Epidemiology of Concussions in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Sports: 2014/15-2018/19

Background: Updated epidemiology studies examining sports-related concussions (SRCs) are critical in evaluating recent efforts aimed at reducing the incidence of SRCs in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) sports. Purpose: To describe the epidemiology of SRCs in 23 NCAA sports during the 2014/15-2018/19 academic years. Study Design: Descriptive epidemiology study. Methods: SRC and exposure data collected in the NCAA Injury Surveillance Program were analyzed. Injury counts, rates, and proportions were used to describe injury characteristics by sport, event type (practices, competitions), injury mechanism (player contact, surface contact, equipment/apparatus contact), and injury history (new, recurrent). Injury rate ratios (IRRs) were used to examine differential injury rates, and injury proportion ratios (IPRs) were used to examine differential distributions. Results: A total of 3497 SRCs from 8,474,400 athlete-exposures (AEs) were reported during the study period (4.13 per 10,000 AEs); the competition-related SRC rate was higher than was the practice-related SRC rate (IRR, 4.12; 95% CI, 3.86-4.41). The highest SRC rates were observed in men’s ice hockey (7.35 per 10,000 AEs) and women’s soccer (7.15 per 10,000 AEs); rates in women’s soccer and volleyball increased during 2015/16-2018/19. Player contact was the most prevalently reported mechanism in men’s sports (77.0%), whereas equipment/apparatus contact was the most prevalently reported mechanism in women’s sports (39.2%). Sex-related differences were observed in soccer, basketball, softball/baseball, and swimming and diving. Most SRCs reported in men’s sports (84.3%) and women’s sports (81.1%) were reported as new injuries. Conclusion: Given the increasing SRC rates observed in women’s soccer and volleyball during the latter years of the study, these results indicate the need to direct further attention toward trajectories of SRC incidence in these sports. The prevalence of equipment/apparatus contact SRCs in women’s sports also suggests that SRC mechanisms in women’s sports warrant further investigation. As most SRCs during the study period were reported as new injuries, the prevalence of recurrent SRCs in men’s and women’s ice hockey is also noteworthy.

Practice versus Game External Load Measures in Starters and Non-Starters of a Men’s Collegiate Soccer Team

Monitoring external loads may minimize injury risk and improve physical performance. The purpose was to describe the external loads of a men’s collegiate soccer team during practice and games at the start of in-season play. In the first 2 weeks of the competitive season, National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I soccer athletes (n=19; mean±SD, age: 20.3±0.9 yr; body mass: 77.9±6.8kg; body height: 178.87±7.18cm; body fat: 10.0±5.0%; VO2max: 65.39±7.61mL/kg/min) wore a global positional system device (GPS/GNSS) during practices (n=8) and games (n=3). Starters were classified as players who maintained a minimum playing time of 45 minutes per game (n=10); other players were considered non-starters (n=9). External load metrics collected were: total distance (TD), player load (PL), high-speed distance (HSD, >13 mph (5.8 m/s)), high inertial movement analysis (IMA, >3.5m/s2), and repeated high intensity efforts (RHIE). Multivariate and repeated measures analyses of variance assessed differences in external load measures for practices and games in starters and non-starters. Relative to game loads, practices were quantified as high (>1 SD above the mean), medium (1 SD below the mean), low (2 SD below the mean) and very low (3 SD below the mean). For starters and non-starters, TD, PL, HSD, IMA, and RHIEs were lower in practices compared to games (p<0.001). No practices were classified as high or medium for any external load measure, with the majority of practices (75-100%) being classified as very low. Therefore, practice did not simulate game volumes or intensities. An individualized approach to monitoring is recommended to ensure starters receive adequate recovery and non-starters receive exposure to game-load physical stress.

Myles Brand’s Collegiate Model and the Post-Amateurism World of College Sports

One of Myles Brand’s key contributions as president of the National Collegiate Athletic Association was the development of what he called the “theoretical model of college sports.” In this paper, we present the theoretical antecedents of the collegiate model in the histories of both sport and higher education. We go on to articulate the definition of the collegiate model of sport as Brand presented it iteratively in public comments. Finally, we situate the relevance of the collegiate model as a policy prescription in twenty-first century college sports.

Myles Brand’s Philosophy of the Value of Intercollegiate Athletics: A Collaborative Effort and the Perspective of Two Black Males on Educational Achievement at the NCAA

The value of intercollegiate athletics in universities has increased since Dr. Myles Brand’s presidency. Brand believed strongly in the integrated view of education and sport. This paper follows the emergence and value of the personal narrative by two African American males working together within the structural forces of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), higher education, and intercollegiate athletics. The personal narrative collaborative effort occurred in the early stages of the NCAA’s Academic Progress Rate movement during Brand’s leadership decision to harmonize education and sport. The personal narrative structure focuses on one of Brand’s major initiatives: improving academic standards. One culturally relevant program that resulted in a collaborative moment during Brand’s leadership tenure will be the focus of this paper, as well as the potential contributions to theory and practice.

Life is an Adventure: From Action Theory to Action

Myles Brand was the fourth President of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). This essay tracks the progression of Brand's early work in action theory, his theoretical turn to the moral role of education, and finally his legacy of principled leadership on issues of ethics and social justice within intercollegiate athletics during what I refer to as "The Brand Era." I show that Brand's writings and speeches from 1970 through 2002 offer a foundation for the conceptual strategies employed in meeting NCAA challenges from 2003 through 2009. His innovative conceptualization of the applied philosophy of sport moved him forward from action theory into action.

Swing Type and Batting Grip Affect Peak Pressures on the Hook of Hamate in Collegiate Baseball Players

Background: Bat swing and grip type may contribute to hook of hamate fractures in baseball players. Purpose: To compare the effects of swing type and batting grip on the pressure and rate of pressure development over the hook of hamate in collegiate baseball players. Study Design: Descriptive laboratory study. Level of evidence, 3. Methods: This was an experimental quasi-randomized study of bat grip and swing differences in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I baseball players (N = 14; age, 19.6 ± 1.1 years [mean ± SD]). All participants performed swings under 6 combinations: 3 grip types (all fingers on the bat shaft [AO], one finger off the bat shaft [OF], and choked up [CU]) and 2 swing types (full swing and check swing). Peak pressure and rate of pressure generation over the area of the hamate were assessed using a pressure sensor fitted to the palm of the bare hand over the area of the hamate. Wrist angular velocities and excursions of radial ulnar deviation were obtained using 3-dimensional motion analysis. Results: The OF–check swing combination produced the highest peak pressure over the hamate (3.72 ± 2.64 kg/cm2) versus the AO–full swing (1.36 ± 0.73 kg/cm2), OF–full swing (1.68 ± 1.17 kg/cm2), and CU–full swing (1.18 ± 0.96 kg/cm2; P < .05 for all). There was a significant effect of condition on rate of pressure development across the 6 conditions ( P = .023). Maximal wrist angular velocities were 44% lower in all check swing conditions than corresponding full swing conditions ( P < .0001). The time to achieve the maximal wrist angular velocity was longest with the AO–full swing and shortest with the CU–check swing (100.1% vs 7.9% of swing cycle; P = .014). Conclusion: The OF–check swing condition produced the highest total pressure reading on the hook of hamate. Check swing conditions also had the steepest rate of pressure development as compared with the full swing conditions. Clinical Relevance: Batters who frequently check their swings and use an OF or AO grip may benefit from bat modifications or grip adjustment to reduce stresses over the hamate. Athletic trainers and team physicians should be aware of these factors to counsel players in the context of previous or ongoing hand injury.

Hand and wrist injuries among collegiate athletes vary with athlete division

Background The rates, severity and consequences of hand and wrist injuries sustained by National Collegiate Athletic Association athletes are not well characterized. This study describes the epidemiology of hand and wrist injuries among collegiate athletes competing in different divisions. Methods The National Collegiate Athletic Association Injury Surveillance Program (NCAA-ISP) was accessed from 2004 to 2015 for the following sports: baseball, basketball, football, ice hockey, lacrosse, soccer, wrestling, field hockey, gymnastics, softball and volleyball. The data were used to identify all hand and wrist injuries, the specific injury diagnosis, mean time loss of activity following injury, and need for surgery following injury. These were then stratified by gender. Descriptive statistics were performed to examine the association between sports, event type and division. Student's t test was used to calculate p-values for independent variables. Chi-Square test was used to calculate odds ratio. P < 0.05 was considered significant. Results 103,098 hand and wrist injuries were reported in in the studied NCAA sports from 2004 to 2015. Male athletes sustained 72,423 injuries (6.01/10,000 athlete exposure) and female athletes sustained 30,675 injuries (4.13/10,000 athlete exposure). Division I athletes sustained significantly more injuries compared to divisions II and III. Overall, 3.78% of hand and wrist injuries required surgical intervention. A significantly higher percentage of division I athletes (both male and female) underwent surgical intervention compared to divisions II and III. The mean time lost due to hand and wrist injury was 7.14 days for all athletes. Division I athletes missed the fewest days due to injury at 6.29 days though this was not significant. Conclusions Hand and wrist injuries are common among collegiate athletes. Division I athletes sustain higher rates of injuries and higher surgical intervention rates, while tending to miss fewer days due to injury. Improved characterization of divisional differences in hand and wrist injuries can assist injury management and prevention.

Offseason Fitness Tests a Collegiate Basketball Strength Coach Should Choose to Predict In-Season Perfomance Based on Sex

Quantification of athletic performance via analysis of scores of off-season fitness tests has become an essential part of the modern strength and conditioning coach (SCC). Player Efficiency Rating (PER) and Efficiency index (EFF) are two of the most used in-season basketball performance metrics in the US. We collected data from male and female basketball players of a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) program. Based on sex, we examined a) if unadjusted PER (uPER) and EFF reflect different amounts of information and b) which fitness tests predict those two indices more accurately. Our results showed lower means and less variability of the fitness tests scores in women than men. The correlation between uPER and EFF in men was moderate and strong in women. In men, no strong correlation was found between any fitness test and EFF, while full court sprint was strongly correlated with uPER. In women, strong correlations were detected between a) the T-drill and EFF and b) the foul court sprint, the vertical jump, and the T-drill and uPER. The collegiate SCCs should consider that off-season scores of a) the foul court drill may predict uPER more accurately in both men and women and b) the T-drill may predict both EFF and uPER more precisely in women.

An Intelligent System to Improve Athlete Depression and Eating Disorder using Artificial Intelligence and Big Data Analysis

The inspiration for the creation of this app stemmed from the deeply rooted history of eating disorders in sports, particularly in sports that emphasize appearance and muscularity which often includes gymnastics, figure skating, dance, and diving [1]. All three sports require rapid rotation in the air which automatically results in the necessity of a more stringent weight requirement. Eating disorders can also be aggravated by sports who focus on individual performances rather than team-oriented like basketball or soccer [5]. According to research, up to thirteen percent of all athletes have, or are currently suffering from a form of eating disorder such as anorexia [2] and bulimia [3]. In the National Collegiate Athletic Association, it is estimated that up to sixteen percent of male athletes and forty-five percent of female athletes have been diagnosed with an eating disorder.