PAIN COPING STYLES OF MALE OLYMPIC DEVELOPMENTAL SOCCER ATHLETES

Abstract

1014 Recent studies utilizing the Sports Inventory for Pain (SIP; Meyers et al., 1992) demonstrate the ability to psychometrically identify an athlete's pain coping style. Limited research efforts, however, have focused on addressing pain coping strategies in youth sports. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to quantify pain coping styles of adolescent soccer athletes. Following written informed consent, the SIP was administered to 76 male soccer athletes (mean age = 14.3 ± 0.7 yrs) at the Region IV Olympic Developmental Program (ODP) soccer camp in Bozeman, MT. The 25-item SIP included 5 pain dimensions: coping (COP), cognitive (COG), catastrophizing (CAT), avoidance (AVD), body awareness (BOD), and two composite scores (HURT = COP+COG−CAT−AVD; OUCH = COP+COG−CAT). Data were grouped by team level/age [U-82 (15 yr), U-83 (14 yr)], position [goalie (GO), defense (DF), midfielder (MD), forward (FO)], current injury status, and number of injuries (0, 1-2, 3-5, 6+). MANOVAs indicated a significant team level effect (Wilks' Lambda F5.65 = 2.46; p < .05) but no significant main effect by position (F15.171 = 0.51; p = 0.94), injury status (F5.64 = 1.81; p = 0.13), or number of injuries (F15.174 = 1.41; p = 0.15). Subsequent ANOVAs revealed that U-83 athletes scored higher in AVD (13.6 ± 0.4 vs 11.8 ± 0.6; p < .01), but lower in BOD (14.7 ± 0.4 vs 16.1 ± 0.5; p < .03) than U-82 athletes. Coping response was higher than observed in other male, high school athletes. When compared to collegiate populations, ODP athletes revealed higher COP and COG skills, reflective of a more demanding competitive schedule and greater potential for injury. In conclusion, significant but limited team level/age differences exist in pain coping styles of elite, adolescent soccer athletes.