The Gendered FIELD

Exploring environmental influences on the 'gendering' of girls' sports injuries

The Issue

Girls and women experience ACL injuries at significantly higher rates than boys and men, particularly during adolescence. Research seeking to explain this disparity has traditionally focused on individual-level factors, particularly biological and biomechanical characteristics such as anatomy, movement patterns, and hormonal influences. Despite decades of research and the development of numerous injury-prevention programs, ACL injury rates among women and girls remain persistently high.

Why does this matter?

An alternative perspective is that injury risk may also be influenced by the broader sport environment. Gendered norms, expectations, and practices within sport can shape athletes' opportunities, training conditions, access to resources, and pathways through sport. As these environmental factors are socially constructed and modifiable, they represent an important opportunity for injury prevention.

Project Aims

To explore how gendered sport environments may create the conditions for increased ACL injury risk for girls during their adolescent sport development (aged 11-16 years) phase

Specific Objectives

Characterize how gender may be socially and materially embedded in Sport Manitoba girls’ lacrosse, baseball, and football environments.
Describe possible connections between gendered aspects of Sport Manitoba girls’ lacrosse, baseball, and football environments and known ACL injury risk factors.
Translate the findings into an evidence-based online coaching educational resource to address the social, cultural, and structural components of Sport Manitoba girls’ lacrosse, baseball, and football environments.