Table 2 High school basketball coaches’ and players’ perspectives of barriers and facilitators to warm-up at practice and games
Barrier level | Barrier | Representative quotes |
Environmental | Access to gym space/limited time in the gym | “If we are on the road, we don’t always have access to a gym or as much time; we may be waiting for a [Junior Varsity] game to finish.” [coach] “I mean, in the offseason…it’s great that volleyball lets us have that one hour or whatever, but then they’re coming in [to the gym], and we got to get out…it’s not even an hour…I had even mentioned to our [athletic director]…’Man, if we can back volleyball off to 3:15,’ I’m like, ‘That 20 minutes would make a huge difference.” [coach] “So, after the freshman game, then JV plays and then we play, so it’s not like we’re in two different gyms. We’re in the same gym, so we have to wait for their game. I think that’s what affects our warmup time…Because they want to keep everything on schedule.” [player] “Yeah, I think, if I had more time, I think I’d probably lend myself more to exercises, and stretches, and cooldown things at the end. Like I said, a lot of times, you’ll get going into practice, and then, you know, you’re losing track of time. Before you know it, your time is up. The other team is coming in, and you got to get off the floor.” [coach] “And we don’t have that much space to stretch sometimes.” [player] |
Player level | Player invincibility | “…the bottom line is [our players] don’t always take their stretching very seriously…They don’t understand the importance of it as far as helping them to prevent injuries…they think they’re invincible.” [coach] “Because sometimes, no matter what you say to kids, they don’t really understand it until it happens to them. And then they’re like, yeah, I do need to – you know, do my ankle exercises. I do need to drink water. Because they think they’re invincible…” [coach] |
Not taking warm-up seriously | “…some of the kids don’t see the benefit [of warming up] and sometimes they won’t listen.” [coach] “But I feel like when…we get [warm-up] done fast, it’s because the girls are serious, and they actually want to get it done. And then when [it takes longer]…it’s because girls are messing around and they’re not taking it serious.” [player] “I think the team not focusing, a lot of people messing around and stuff [is a challenge]…So, then not really stretching and we’re joking around, makes it hard to focus on the game…warming up and stuff.” [player] | |
Coach level | Competing priorities | “The one thing that we’re going to cut out, if we have a game the next day…is going to be a little bit of the stretches…But we still think that it’s important and we’re trying to figure out how we can incorporate it to make it important every single day.” [coach] “…sometimes time is an issue….this time of our year, at the beginning when we only have 50-55 minutes…spending ten minutes of that…to [warm-up]…I haven’t placed enough priority on doing it…” [coach] “…warmup is probably the last thing…I think about in my thought of what we need to do.” [coach] “…the trade-off is always, okay, we have…all these things on my practice plan…we hope they’re mentally prepared but we don’t always make sure that they’re physically…ready to go…” [coach] |
Lack of knowledge | “I don’t think I do a good enough job of explaining exactly what we’re stretching correctly, of demonstrating…what we’re doing – [the] correct form and all that.” [coach] “But, yeah, if there’s something that I could learn…[that] is time effective and would fit in, I would love to…have it…” [coach] “…everyone has their own opinion on warmups…We all have our own way of doing it, so there’s not like a set thing that we really know works.” [coach] “Again, right now – because I’m so limited in knowledge on it – I would revert back to what we’ve been doing.” [coach] “Now, I will say there are – like I think what I feel like I’m lacking in my warmup…is basketball is a tremendous amount of load on your knees, ankles, back, and hips. It’s unlike any other…So, there are things that we don’t do. Like, okay, so if you’re a basketball player and you’re in…an extreme athletic position, where so much load is on your thighs, your glutes, and your hips. The things I just…described – how much of that is really working on those things?...I have often thought…we need to do more like lateral, defensive-mimicking, dynamic movements to warm up.” [coach] | |
Facilitator level | Facilitator | Representative quotes |
Player level | Past injury experience | “And sometimes, it takes them….I don’t want to say [to] get injured. But to kind of go through a situation where they might have a little bit of an injury and then they learn the importance of recovery. And prevention. Because sometimes, no matter what you say to kids, they don’t really understand it until it happens to them. And then they’re like, ‘Yeah, I do need to…my ankle exercises. I do need to drink water.” [coach] “[I encourage other players to]…take it seriously…I got hurt from not stretching properly. So, I don’t want them to go through what I went through, not being able to play. Because it’s just like sitting on the sidelines and watching everyone else play…I was out like six weeks.” [player] |
Coach level | Coach engagement | “[Coach] puts a big emphasis on it…He makes sure we do it right…you have the right form…Plays close attention to the little details, too…Our coach usually gives a really good explanation, like, “Oh, yeah, this is what it really does,” and what’s it’s working out, and this, or it doesn’t do this or this. He usually explains why we’re doing everything.” [player] “I didn’t care that much…because my [prior] coach didn’t make it seem like a big deal, so I was like, “Why should I care if she doesn’t?”…And then I would, after games, I’d feel very sore in my body and everything felt tight, and it’s because I wouldn’t stretch. And I didn’t realize that because no one told me, and then [Coach X] pretty much, because he put so much emphasis on it, I was like, it’s important.” [player] “…I also feel like it’s mostly the coaches, because they’re the ones who implement the time structures to the practice, like, “We’re doing this for this amount of time.” So, it’s like, if they give us the time to do it, we’re going to do it.” [player] |