Hansen AP Research Project
Blog Post #2
Introduction
My research project aims to analyze various potential factors that could lead to ACL tears in female soccer players, with a specific focus on the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) players. There has been a growing awareness of the prevalence of ACL tears among women soccer players, which has become increasingly evident across different age groups. However, as the popularity of women’s soccer continues to rise, more attention has been drawn to this anomaly. More women’s soccer players have found their voices and demanded action to address this issue. My objective is to identify the variables that put these players at risk and provide insights that can spur action in preventing ACL tears. By gaining a clearer understanding of the mechanisms behind these injuries, we can encourage more individuals to take action and contribute to positive change in the sport.
Progress
The exciting things in my research journey have been getting to nearly 100 players who have torn their ACL. I would say the amount of people I am getting is going well because I should have a well-rounded data collection that will allow me to analyze variables in a very reliable way.
Challenges & Problem-Solving
A struggle I have is making sure I keep some order or format to my research process. I sometimes venture into different directions after getting a breakthrough and finding a list of players who have torn their ACL in a certain year. It is most important that once I complete my data collection for those players, I come back to where I once was so I can continue down a list just to make sure I do not miss anyone. Another struggle is making sure I get all the variables since there are many to keep track of for each player. It is important that I find all the information to make it as accurate as possible. I have learned how to pace myself when finding players and making sure I slow down when needed so I can gather all the information I need for each player.
Visual Documentation
Collected Data Highlights
There have not been a bunch of trends that I have noticed as I am collecting data. One thing I did catch is that there is a ranking I believe the ACL percentage is based upon a player's position. This includes: forwards, then defenders, then midfielders. If this result stands, it would be surprising because even though this type of injury is non-contact, midfielders tend to have to change direction most quickly and in small spaces. I expected them to have the highest percentage based on the field position and job on and off the ball.
Reflection
I have learned that the variables that may be impacting an NWSL player's chances of tearing their ACL are a lot closer than I expected. There are no obvious outliers yet. The results will most likely be close, and there may be overlap that demonstrates how this is an issue that may need to be tackled in a few ways because there are multiple causes.