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Grass-Root Coaches Knowledge, Understanding, Attitude And Confidence to Deliver Injury Prevention Training in Youth Soccer: a Comparison of Coaches in Three EU Countries

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Abstract

Purpose

It is well recognised that injury prevention training can reduce injury incidence, however current coach education pathways do not provide grass-root coaches with the knowledge and confidence to deliver such training to youth players. The aim of this study was to explore differences in knowledge, understanding, attitude and confidence to deliver such injury prevention training in three European countries.

Methods

A total of 269 grass-root soccer coaches from 3 European countries (Czech Republic, UK, Spain) were recruited for this study. A validated questionnaire exploring knowledge, understanding, attitude towards and confidence to deliver youth injury prevention training was completed prior to a 2 h workshop on injury prevention training. Differences between countries was examined using Bayesian factors to quantify the evidence for and against the hypothesis of independence (H0) by assuming a Poisson sampling scheme (as there was no a priori restriction on any cell count, nor on the grand total) (BF10 Poisson).

Results

Current knowledge, attitude and confidence to deliver injury prevention training to youth players was poor across all three European countries. Relatively few coaches were currently using injury prevention training in their coaching sessions (23%). There were some country specific differences for attitude towards injury prevention training and confidence to deliver injury training, with Spanish coaches reporting a more positive attitude and confidence to deliver such training. Significantly fewer coaches in the UK were using injury prevention training compared to coaches in Spain and the Czech Republic.

Conclusion

As coaches identified a need for coach education and few were delivering injury prevention training, there is a clear need to embed and implement this programme into the grassroots coaching framework of sports governing bodies to improve adoption, implementation and maintenance.

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Acknowledgement

This study was funded by a European Union research grant: Erasmus + 2016-2602. “The European Commission support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsi-ble for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.”.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Sport and Exercise, University of Gloucestershire, Cheltenham, GL50 2RH, UK

    Mark De Ste Croix, F. Ayala & J. Hughes

  2. Department of Sport Sciences, Sport Research Centre, Miguel Hernandez University of Elche, Elche, 03202, Spain

    F. Ayala

  3. Department of Pathology and Surgery, Physiotherapy Area Miguel Hernandez University of Elche, Elche, 03202, Spain

    S. Hernandez Sanchez

  4. Department of Sport and Physical Culture, Palacky University, Olomouc, 772 00, Czech Republic

    M. Lehnert

Authors
  1. Mark De Ste Croix
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  2. F. Ayala
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  3. S. Hernandez Sanchez
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  4. M. Lehnert
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  5. J. Hughes
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Correspondence to Mark De Ste Croix.

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On behalf of all authors, the corresponding author states that there is no conflict of interest.

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De Ste Croix, M., Ayala, F., Sanchez, S.H. et al. Grass-Root Coaches Knowledge, Understanding, Attitude And Confidence to Deliver Injury Prevention Training in Youth Soccer: a Comparison of Coaches in Three EU Countries. J. of SCI. IN SPORT AND EXERCISE 2, 367–374 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42978-020-00075-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42978-020-00075-0

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