Epidemiology of Varsity Sports
Varsity sports is in many schools as important as academics, especially in the United States. These schools rely a great deal on the success of their teams for financial stability and enrollment interest. The athletes as well take their sport very seriously, if only for the sake of their pride.
It therefore follows that each team strives to be the very best, and only 100% effort is enough. Unfortunately, when competition climaxes, more often than not injuries result.
This study is a synopsis of the data collected in a number of past articles concerned with injuries incurred by collegiate athletes in many different varsity sports. For the purpose of this study, an injury has been defined as any abnormal condition that has caused an athlete to be removed from practice or competition for one or more days, because performance has been impaired (Hanes and Murray, 1982). The following statistics will deal with injuries of collegiate sports incurred by athletes involved in Men's and Women's
Basketball, Baseball, Gymnastics and Track and Field, Men's Soccer, and
Wrestling, and Women's Field Hockey.
BASKETBALL
The study of the nature and extent of athletic injuries Occuring in
Women's Basketball by Hanes and Murray in 1982 found an injury rate of 41.7 per
100 players. Of these injuries 56.9% were ankle sprains, 24.1% were muscle strains. 76.2% of the sprains and strains occurred to the lower extremities.
Injured fingers ( which were the only upper extremity injuries) accounted for
14.3% of the injuries and 4.8% of the injuries were reported as facial.
All information for this study was collected through the use of injury forms completed by the coaches, and information forms by each player, injured or not. In a separate study for the American Journal of Sports Medicine by
Clarke and Buckley in 1980 on injuries incurred in collegiate Women's Basketball, there was an injury rate of 20.3 per 100 players. There was a reported incidence of 53% sprains, and 4% strains. 40% of all injuries sustained were to the lower extremities.
In the same study Clarke and Buckley found similar results in Men's
Varsity Basketball to that of the Women's. The men reported 20.7 per 100 players suffering injuries, 54% of those being sprains, 6% being strains with
37% of the injuries Occuring to the lower extremity.
All the data collected by Clarke and Buckley was received from the
National Athletic Injury/ Illness Recording System (NAIRS).
BASEBALL
Clark and Buckley have also examined Men's and Women's Baseball in their study The reported injury rate for this particular sport was 9.2% (men's) and
8.7% (women's). Sprains occurred 37% and 40% respectively, strains accounted
“The athletic craze began in the late nineteenth century when American’s were looking for some recreational activities to add to their daily lives during the Depression. In the cities, industrial wage earners frequented play grounds. They went dancing at the dance halls and had fun at the amusement parks. People that lived in rural areas simply rode bicycles, played baseball or football. “
The incidence and prevalence rate of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries in female athletes continues to increase over time (Prodromos, Han, Rogowski, Joyce, & Shi, 2007). With the growing rate in the amount of young women participating in sports, data has shown that the rate of ACL injury increases linearly with this participation ("The Relationship Between Static Posture and ACL Injury in Female Athletes," 1996). This epidemic of ACL injuries in female athletes, young or old, continues to be problematic in the athletic world. This problem not only affects the athlete themselves, but also the coaches and the sports medicine community.
In spite of this the rate of ACL injury is almost equal through all levels of sports, from beginner, to recreational, to professional athletes. The most widely publicized incident of ACL damage has come from Theresa Edwards who was a top female athlete. She was a basketball player who went to the limit with sports. She went beyond her capability and her ligament couldn’t withstand the pressure and snapped. She is not the only but just one example of many who have suffered this same problem. As female athletes continue to become more competitive and aggressive, ACL damage continues to rise.
Varsity sports play one of the largest roles in the modern school system. They can one of the most influential parts of a youngling’s experience. However, with that comes great challenges and sociological issues embedded into the sports that show conflict and adversity in certain times. After reviewing some of these issues the true structure of varsity sports may be identified, and possibly reviewed.
I remember the time when I had gotten promoted to high school as a 9th grader. That time was so important to me, at that time and age. It was a phase that you usually get over. I was growing up and starting all over again in a different environment with entirely different motives. I had started at the lowest class in the school, once again, as a freshman. I wasn’t a big 8th grader that internally felt more in control due to my age and experience. It was quite odd, just a couple of days before promotion, I was 8th grader, however I had more similarities with a 6th grader. This was me starting from strength to weakness. Through that I figured it out. Life is a process of phases that repeat, and helps a person grow. The famous novelist and blogger
Therefore, female ACL injuries are now a growing problem in the nation (Anonymous, 2004). Back in the 1950s and 1960s, female participation in sports was rare; therefore, the rate of injuries was very low. However, according to “ACL Injuries and Female Athletes” (n.d), as Title IX was implemented in 1972, female participation in numerous sports has dramatically increased. Moreover, the rate of acquiring injuries to the ACL has also dramatically increased (Anonymous, n.d). In terms of comparing the rate of acquiring ACL injuries between two genders, females have a higher rate than males do.
Literature has shown there is a constructive correlation between an individuals socioeconomic status (SES) and their participation in sporting activities. This piece of writing will be defining the impact social class division has on the opportunities for an individual to participate in sport and leisure activities. Also the key aspects of the social class system within the United Kingdom, from the traditional methods of social stratification, to the modern 7 class system released in 2013 by the British Broadcast Corporation (BBC). The term 'Social Class' or 'Socioeconomic Groups' , refer to an individuals status within society. There are various factors which determine an individual's status, such as; income, family background and educational experiences. This socioeconomic status can be seen as a status hierarchy in which three main common social classes are informally accepted in the majority of societies: Upper Class, Middle Class and Working Class (Wesson et al, 2000).
“I woke up from the nightmares with a cold fear,” she said. “I came to a point where I didn’t want to die, but just wanted to be dead.”
Abstract: Society is affected every day by many different kinds of sports. These sports often govern society's way of life. People all over the nation turn their TVs to sporting events, such as golf, during the weekends. Scott Stossel states that "more than six million Americans enjoy watching golf on the weekends." Parents use sports as a teaching tool for their children. Kids learn teamwork and discipline from team sports programs and sports have also helped many students with their grades. Kids who want to compete in school sports are taught to keep their grades up or they won't be able to play, but the greedy coaches and schools often look around grades to keep their "star athletes" in the games. Adults have been affected by sports in their bank accounts. Tax increases for funding a new stadium, golf course and even school programs have hurt the middle class Americans. Sports have taken control of small communities and soon will take control of society
...3, November/December). Women in sport: backlash or megatrend? The Journal of Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance, 64(9), 49-52.
College is a time for young people to develop and grow not only in their education, but social aspects as well. One of the biggest social scenes found around college campuses are athletic events, but where would these college sports be without their dedicated athletes? Student athletes get a lot of praise for their achievements on the field, but tend to disregard the work they accomplish in the classroom. Living in a college environment as a student athlete has a great deal of advantages as well as disadvantages that affect education and anti-intellectualism.
There are many repercussions that are projected upon both men and women when they enter into a sport that typically isn’t thought of as gender appropriate. Some of those cultural and social stigmatisms may be abandonment by your peers, and friends questions regarding your sexuality, and even in some cases criticism as to how you are living your life. In some cases, it may lead to you not being accepted by either group, theone whose norems you are not following, of as well as the one with whom you are trying to get involved. This paper will address all of these issues and how these seemingly negative situations can, will, and are, leading to growth. It will also discuss how this is a situation where repercussions are not just in the sports arena, but is prevalent in everyday life, in areas far beyond that of sport.
Sports are often identified to have positive influences on many individuals. The sports industry is growing worldwide, especially the basketball industry, which is regarded in second place behind football. The global prevalence of basketball is unquestionable, especially among the young. Basketball is a dynamic team sport that involves a pattern of alternating, active, and skilled movement activities. There are compound demands that require a mixture of individual skills, team plays, strategies, and motivational aspects.
Coalter et al. (1994) illustrated that those who stayed in education after the minimal school leaving age had higher rates of sports participation than the school leavers. This statement inspired the author of this review to research, and essentially ascertain what implications and constraints occur in an adolescent and adult environment when considering participating in sport.
At some point students has had trouble either at home or at school and need to release stress or tension. Some of these times the teens choose to do activities that are wrong. Youth want to feel comfort and accepted, therefore they sometimes will do events that are not well for their body just to fit in with a group. There is evidence that proves sports can reduce the likeliness of teens committing crimes, or getting into trouble. Tees look at the negative substances such as drugs, alcohol, or tobacco, and think that they can do whatever they want. Many teens look at these activities and think they are “exciting” or “cool” and want to try them, but if they are busy with sports they most likely will not be as easily influenced. Participation in sports helps keep teens out of trouble by taking up their free time which could be used for mischief, gives them an opportunity to meet new friends for positive role models, provides teens an outlet to develop a higher self-esteem, and also enables student to set goals for on and off the field.