Barriers and facilitators towards a netball landing intervention program ("Down to Earth") among coaches of junior teams

- Romiti, Maria, White, Peta, Saunders, Natalie, Otago, Leonie, Donaldson, Alex, Finch, Caroline

  • Authors: Romiti, Maria , White, Peta , Saunders, Natalie , Otago, Leonie , Donaldson, Alex , Finch, Caroline
  • Date: 2008
  • Type: Text , Conference paper
  • Relation: Paper presented at ASICS Conference of science and medicine in sport 2008, Hamilton Island : 16th-18th October 2008
  • Full Text: false
  • Description: Introduction: Published netball data have indicated that the ankle and knee are common sites for injury, often as a result of incorrect landing technique. Promising results have been demonstrated across various sports using training intervention studies designed to reduce lower limb injury rates. This qualitative study examines the barriers and facilitators towards the implementation of a 6-week landing intervention program (“Down to Earth”) by coaches of junior netball teams. Methodology: Coaches of junior teams (n = 30) were recruited prior to the competition season (October 2007 to March 2008) and attended a workshop where the coaching requirements of the program were demonstrated. Coaches were instructed to implement the program at training, noting any issues regarding program compliance. Pre- and post-season surveys modelled on the Theory of Planned Behaviour were used to indicate coaches’ attitudes, perceived social norms and behavioural control towards safe landing programs in netball. Retention of correct landing principles was assessed and barriers and facilitators for broader implementation among junior netball coaches were determined. Results and discussion: Results will be presented to indicate how coaches’ attitudes and knowledge towards landing intervention programs can assist in the development of an effective implementation strategy of a training injury prevention intervention, to a broader netball community. An example of feedback provided was”…we have noticed quite an improvement in the kids, and their landing and balancing, so it is all been worth while. We were also discussing…about including the program into our junior training next year and how best to do this”.

Do hard playing fields increase the risk of injury in community level Australian football?

- Twomey, Dara, Otago, Leonie, Finch, Caroline, Chivers, I., Orchard, John

  • Authors: Twomey, Dara , Otago, Leonie , Finch, Caroline , Chivers, I. , Orchard, John
  • Date: 2008
  • Type: Text , Conference paper
  • Relation: Paper presented at ASICS Conference of science and medicine in sport 2008, Hamilton Island : 16th-18th October 2008
  • Full Text: false
  • Description: Introduction: Certain ground conditions, including hardness, have been associated with an increased injury risk. Many sporting grounds have been deemed unplayable based on hardness measures and subsequently closed. However, most research linking injury to ground conditions has been based on subjective observations or focussed at high performance venues. The aim of this study was to identify the relationship between ground hardness and injury incidence in community level Australian football. Methodology: Measurements of ground hardness, using the Clegg hammer, were recorded on eight community level football grounds between 4 and 8 times during the 2007 season. Injury data was collected by trained data collectors over the season. The 1st Clegg hammer drop was used as the hardness measure, and injuries were ranked as ‘likely’, ‘possibly’, and ‘unlikely’ to be related to grounds by three independent assessors. Results: 130 injuries were recorded at the grounds tested. The Clegg hammer measures ranged from 55 to 134 gravities (g), with four injuries sustained at readings over 120 × g. Of the 130 injuries, 12 were classified as ‘likely’ to be related to ground conditions, 29 ‘possibly’ related, 75 ‘unlikely’ and 14 unknown due to incomplete details. None of the ‘likely’ injuries were sustained on readings over 120 × g. No significant relationships were found between ground hardness and any injury profiles (0.02 < r < 0.14, p < 0.01). Conclusions: Presently, sporting grounds are being closed with hardness readings exceeding 120 × g. The results of this study provide some evidence to challenge this, however, due to low injury rates further research with a larger cohort is necessary.

Participation in sport and physical activity for rural adolescent girls : A socio-ecological approach

- Casey, Meghan, Eime, Rochelle, Payne, Warren, Harvey, Jack, Bellamy, M., Maher, Shelley

  • Authors: Casey, Meghan , Eime, Rochelle , Payne, Warren , Harvey, Jack , Bellamy, M. , Maher, Shelley
  • Date: 2009
  • Type: Text , Conference paper
  • Relation: Paper presented at ASICS Conference of science and medicine in sport 2008, Hamilton Island : 16th-18th October 2008
  • Full Text: false
  • Description: Adolescence is a critical time for developing lifelong healthy behaviours including regular participation in sport and physical activity. Participation in sport and physical activity, however, declines during adolescence and few studies have comprehensively identified why; particularly amongst rural girls. This study identifies a range of independent and interacting factors that influence sport and physical activity participation in rural adolescent girls. Methodology: The socio-ecological model of health was used to conduct four focus group discussions with Grade 7 girls (n = 34). Four secondary schools were randomly selected and checked for remoteness using SEIFA and ARIA+ Indexes. Results: Adolescent girls were positively influenced when sport or physical activities were fun, they involved being with friends, and were supported by families and teachers through role modelling and positive feedback. A range of intrapersonal and organisational factors affected perceived self-competence; particularly the co-educational nature of school physical education classes and peer teasing which supported social comparisons of skill level. Conclusions: In the promotion of sport and physical activity to rural adolescent girls, focus must be directed upon developmentally appropriate activities that are fun, opportunities for single-sex classes, and generating cultural changes that encourage non-competitive, and self-referencing activities.
  • Description: 2003007623

Muscle recruitment patterns during landing : Implications for analysis

- Saunders, Natalie, Otago, Leonie, McLean, Scott

  • Authors: Saunders, Natalie , Otago, Leonie , McLean, Scott
  • Date: 2009
  • Type: Text , Conference paper
  • Relation: Paper presented at ASICS Conference of science and medicine in sport 2008, Hamilton Island : 16th-18th October 2008
  • Full Text: false
  • Description: Introduction: Neuromuscular control during high-risk sports tasks is viewed as a primary risk factor in ACL injury. Attention has also been given to the role of the hip as a possible explanation contributing to ACL injury rates. Typically neuromuscular predictors of ACL injury have arisen from lab-based assessments; however it is possible that this approach excludes important components of actual game-play that may contribute directly to injury risk. The current study therefore, examined muscle recruitment patterns (MRP) during game-play and lab-based conditions that included hip musculature, to consider strategies for lower limb control. Methods: Nine female subjects had EMG data recorded continuously during a netball game. At a subsequent session, in the lab, EMG data was also recorded for three landing conditions. Bilateral EMG was collected via telemetry for rectus femoris, biceps femoris, medial hamstring and gluteus medius. Muscle onset relative to initial contact and the subsequent pattern/s of onset for each land, for each subject, were examined. Results and discussion: Results indicate that the average number of MRP across subjects was 3.6 and 5.8 for the game-play and the lab-based conditions, respectively. When muscles crossing the knee joint were examined only, results revealed that the average number of MRP across subjects was 2.1 and 2.4 for the game-play and the lab-based conditions, respectively. Differences exist when comparing game-play and lab-based measures and the role of the hip musculature in affecting lower limb control warrants ongoing investigation in relation to ACL injury risk.

Elite netball injury surveillance : Implications for injury prevention

- Saunders, Natalie, Otago, Leonie

  • Authors: Saunders, Natalie , Otago, Leonie
  • Date: 2008
  • Type: Text , Conference paper
  • Relation: Paper presented at ASICS Conference of science and medicine in sport 2008, Hamilton Island : 16th-18th October 2008
  • Full Text: false
  • Description: Introduction: In Australia, the National League competition (Commonwealth BankTrophy (CBT)) provided an opportunity to gain an understanding of injuries sustained at the elite level. The purpose of this review therefore is to examine the injury incidence in the CBT competition (2003–2005) and considerations for future injury prevention strategies. Methods: All players in the CBT competition are included in the injury data surveillance scheme. Each team physiotherapist is responsible for assessing, treating and recording injuries within the team. An injury is defined as any netball related physical damage that caused the athlete to miss or modify one or more training sessions, matches or both, and/or required a consultation with a health professional. Results and discussion: The exposure to risk has been estimated from the data supplied for CBT games only to be 71.4, 61.8 and 66.7 injuries per 1000 participations for 2003–2005 respectively. Game injuries account for the majority of injuries with the ankle remaining the most common site of injury across the 3-year period, despite the fact that the majority of players wear ankle tape. The knee was the second highest recorded site of injury for 2004 (14.9%) and 2005 (14%). The majority of injuries are new injuries with three most common mechanisms of injury being collision with a player, landing and overuse injury. Ongoing injury prevention strategies are warranted to reduce injuries resulting from a non-contact mechanism. In addition, training exposure is required to accurately assess the overall risk of injury in netball.
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