Date of Award
7-2006
Degree Name
Master of Arts
Department
Human Performance and Health Education
Access Setting
Masters Thesis-Campus Only
Abstract
With the popularity and participation of soccer, the focus on the proper use, beliefs, and effectiveness of shin guards by players has become an important topic with minimal information available. Therefore, a survey was developed to examine collegiate soccer players' beliefs and attitudes on the use of soccer shin guards. A 29 question survey was developed to evaluate the usage, beliefs, and attitudes that Division III collegiate soccer players within the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) conference have towards soccer shin guards. Three hundred and thirty five (88%) players responded to the questionnaires with 320 (83%) usable questionnaires. Fifty one percentage (n=70) of the male players reported wearing junior size shin guards compared to 58% (n=107) for the women wearing the same size. A chi-square test demonstrated a significant relationship between gender and preference for shin guards with ankle protectors (X2 =60.40, P= .000). The mean attitudinal score was 38.12 (± 5.80) indicating an overall positive attitude toward shin guards. Results suggested that female soccer players (39.60 ± 5.46) have a more positive attitude towards shin guard usage compared to male players (36.14 ± 5.69). These results showed the need for more educational intervention and information for proper size and wearing of shin guards among collegiate soccer players and better shin guard enforcement during practices.
Recommended Citation
Reuter, Aimee, "Attitudes, Beliefs, and Appropriate Shin Guard Usage in Division III Collegiate Soccer" (2006). Masters Theses. 3487.
https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/masters_theses/3487