Engaging Teenage Grassroots Soccer Players in Sports-Related Concussion Education

Sports-Related Concussion (SRC) presents potentially significant risks, particularly for teenage grassroots soccer players. Education is frequently proposed as a solution to address these risks; however, the effectiveness of educational interventions remains unproven, particularly for this demographic. This study aimed to explore how grassroots players' learning preferences can inform the design of educational interventions to mitigate SRC risks.

An applied qualitative research design using Framework Analysis was employed to explore the lived experiences of 20 participants (15 males, 5 females) aged 14-18 years from a grassroots soccer club in an inner-city UK setting. Focus groups were conducted to investigate learning preferences, delivery modes and engagement with SRC education. Analysis was informed by phenomenological principles to attend to participants' lived learning experiences.

Two overarching themes were identified from the analysis: sources of information and learning approaches. Participants predominantly accessed SRC information through short-form video platforms, particularly TikTok and Instagram, highlighting the importance of familiarity and digital engagement. They expressed a preference for short, structured lessons, which may align with principles of cognitive load management and spaced learning. Hands-on, visually supported instruction was favoured over didactic formats, aligning with experiential and multimedia learning perspectives. Message credibility was central; participants indicated that information was more likely to be accepted when delivered by trusted figures such as elite athletes or peers with lived experience of SRC, underscoring the social dimensions of learning.

The findings suggest that SRC education for teenage grassroots soccer players could incorporate short, structured sessions; interactive and practical approaches; online quizzes, and the use of social media platforms and relatable information sources. The study points toward the value of co-design with young athletes when developing contextually relevant educational approaches. However, as the research was conducted within a single grassroots soccer club, these design considerations should be interpreted as provisional and may not transfer directly across broader grassroots sporting environments. Further research is required to evaluate these approaches in practice.

Teenage grassroots soccer players were actively involved throughout the study. Participants contributed to intervention development by sharing learning preferences and experiences that informed structure, content and delivery methods. This participatory focus group approach helped to ensure that potential interventions reflected the target group's learning preferences. Public input was instrumental in shaping practical recommendations for SRC interventions and addressing historical limitations of SRC awareness programmes.