Long-Term Changes in Jump Performance and Maximum Strength in a Cohort of National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Womenʼs Volleyball Athletes

Context The effect of athletic participation on lifelong health among elite athletes has received increasing attention, as sport-related injuries can have a substantial influence on long-term health. Objective To determine the current health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of former National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I athletes compared with noncollegiate athletes 5 years after an initial assessment. Design Cohort study. Setting Online survey. Patients or Other Participants From the former Division I athletes, 193 responses were received (response rate = 83.2%; 128 men, 65 women; age = 58.47 ± 6.17 years), and from the noncollegiate athletes, 169 surveys were returned (response rate = 75.1%; 80 men, 89 women; age = 58.44 ± 7.28 years). Main Outcome Measure(s) The independent variables were time (baseline, 5 years later) and group (former Division I athlete, noncollegiate athlete). Participants completed 7 Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System scales: sleep disturbance, anxiety, depression, fatigue, pain interference, physical function, and satisfaction with participation in social roles. Results Sleep disturbance, depression, fatigue, pain, and physical function were significant for a time × group interaction (P < .05), with the largest differences seen in pain and physical function between groups at time point 2 (22.19 and 13.99 points, respectively). Former Division I athletes had worse scores for depression, fatigue, pain, and physical function at follow-up (P < .05), with the largest differences seen on the depression, fatigue, and physical function scales (8.33, 6.23, and 6.61 points, respectively). Conclusions Because of the competitive nature of sport, the long-term risks of diminished HRQoL need to become a priority for health care providers and athletes during their athletic careers. Additionally, physical activity transition programs need to be explored to help senior student-athletes transition from highly structured and competitive collegiate athletics to lifestyle physical activity, as it appears that individuals in the noncollegiate athlete cohort engaged in more physical activity, weighed less, and had increased HRQoL.

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Not Going Pro: On Seeking Lasting Returns from College Sports

Journal of Amateur Sport ◽

10.17161/jas.v2i1.5017 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 2 (1) ◽

pp. 188 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Matthew Horner ◽

Neal Ternes ◽

Christopher McLeod

Keyword(s):

Decision Making ◽

Ncaa Division I ◽

Capital Investment ◽

Student Athletes ◽

Sport Participation ◽

National Collegiate Athletic Association ◽

Collegiate Athletics ◽

Division I ◽

Personal Investment

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) clearly states there are many favorable qualities derived from participation that benefit those “who go pro in something other than sports.” However, the ability of collegiate athletics to deliver on the promise of attributable long-term vocational value is rarely questioned. Instead, student-athletes are encouraged to think of their participation as a personal investment with enduring rewards for the investor. In this study involving former NCAA Division I student-athletes, the authors examined whether participation can be regarded as an investment and how student-athletes perceive the returns thus derived. Extending Becker’s (1962) theory of human capital investment to sport participation, the authors probed participants’ experiences for evidence of investment thinking and lasting benefits in corporeal, economic, social, and cultural varieties. The findings support the notion that participation in collegiate athletics can be broadly defined as an investment, but not in accordance with the long-term utility maximizing rationale described by neoclassical economists. Furthermore, the high cost of participation, inherent uncertainty, and unreliable information confound the athlete’s decision-making and blur the distinction between consumption in the present and investing for the future.

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Hip Injury Profile and Time Missed From Participation in Male National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Baseball Athletes

International Journal of Athletic Therapy & Training ◽

10.1123/ijatt.2021-0016 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-5

Author(s):

Ioanna K. Bolia ◽

Jennifer A. Bell ◽

Hyunwoo P. Kang ◽

Aryan Haratian ◽

Laith K. Hasan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Femoroacetabular Impingement ◽

National Collegiate Athletic Association ◽

Impingement Syndrome ◽

Division I ◽

Short Term ◽

Baseball Players ◽

Injury Characteristics ◽

Hip Injury ◽

Femoroacetabular Impingement Syndrome

Context: It is important to examine hip injury characteristics in baseball athletes in order to develop injury-specific prevention protocols. There is currently a lack of literature regarding collegiate baseball athletes. Objective: To report the hip injury characteristics and time missed from sport participation in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I baseball players over a period of 5 years. Results: Forty-seven hip–groin injuries were recorded in 30 National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I baseball players. Pitchers had the highest number of hip–groin injuries (24/47, 51%), and outfielders had the longest time missed from baseball participation (33 days on average). The two most common types of hip–groin injuries were femoroacetabular impingement syndrome (14/47, 30%) and hip adductor strain (14/47, 30%). Days missed from baseball participation was 4.5 days (range: 4–7) for short-term injuries and 90 days (range: 46–131) for long-term injuries. Interpretations: Femoroacetabular impingement syndrome and adductor muscle strain were the predominant diagnoses in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I baseball players with hip–groin injury; short-term injuries resulted in ∼5 days missed but recovery from a long-term injury took ∼3 months. Pitchers had the highest number of injuries (including adductor strain and femoroacetabular impingement syndrome).

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