An Examination of Preactivity and Postactivity Flexibility Practices of National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Tennis Coaches

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine if National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I men's tennis programs are in compliance with suggested current preactivity and postactivity stretching protocols. Questionnaires were sent to NCAA Division I men's tennis programs in the USA. Seventy-six coaches (73 men and 3 women) participated in the study. The results of the Chi-Square analysis suggest that the number of years of head coaching experience had a significant relationship with the preactivity stretching routines employed by coaches (p = 0.029). A significant difference was found between preactivity stretching routines and the key sources of influence for the foundation of knowledge regarding preactivity stretching (p = 0.012). Some results indicate that many tennis coaches do not use current suggested practices for preactivity stretching. The results of this study indicate that certification may influence how well research guidelines are followed. Further research is needed to delineate how these factors affect coaching decisions.