Sport Without Injury ProgrammE Floorball (SWIPE)

This study evaluates the preventive effect of a neuromuscular training program on injuries in youth floorball players. Half of participants will receive the training program, and half act as control and perform their usual training practices.

The study is a cluster-randomized controlled trial including male and female youth (12-17 years) floorball players. Club is used as cluster unit. Coaches in the intervention group receive education of the preventive neuromuscular training program Knee Control (Knäkontroll) before the start of the season. Knee Control consists of 6 different exercises, with 4 different variations and 1 pair-exercise, and takes about 10 minutes to complete. In addition, coaches are instructed to perform a 5-minute running warm-up before the Knee Control exercises. Teams are to carry out the intervention at all training sessions, and the 5-minute warm-up also before all matches. Coaches in the control group carry on their normal training and warm-up routines with their clubs. Teams are followed for one full season: October 2017 - March 2018. Data registered for the study include exposure to floorball training and matches, and injuries that occur as a result of participation in floorball.

The Knee Control program is a neuromuscular training program that consists of 6 different exercises, with 4 levels of progression and one pair-exercise, for each exercise. The Knee Control program takes about 10 minute to complete after familiarization. In addition, a 5-minute running warm-up is instructed to coaches. Coaches are to perform the Knee Control program + the 5 minute warm-up at all training sessions during the season, and the 5 minute warm-up before all matches.

The control group teams receive no intervention, and coaches are instructed to carry out their normal training and warm-up practice throughout the season.

Any floorball related injury regardless of need of care or absence from floorball training or matches ("all physical complaints" injury definition)

Floorball related injury causing absence from the next training or match with the team ("time-loss injury")

Coach baseline and follow-up experiences of injuries (control group and intervention group) and of the Knee Control program (intervention group only)

Player baseline and follow-up experiences of injuries (control group and intervention group) and of the Knee Control program (intervention group only)

Exercise fidelity (observation of the technique when using the intervention in select intervention group teams)

Number of health care visits due to floorball related injuries during the season, type of diagnostic examinations and treatments

Inclusion Criteria: Teams with players 12-17 years of age (born 2000-2005) Teams who have not used a structured training program aiming to prevent injuries (the Knee Control or similar program) on a regular basis the last year Teams who have training at least twice per week Exclusion Criteria: -

Perera NKP, Walden M, Lindblom H, Akerlund I, Sonesson S, Hagglund M. Illness prevalence and symptoms in youth floorball players: a one-season prospective cohort study involving 471 players. BMJ Open. 2021 Dec 14;11(12):e051902. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-051902.

Akerlund I, Walden M, Sonesson S, Hagglund M. Forty-five per cent lower acute injury incidence but no effect on overuse injury prevalence in youth floorball players (aged 12-17 years) who used an injury prevention exercise programme: two-armed parallel-group cluster randomised controlled trial. Br J Sports Med. 2020 Sep;54(17):1028-1035. doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2019-101295. Epub 2020 Jan 28.