Background: There is currently a lack of investigation of injuries in junior sport, compared to that of adult cohorts. Consequently, very few published studies have demonstrated the incidence of injuries among young participants of Australian football. The aim of this study was to determine the current rate of injury in junior Australian football, and describe the patterns and severity of these injuries across all levels of play, compared to those of McMahon et al. [1]. Methods: The Junior Australian Football Safety Study was completed during 2004 using teams from New South Wales and Victoria across nine levels of play (U9 to U18). Participation and injury data were collected prospectively from all games and training sessions by Primary Data Collectors. The region, nature and cause of injury were collected on injuries that were defined in accordance with a previous 1993 study. Injury severity was identified by the action of players immediately after the injury event. Results: Overall, 40,208 hours of exposure were recorded with an injury rate of 18.0 injuries per 1,000 player hours (95% CI=16.6-19.3). Hand/finger injuries were common among all players. The main causes of injury were body contact (67%), other contact (12%) and game movement (10%). There was an increase in the frequency of sprains and strains, and injury severity with level of play. Of the injuries where the player left the field of play, 63% were able to return to participation. The rates of injury for players who did not continue participation or were advised to seek further medical aid were low. Only 28% of all injured players were advised to seek medical treatment with few injuries taken to hospital (5%). Conclusion: An observed reduction of injury rate in the U15 level of play compared to a similar 1993 study (McMahon et al.), suggests that safe game development at the junior level is likely to have been effective over the past decade. Implications for future skill development include the introduction of incidental body contact skills with further ball-handling skill development in young players, and the introduction of proprioception exercises for players at higher levels of play.

Thesis (MA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2006. / Bibliography. Also available via the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Michigan State University, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 117-121). Also available online (PDF file) by a subscription to the set or by purchasing the individual file.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Michigan State University, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 117-121).

Thesis (M.S.)--Michigan State University, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 251-256). Also available online (PDF file) by a subscription to the set or by purchasing the individual file.

Thesis (M.S.)--Michigan State University, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 251-256).

Thesis (M Sport Sc (Sport Science))--University of Stellenbosch, 2006. / INTRODUCTION: The primary aim of this study is to identify the prevalence and nature of injuries sustained by South African schoolboy cricketers. The results will then be used to set possible preventative measures in order to minimize the incidence of first-time and recurrent injuries. METHODS: The population consisted of 196 cricketers representing all 16 provincial teams in the under 19 Coca-Cola Khaya Majola cricket week played in Pretoria from 16 - 20 December 2004. Data were collected retrospectively and the cricket players were asked to recall all injuries from June 2003 to May 2004. The researcher personally guided each cricketer through a questionnaire regarding training and injury. The questionnaire was designed to obtain the following information: i) anatomical site of injury, ii) month of injury, iii) diagnosis of injury, iv) cause of injury, v) whether it was a recurrence of a previous injury and vi) whether the injury recurred during the season. A questionnaire was handed to each of the coaches who then asked if they could complete the questionnaire in their own time. The questionnaire was designed to see the level of coaching qualifications achieved by them and their level of understanding of basic training principles. RESULTS: The results showed that 67 injuries were sustained by 196 cricketers with a seasonal incidence of 34.2. Almost 72% of injuries occurred during matches, 14.9% occurred gradually due to the repetitive stresses sustained during matches and practices, 11.9% occurred during practice and 1.5% of the injuries occurred during other forms of training. Surprisingly, no injuries were sustained to the head, neck and face region while 34.3% were sustained to the upper limbs; 34.3% to the lower limbs and 31.3% to the back and trunk. Bowling accounted for 50.7% of the injuries, while fielding accounted for 32.8%, batting accounted for 14.9% and the remaining 1.5% occurred while warming-up or training. The primary mechanism of injury was the delivery and follow through of the fast bowler (34.3%), direct impact from the cricket ball when attempting to take a catch (10.4%), running after the ball (6.0%), stopping the ball along the ground (6.0%) and landing incorrectly after diving for the ball (6.0%). Fifty eight of the injuries were reported as being first time injuries while only nine injuries were due to the recurrence of a previous injury. The majority of injuries (40.6%) reported were quite severe and took the cricketers more than 21 days to recover. Thirty six percent of injuries allowed the cricketers to return to play within seven days of acquiring the injury. Cricketers were found to be more prone to injury during December and January. CONCLUSION: Potential risk factors for injury have been identified and it has been suggested that coaches and cricketers partake in continuous educational processes that focus on all the physical, training, mental and technical components necessary for success in cricket. Cricketers should undergo regular musculoskeletal evaluations and be given personalized training programs. It is essential that a National database for junior cricketers be implemented.