Boredom and self-control in adolescent athletes: preventing non-contact mechanical fatigue-related anterior cruciate ligament injuries, a commentary.

Introduction or background: Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries from the accumulated micro-trauma that precedes non-contact mechanical fatigue-related failure in adolescent athletes are increasing. This commentary aims to increase the understanding about how boredom may provide a self-control development stimulus which, in addition to modified sport training, may decrease non-contact ACL injuries.

Sources of data: PubMed, Google Scholar.

Areas of agreement: With improved ACL load monitoring and less frequent use of rigid, unchanging practice tasks, the incidence of these injuries should decrease.

Areas of controversy: Because of boredom, however, adolescent athletes may continue to over train, not complying with neuromuscular control and active rest and recovery activities.

Growing points: This dilemma provides an opportunity to enhance adolescent athlete self-control through adjusted coaching and training strategies using guided autonomy to increase injury prevention program efficacy through improved compliance. In addition to greater global physical, mental, and behavioral health development, improved self-control may also benefit the classroom.

Areas timely for developing research: The conceptual theory that follows should be tested for these context-specific self-control examples: (i) improved compliance with neuromuscular control training, active rest and recovery interventions; (ii) better adherence to modified sports training program intensity, frequency and total volume; and (iii) decreased non-contact, mechanical fatigue-related ACL injury rates.