Experiences of Australian professional female tennis players returning to competition from injury

50 Years of Research on the Psychology of Sport Injury: A Consensus Statement

Factors influencing sport injury risk, rehabilitation outcomes, and return to sport processes have been the focus in various research disciplines (sports medicine, psychology and sociology). One discipline, with over 50 years of scholarship, is the psychology of sport injury. Despite the research in this field, there is no evidence-based consensus to inform professional practice. The aim of this original and timely consensus statement is to summarise psychological sport injury research and provide consensus recommendations for sport practitioners seeking to implement psychological principles into clinical practice. A total of seven experts with extensive experience outlined the consensus objectives and identified three psychology of sport injury sub-domains: risk, rehabilitation and return to sport. The researchers, grouped in pairs, prepared initial drafts of assigned sub-domains. The group met in Stockholm, and the three texts were merged into a draft and revised in an iterative process. Stress responses are the strongest psychological risk factor for acute injuries. Intra- and interpersonal factors, as well as sociocultural factors, are demonstrated psychosocial risk factors for overuse injuries. Stress management and mindfulness interventions to prevent injuries have been successfully implemented. The rehabilitation process may influence athlete's cognitive, emotional, and behavioural responses. Social support, mindfulness, acceptance-based practices, and cognitive-behavioural based intervention programs reduce negative reactions. Return to sport includes various stages and different trajectories. Returning athletes typically experience concerns regarding competence, autonomy, and relatedness. It is recommended that athletes focus on the physical, technical, and psychological demands of their sport as they progress to increasingly intense activities. Interdisciplinary collaboration (e.g., sports medicine and psychology) would be beneficial in enhancing clinical practice and improving athlete outcomes.

The reasons of dropout of sport in Hong Kong school athletes

Dropout of sport is an issue in sport and public health domains. The aim of this study was to identify the potential dropout reasons of school athletes and to examine if their perception of dropout was affected by the previous dropout experience. There were 50 subjects who were divided into two groups based on their previous dropout experience (Dropout Group=22, No Dropout Group=28). They filled a questionnaire about potential dropout reasons of the current sport. Coach and teammates were two predominated reasons of dropout; Influence of parent and training seemed to affect the termination of the sport to a lesser extent. Moreover, the perception of social value and lost focus were significantly different between two groups. Character of coach and teammates affect the engagement of training in school athletes. However, the parental influence had less influence than expected. Training intensity played little role as the dropout reason. Previous experience of dropout had an impact of potential dropout reasons on their current sport training.

Withdrawals and Retirements in Professional Tennis Players

Background:

Injuries and illnesses for professional tennis athletes disrupt training, competition, and progression in the sport and represent a major reason for athlete withdrawal or retirement from a tournament. Few descriptive epidemiological studies have focused on these trends in elite tennis athletes.

Purpose:

To examine the causes of professional tennis player withdrawal or retirement from United States Tennis Association (USTA) Pro Circuit tournaments during 2013.

Study Design:

Descriptive epidemiology study.

Level of Evidence:

Level 4.

Methods:

Tournament records from the 2013 USTA Pro Circuit season were retrospectively reviewed for incidences of injury and illness that resulted in athlete withdrawal from the tournament. Data were reported as incidence rates per 1000 match exposures and rate ratios.

Results:

There were 70 medical conditions over the course of 27 competitions (20,988 match exposures), for an overall incidence rate of 3.34 per 1000 match exposures. Women were more likely to injure themselves on clay courts compared with hard courts (rate ratio, 4.67; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.41-19.85) and in the first half of the season compared with the second half (rate ratio, 3.95; 95% CI, 1.13-21.17). Men had a higher injury rate than women (rate ratio, 1.88; 95% CI, 1.17-3.63), and muscle-/tendon-related injuries were 6 times more likely than all other injuries (95% CI, 2.81-14.69).

Conclusion:

Women were more likely to experience an injury when playing on clay court surfaces, and they also experienced more injuries during the first half of the season. Injury rates for men often peaked during the months that players could qualify for Grand Slam competitions. There was a predominance of injuries in men compared with women.