Overview
The majority of injuries among Norwegian youth occur in sports. The purpose of the project is to conduct an effect and process evaluation of the intervention #Utviklingsklar, an injury-preventive club-based intervention in youth handball and football. Central to the evaluation is whether the intervention influences the occurrence of new and recurring injuries through changed coaching practices (injury prevention warm-up, strength training, and management of players with pain and injuries). Over one season, participants from 30 clubs in youth handball and football respectively will participate in two cluster-randomized studies. Coaches and club leaders implement #Utviklingsklar and create plans and practices for injury prevention. The control clubs train as usual. Players report injuries. An additional handball and football club are followed up with observation and interviews in a qualitative part of the process evaluation. The project provides knowledge about how injuries and health in the ¾ of Norwegian youth who participate in organized sports are affected by interventions aimed at club and coaching practices.
Eligibility
Inclusion criteria:
-Clubs are eligible for participation if they are able to participate with one club leader, 2-6 teams, and a minimum of one coach from each of the participating teams
Exclusion criteria:
- Players under the age of 12
- Coaches under the age of 16