Coaches’ attitudes to injury and injury prevention: a qualitative study of Irish field hockey coaches

Translating injury prevention research into practice has been challenging, which may be due to a poor understanding of the contextual factors influencing the occurrence of injury. Coaches are key figure in sporting environments and hold pivotal roles in preventing injury. Therefore, the aim of this...

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Main Authors: Catherine Blake, Eamonn Delahunt, Huw Rees, Ulrik McCarthy Persson, Colin Boreham, James Matthews
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMJ Publishing Group 2021-09-01
Series:BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine
Online Access:https://bmjopensem.bmj.com/content/7/3/e001074.full
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author Catherine Blake
Eamonn Delahunt
Huw Rees
Ulrik McCarthy Persson
Colin Boreham
James Matthews
author_facet Catherine Blake
Eamonn Delahunt
Huw Rees
Ulrik McCarthy Persson
Colin Boreham
James Matthews
author_sort Catherine Blake
collection DOAJ
description Translating injury prevention research into practice has been challenging, which may be due to a poor understanding of the contextual factors influencing the occurrence of injury. Coaches are key figure in sporting environments and hold pivotal roles in preventing injury. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the attitudes of field hockey coaches to injury and injury prevention. Thirteen field hockey coaches from the amateur Irish Hockey League were interviewed. Reflexive thematic analysis led to three general dimensions comprised five higher-order themes, categorised from 16 lower-order themes. Coaches had positive beliefs regarding the benefits of injury prevention over injury management. However, they lacked the necessary knowledge and skills to successfully implement injury prevention strategies with players. Coaches recognised the importance of empowering players to self-manage training loads to promote injury prevention but acknowledged the need to protect younger players from increased loads. Many barriers to injury prevention were not controllable by coaches including fixture congestion and poor structuring of the sport’s domestic calendar. While coaches can play a key role in the implementation of injury prevention strategies, there is also a requirement to examine how system level barriers to injury prevention can be reduced.
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spelling doaj-art-eea2a813f13f4b268f5db769433ace692025-08-20T01:54:22ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine2055-76472021-09-017310.1136/bmjsem-2021-001074Coaches’ attitudes to injury and injury prevention: a qualitative study of Irish field hockey coachesCatherine Blake0Eamonn Delahunt1Huw Rees2Ulrik McCarthy Persson3Colin Boreham4James Matthews51 School of Public Health, Physiotherapy, and Sports Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, IrelandSchool of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Sports Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, IrelandInstitute for Sport and Health, University College Dublin, Dublin, IrelandSchool of Public Health Physiotherapy & Sports Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, IrelandSchool of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Sport Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, IrelandSchool of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Sport Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, IrelandTranslating injury prevention research into practice has been challenging, which may be due to a poor understanding of the contextual factors influencing the occurrence of injury. Coaches are key figure in sporting environments and hold pivotal roles in preventing injury. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the attitudes of field hockey coaches to injury and injury prevention. Thirteen field hockey coaches from the amateur Irish Hockey League were interviewed. Reflexive thematic analysis led to three general dimensions comprised five higher-order themes, categorised from 16 lower-order themes. Coaches had positive beliefs regarding the benefits of injury prevention over injury management. However, they lacked the necessary knowledge and skills to successfully implement injury prevention strategies with players. Coaches recognised the importance of empowering players to self-manage training loads to promote injury prevention but acknowledged the need to protect younger players from increased loads. Many barriers to injury prevention were not controllable by coaches including fixture congestion and poor structuring of the sport’s domestic calendar. While coaches can play a key role in the implementation of injury prevention strategies, there is also a requirement to examine how system level barriers to injury prevention can be reduced.https://bmjopensem.bmj.com/content/7/3/e001074.full
spellingShingle Catherine Blake
Eamonn Delahunt
Huw Rees
Ulrik McCarthy Persson
Colin Boreham
James Matthews
Coaches’ attitudes to injury and injury prevention: a qualitative study of Irish field hockey coaches
BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine
title Coaches’ attitudes to injury and injury prevention: a qualitative study of Irish field hockey coaches
title_full Coaches’ attitudes to injury and injury prevention: a qualitative study of Irish field hockey coaches
title_fullStr Coaches’ attitudes to injury and injury prevention: a qualitative study of Irish field hockey coaches
title_full_unstemmed Coaches’ attitudes to injury and injury prevention: a qualitative study of Irish field hockey coaches
title_short Coaches’ attitudes to injury and injury prevention: a qualitative study of Irish field hockey coaches
title_sort coaches attitudes to injury and injury prevention a qualitative study of irish field hockey coaches
url https://bmjopensem.bmj.com/content/7/3/e001074.full
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