A Qualitative Assessment of Return to Sport in Collegiate Athletes: Does Gender Matter?

Participation of female athletes in collegiate athletics continues to rise, but there remains a significant underrepresentation of this growth in the literature and lack of knowledge regarding the impact of gender on the college athlete experience. Our goal was to explore how collegiate female and male athletes perceive and approach return to sport after orthopaedic surgery.

Semi-structured, open-ended interviews were conducted with collegiate varsity athletes from a single institution who underwent orthopaedic surgery following injury with at least two years follow-up. Athletes were asked about factors influencing recovery, rehabilitation, and their return to or retirement from sport. Codes, categories, and themes were derived within and across genders.

Fifteen athletes (six females and nine males) were interviewed individually. Athletes shared similar experiences following injury, citing similar motivations driving them back to sport. Athletes stressed the importance of the athlete role to their identity regardless of gender. Our analysis revealed two gender-related challenges: male athletes commonly felt weight change was a barrier to successful recovery and often led to self-consciousness; while females expressed frustrations in lack of empathy from those they turned to for support.

Female and male athletes shared some common supporting and challenging factors in return to sport following orthopaedic surgery. The most important findings of the present study were the differentiated challenges male versus female athletes experienced. Female athletes found difficulty with interpersonal relationships and external support, while male athletes struggled internally with their own body image and changing self-concept. This qualitative study provides a nuanced look at the experience of varsity athletes returning to sport following surgery. An understanding of the gendered experiences of collegiate athletes is critical to ensure all athletes in this unique population are supported as they cope with injury and seek to return to sport.