title: Effectiveness of a stress management pilot program aimed at reducing the incidence of sports injuries in young football (soccer) players.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Several attempts to reduce the incidence of sport injuries using psychosocial interventions produced fruitful, although inconclusive results. This paper presents the effectiveness and implementation issues of a pilot 3-month stress-management and muscle relaxation program aimed at reducing sport injury incidence.
  
  
  METHODS
  Pre-post treatment-non treatment group comparison.
  The program was administered by a trained psychologist on a once-a-week, 1-h session basis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy-four male soccer players from four National Youth league teams voluntarily participated. Teams were randomly assigned to either treatment/non-treatment group.
  
  
  METHODS
  Injury protocol, Self-monitoring cards, Athletes' satisfaction and commitment survey, Coaches' interview.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Group main effect and Time-Group interaction effect were both statistically significant, F(1,60) = 8.30, p = 0.005, η2p= 0.121, with the average number of injuries larger in the post-treatment phase of non-treatment group (p = 0.005, η2p= 0.077). There was a significant decrease in the average number of injuries for the intervention group before and after implementing the program (p < 0.001, η2p= 0.309).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A controlled implementation of a psychosocial program was effective in reducing youth soccer sport injuries, with a high level of satisfaction and commitment from the athletes, as well as high acceptance from the coaches.
authors.affiliation: Department of Personality, Assessment and Psychological Intervention, University of Murcia, Campus Universitario de Espinardo, 30100 Murcia, Spain. Electronic address: olmedilla@um.es.
authors.forename: Aurelio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Olmedilla-Zafra
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological and Health Psychology, University Autonoma of Madrid, Campus Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain. Electronic address: victor.rubio@uam.es.
authors.forename: Victor J
authors.initials: VJ
authors.lastname: Rubio
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Activity and Sport, University of Murcia, Campus de San Javier, 30720 San Javier, Spain. Electronic address: eortega@um.es.
authors.forename: Enrique
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ortega
authors.affiliation: Department of Basic Psychology, University of Balearic Islands, Crta. Valldemossa, Km 7.5, 07122 Palma, Spain. Electronic address: alex.garcia@uib.es.
authors.forename: Alexandre
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: García-Mas
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001265:Athletic Injuries / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012064:Relaxation Therapy; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012916:Soccer / Q000293:injuries*; D013030:Spain; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Implementation; Psychological intervention; Sports injury; Stress management