Injury Epidemiology and Athletic Training Services in Collegiate Tennis: A Longitudinal Perspective (2018–2023)
OBJECTIVES This study examined the provision and characteristics of athletic training (AT) services at Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Division I women’s regional tennis tournaments over a six-year period (2018–2023, excluding 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic). Specially, the objectives we...
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| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Asian Society of Kinesiology
2025-07-01
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| Series: | The Asian Journal of Kinesiology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://ajkinesiol.org/upload/pdf/ajk-2025-27-3-82.pdf |
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| Summary: | OBJECTIVES This study examined the provision and characteristics of athletic training (AT) services at Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Division I women’s regional tennis tournaments over a six-year period (2018–2023, excluding 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic). Specially, the objectives were to: (1) evaluate the availability and characteristic of AT services provided during competition, and (2) analyze the types and frequency of athletic injuries and physical discomforts experienced by participating athletes. METHODS Data were collected from five ITA Division I Women’s Regional Championship tournaments held annually between 2018 and 2023, excluding 2020. Participating athletes represented 19 colleges from the Northwestern region of the United States. For each tournament, data included the number of singles and doubles participants, as well as recorded match withdrawals or retirements due to injury or illness, based on official ITA tournament records. AT service data were extracted from logs and notes recorded by on-site athletic trainers, detailing both on-court interventions and visits to the athletic training facility during tournament play. RESULTS Over 5 years of tournaments, 637 players competed in 617 single matches, with 7 walkovers (4 injury, 3 illness; 1.11%) and 8 retirements (7 injury, 1 illness; 1.27%). In 293 doubles matches, 6 walkovers occurred (4 injury, 2 illness; 1.94%) with no retirements. AT services primarily comprised injury assessments and application of athletic taping aimed at stabilizing affected areas, thereby mitigating discomfort and reducing the risk of exacerbation. The most common lower extremity treatments were for ankle inversion sprains, toe blisters, and foot blisters; upper extremity/trunk treatments included wrist compression, lower abdominal strains, and finger blisters. Addtional services provided included hot pack application and stretching, particularly the low back and hamstrings. A total of 31 medical timeouts were recorded (mean 6.2 per tournament), most frequently for ankle injuries (7 cases). CONCLUSIONS Findings suggest that higher-performing ITA Division I women’s tennis players tend to experience lower injury rates, which may contribute to sustained success in both singles and doubles competition. Notably, no walkovers or retirements occurred beyond the singles quarterfinals or the doubles round of 16, indicating that athletes advancing to later rounds were less affected by injury or illness. These findings highlight the critical role of on-site athletic trainers, whose primary responsibilities include injury assessment, management, taping, and treatment, all of which support athlete performance, recovery, and safety during college tennis competition. |
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| ISSN: | 2586-5595 2586-5552 |