Playing through the Pain: A University-Based Study of Sports Injury

This paper presents findings from a survey that assessed university students’ opinions about sports injury. Specifically, the paper seeks to understand whether university students who participate in sports at different levels would choose to participate while injured, and who or what influences these decisions. An online survey was administered to 275 university students. Results indicate that the concept of the “sports ethic” was a major determinant in respondents’ reported willingness to play through injuries. The sports ethic influenced participants at all levels of sport (casual, amateur, and professional). We suggest that once the sports ethic is internalized, it may counter the potential buffering capacity of injury prevention programs. The implications of these findings for injury prevention education are assessed.