One of the key priorities in youth sport is
adoption of an evidence-based practice approach to player management and
welfare. Conditioning of these young athletes and reduction of injury incidence
is necessary to ensure long term athlete development. Tournaments are often
used for talent identification and representational squad selection in underage
sport. Despite the popularity of field hockey across the
world, there is little research investigating the incidence of injury during
tournament situations specifically in youth athletes. The aim of this study was
to quantify injury incidence in under 16 and under 18 male field hockey players
across a tournament weekend to aid practitioners in the design of
sport-specific training programmes to reduce the risk of injury. Eighty-nine
participants completed a daily injury incidence questionnaire after completion
of the days’ games. Thirty-seven participants reported at least one injury
across the weekend, primarily in the lower limb (74%). Muscle strains were the
most common injury, mainly in the calf and hamstrings (33% and 27%) which were
also the main sites of muscle soreness during the tournament. Injuries were
most likely to occur during running without the ball, but also during clashes
with other players. Just under half of all injuries occurred in the second day
of the tournament with a third occurring on the third day. Location and
mechanism of injury are similar to that observed in adult hockey. The increased
injury incidence in the latter part of the tournament suggests high levels of
conditioning are required to minimise risk of injury across the competition. Further
research into the influence of rest period and cumulative fatigue is required
in this population to further our understanding of processes to enhance long
term athlete development.