Canadian High School Rugby Coaches Readiness for an Injury Prevention Strategy Implementation: Evaluating a Train-the-Coach Workshop

Abstract

Background: Canadian rugby coach injury prevention beliefs and attitudes have not been studied, yet are key to informing injury prevention strategy implementation. Despite neuromuscular training (NMT) warm-up success in reducing injury, adoption of these programs is variable. Therefore, objectives of this study included (1) describing Canadian youth rugby coach injury prevention beliefs and attitudes and current warm-up practices and (2) evaluating intention to use a rugby-specific NMT warm-up.Methods: High school rugby coaches completed a questionnaire before and after a rugby-specific NMT warm-up workshop. The pre-workshop questionnaire captured demographics, current warm-up practice, and NMT warm-up knowledge and use. Both questionnaires captured injury prevention beliefs, attitudes and behavioral intention.Results: Forty-eight coaches participated in the workshops. Pre-workshop, 27% of coaches were aware of NMT warm-ups. Coaches primarily included aerobic and stretching components, while balance components were not common in their warm-ups over the past year. Additionally, 92% of coaches agreed to some extent they would “complete a rugby-specific warm-up program prior to every game and training session this season.” Post-workshop, 86% of coaches agreed to some extent that they would use the program in every rugby session. No differences were observed between pre- and post-workshop intention to implement the warm-up (p = 0.10).Interpretation: This is the first study to examine current Canadian youth rugby coach warm-up practices and intention to use NMT warm-ups. Canadian rugby coach intention to use a rugby-specific NMT warm-up is high, providing ample opportunity to investigate the efficacy of a NMT warm-up in youth rugby.

Effectiveness of theActivateinjury prevention exercise programme to prevent injury in schoolboy rugby union

“…Warm-up strategies employed by non-adopting teams was not investigated as it was not deemed feasible to ask coaches to record their individual warm-up strategies. School rugby coaches have demonstrated knowledge that a rugby-specific warm-up, and certain components such as balance and strength, can lower rugby injury risk 13 35. If non-adopting coaches possess this knowledge and used similar exercises to those contained within the Activate programme, it may have diminished any difference between the groups.…”

Understanding Youth Sport Coaches' Perceptions of Evidence-Based Injury-Prevention Training Programs: A Systematic Literature Review

“…A behavioral theory (Health Belief Model 40,41,46,50,58 [n ¼ 5]; Theory of Planned Behavior/Reasoned Action 28,39,57,58 27,28,39,41,[46][47][48][49][50][51][52][54][55][56][57][58] Thirteen studies were conducted outside the United States. [39][40][41][47][48][49][50][51][54][55][56]59,60 Of the 6 studies conducted within the United States, 4 examined high school alone 28,46,52,57 ; 1 examined solely club (U9-U19) 58 ; and 1 looked at club, high school, and collegiate (U12-college age) athletes. 27 In many studies (13), the knowledge, beliefs, or contextual perspectives of coaches engaged in independently organized sport were evaluated.…”

“…27,[39][40][41][47][48][49][50][51][54][55][56]58 Nearly half (n ¼ 8) examined schoolorganized athletics. 27,28,46,47,52,57,59,60 Two included coaches from both settings. 27,47 The studies and study characteristics are described in Table 3.…”

“…Findings in the construct of knowledge of condition or scientific rationale included a lack of knowledge about knee injuries or injury prevention 39,46,50,51,54,56,58 and the existence of injury-prevention training programs. 28,40,49,55,56 Findings in the construct of procedural knowledge included a lack of knowledge about appropriate exercises to include 47,49,52,54,59 and implementation of injury-prevention training programs. 27,40,49 Although some coaches were aware of the injury risk among youth athletes, 41,48 that knowledge was inconsistent 50,51,54 and varied depending on the age and sex of the athletes with whom coaches interacted.…”

“…Few coaches perceived lower extremity injuries to be a problem for their teams. 28 Some coaches did not anticipate their athletes would be injured in the near future 46,59 and believed that if they did, it would be due to ''bad luck.'' 40 A subset of coaches did not believe their athletes would sustain knee injuries, most believed that knee injuries were preventable, injury prevention was important, and injury-prevention training programs would assist in lowering the injury risk.…”