Associate professor Diane Wiese-Bjornstal, was mentioned in a Minnesota Daily article, “Coaches’ role addressing injuries shifts with times.”  The article provides a brief summary of Dr. Wiese-Bjornstal’s presentation at Friday’s 2015 Women Coaches Symposium sponsored by the Tucker Center. Dr. Wiese-Bjornstal discusses her research, describing how an athlete’s surroundings plays a role in handling injuries as well as how addressing an athlete’s injury has changed over time. She stated, “The culture of sport we have now, especially at the more elite levels, seems to overemphasize performance and underemphasize health.”

Results of Dr. Wiese-Bjornstal’s research suggest that fewer injuries happen within a positive and open team culture and when a player continues to be an active participant in the team’s culture despite being injured.  Some University of Minnesota coaches are engaging in this practice and Dr. Wiese-Bjornstal is continuing to advocate for the education of coaches to monitor their injured athletes.