Athletes’ description of their needs for injury management
| Themes | Codes | Example of quotes from youth athletes |
| Create a functioning elite sport environment | Social support | ‘I think that what is a little worse for us who attend elite sports, is that we never have a support session, for example, at school. We will never, I mean we never have time to go to those sessions because, because we have often training during them. We have training every afternoon, almost every afternoon and that is usually when they add these support sessions, and we have such a busy schedule. So, I’ve never been able to go for any support. It has been difficult getting the extra help you need at school, I’ve thought about that. I had X and he really addressed this with my performance anxiety so I got help with it, the SSHS-A paid for me to go and see a sports psychologist, I’m very grateful that I got to do it and that X really took it seriously. Because it was very extreme when I was at my worst. So, I think that’s great, but it’s also like this, X is, he’s like a father type.’ Year 3 |
| Medical support | ‘There is quite a lot of pressure on them. It feels like, yes this week we are busy and next week too but come back then.’ Year 1 ‘If you have niggles at all the training sessions and at competitions, then you have to talk it through with someone.’ Year 3 | |
| Coach support | ‘Together with her, I came to the conclusion that you study until 9 and then you stop. And it makes me sleep a lot better, because I can relax like… so she’s more of a mentor than a coach.’ Year 3 | |
| ‘….for a while I chose only to do rehab, I had a really bad lower back. Then the coaches talked to each other and said ‘but ok, she will do her rehab every morning session and then she won’t be part of the joint training.’ Year 3 | ||
| School support | ‘Here you get to think about the whole, breakfast, schedule, etc. The entirety of training for athletics.’ Year 3 ‘It was a big change. It became difficult with great stress at school and stress with training.’ Year 1 | |
| Application of context-specific knowledge | Preventative measures | ‘As a runner, I check the number of miles a week, for example, to make sure I don’t run too much.’ Year 3 |
| ‘But like if you are not prepared enough to do anything. And then you start doing something a lot. The body has to get used to the new adjustment. The body somehow can’t cope with changing, changing and doing new things so quickly.’ Year 1 | ||
| ‘Screening—because if you are not injured, it is difficult to think that it is preventive.’ Year 1 | ||
| Own responsibility | ‘… I sort of have a programme that I will do throughout my career. And I don’t have problems with my hamstring anymore, it’s kind of good, and I have, I think it’s because I kind of do it, basically every day.’ Year 3 | |
| ‘But that’s fine, at least I’ve learned when I’ve been injured, I’ve been injured for a few years, so I’ve gotten to know my body better. That it’s okay to skip training because it hurts, because it’s mental that it’s hard to skip training, watch others run. You might not think what the consequences will be if you train, it might be that you have to stand aside for a longer time.’ Year 3 | ||
| Fostering athletes’ education | Need factual knowledge | ‘I would like a little more information about what we should eat. I had no idea what was good for me and what I should eat to get energy.’ Year 3 ‘As a runner, I check the number of miles a week, for example, to make sure I don't run too much.’ Year 3 |
| Structure every day | ‘I feel like I was a rambunctious little boy when I started. I didn’t know about prevention or anything like that and I feel like I’ve become stronger and aware of what I need to do to not get injured and to get better.’ Year 3 ‘…you have to get into routines, you have to do the dishes, cook, wash, clean. So, I think that’s why many people maybe cook a little worse food in the first place. You might not have the time, because you have to train, you have to study and you have to do everything.’ Year 3 | |
| Diet, sleep | ‘If they had tips on dishes, so that you don’t just go through the whole first year frying meatballs and sausages.’ Year 3 ‘Sleeping is difficult.’ Year 1 |