Evaluation of workshops to improve communication and knowledge about the menstrual cycle among European footballers
Résumé
Conversations about the menstrual cycle and hormonal contraception between the coach and athlete have been found to be lacking (Solli et al., 2020), hindered by feelings of shame and secrecy (Brown & Knight, 2022; Verhoef et al., 2021), insufficient knowledge and a lack of opportunity for structured discourse (Höök et al., 2021), as well as being dependent on the strength of the athlete-coach relationship (Brown et al., 2021; Höök et al., 2021). Communication may be improved through increased knowledge on how changes in ovarian hormones can affect performance, training and health (Forsyth et al., 2022). This study was part of an Erasmus+-funded project, “European Women in Sport (E-Wins)” and consisted of two phases. The aim of the first phase, was to gather good practices in women’s football across six European countries regarding communication related to the menstrual cycle; these findings have been published (Forsyth et al., 2022). The second phase was to use these good practices to implement change, through delivery of structured educational workshops, which would then be evaluated. The aim of the evaluation was to explore how and if participants felt the workshops had improved their awareness and knowledge about the menstrual cycle, whether and how communication between the players and coaches had changed, and whether any changes had been implemented at the club, in light of the workshops. The study was set within an interpretivist paradigm, underpinned by a relativist ontology in which reality is viewed as multiple. This was alongside a constructionist epistemology of knowledge being socially constructed.
To collect the initial data, a mixed-methods’ approach was used, which included quantitative analysis of survey data (completed by 1,129 adults, approximately 77% female), content analysis of open-text survey responses, and reflexive thematic analysis of focus group and interview data (49 women, 12 men). Data were collected from footballers, coaches, managers and administrators from grassroots to elite level. The data collected informed the development of three face-to-face workshops and embedded tools/activities, which were delivered to players and coaches in 15 football clubs within the six countries. Footballers and coaches, who attended the workshops, were then invited to provide their feedback about the workshops through focus groups. Data from focus groups are currently being analysed thematically. From initial observations, participants felt that they had improved their knowledge on unfamiliar topics, which had enabled them to communicate more openly with others. There was, however, still some hesitancy in discussion of sensitive topics, being dependent on who was part of the whole-club discussions. Based on the early stages of data collected, it was also felt that buy-in from coaches and the team captain was important in ensuring that a whole-club strategy was implemented.