What Relationship Exists between Male Early-adolescent Ice Hockey Players' Beliefs about Aggression and Injuries and Penalty Minutes?

More than 30 million individuals between the ages of 6 and 21 are involved in non­ scholastic sports activities and this has lead to an increase in injuries. One of the most common sports for injury is ice hockey. Even though critical rules and regulations are established, injuries still occur. Penalty minutes are assigned for the breach of the rules and regulations. The male early-adolescent belief about aggression may present a risk factor for injuries and penalty minutes. The purpose of this research project is to identify if a relationship exits between the beliefs about aggression of early-adolescent male ice hockey players and penalty minutes and injuries while engaged in game participation. The theoretical framework for this study was L. R. Huesmann’s social cognitive theory. According to this theory, the adolescent reacts to a certain environmental cue by retrieving scripts called normative beliefs that are either acceptable or unacceptable. The method used for the study was a convenience sample of male early-adolescent ice hockey players. The setting was a local ice rink in mid-Michigan. Permission was obtained from the parents of the participants. Demographic data were collected regarding age, grade, level of play and positions. Injuries were self-reported by the ice hockey player and data were collected from coaches regarding penalty minutes on 30 players. The responding coaches were asked the type of coaching style whether North American style or European. There were a total of 53 male early-adolescents between the ages of 12-14 who responded to recruitment and answered the Normative Beliefs About Aggression Scale (NOBAGS). One adolescent was removed from the sample who because of female gender, resulting in a sample size n=53. All of the testing was performed at one local ice hockey rink. The mean age of the male early-adolescent ice hockey players in this study was 12.75 years (SD=.76). The average grade was 7th (range 6th -9 th grade). More Bantam (n=40) ice hockey players responded to the questionnaire than Peewee (n=10) or Midget (n=3). Left or right wings were the position most represented in the study (n=24 or 45.3%). Defensemen were second with n=18 or 34.0%, centers were third (n=8 or 15 %) and goalies were last (n=3 or 5.7%). The coaching style (n = 3 coaches) was 100% North American style. A Pearson’s r was used to correlate the subscales, general approval of aggression, (GENAPAG), approval of retaliation of aggression (APPRETAG), and total approval of aggression (TOTAPPAG) of the NOBAGS questionnaire with the number of injuries and penalty minutes. The results found no significant difference between the subscales, GENAPAG p= . 390, 122, APPRETAG p= . 772, r=. 772, and TOTAPPAG p= . 565, r=. 565 and injuries. The results support a significant correlation between the beliefs of aggression and penalty minutes (GENAPAG p=.000 r=.693, APPRETAG p= .030, r=391, and TOTAPPAG p= .001, r= .570). In practice, the nurse practitioner (NP) may utilize information regarding prevention of both injuries and unintentional injuries in the male early-adolescent and understand the role aggression may play. The NP in the role of an educator may provide these interventions at the primary care setting or offer teachings at the ice hockey rink. TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. i. ABSTRACT. ii-iii. LIST OF TABLES.vi. LIST OF FIGURES. vii. LIST OF APPENDICES. viii. CHAPTER