribute to the community’s maintenance and expansion. Battles also play a significant role in the progression and expression of dancers as individuals. Dancers consider hip-hop to be not only an art form but much more, hip-hop is synonymous with a lifestyle and a “way of looking at the world” for dancers. Although the research was carried out on a small sample, it represents the author’s pioneering contribution to a deeper understanding of the hip-hop community in Serbian society. It also indicates the need to carry out compatible research in the future.
Snežana Damjanović, Boris Popović, Ivana M. Milovanović, Tijana Šćepanović