The HAPPY concept mapping study: "To prevent injuries in young handball players it's important to…" - Perceptions among stakeholders.

Objectives: This study aimed to identify facilitators for implementing injury prevention initiatives in youth handball, and to assess stakeholders' perceptions of their importance and feasibility.

Design: Mixed-method concept mapping study.

Methods: Four stakeholder groups - coaches, administrators, health staff and players - participated in this mixed-method concept mapping study. Participants (n = 224; 19 % coaches, 22 % health staff, 63 % players, 18 % administrators) first provided statements about facilitators for implementing injury prevention initiatives in youth handball, then thematically grouped them (n = 47), before rating them (n = 57) for importance and feasibility (5-point Likert scales). Stakeholder-specific cluster maps and Go-Zone scatter plots were created. Statements rated above average for both importance and feasibility were considered as prioritized (Go-Zone 1).

Results: 87 unique statements were generated during brainstorming. Multidimensional scaling and hierarchical cluster analysis resulted in similar sorting data clustering patterns for coaches, health staff, and administrators, which included federation strategies, club strategies, and coach and athlete education/knowledge. All clusters were rated >3 on average ratings of importance by all stakeholder groups. Six statements were in Go-Zone 1 for all stakeholder groups, including three statements about coach knowledge and education. Players' importance and feasibility ratings had limited overlap with other stakeholder groups' Go-Zone 1 statements. Players' Go-Zone 1 statements mainly addressed individual load management and practical training setup.

Conclusions: Coach knowledge and education, alongside collaboration among stakeholder groups, are essential when implementing injury prevention initiatives in youth handball. Stakeholder groups have varying perspectives, underscoring the importance of understanding and addressing these diverse viewpoints when implementing injury prevention initiatives in youth handball.