Colliding skillfully: preparing female athletes for collision events

Collisions and physical contact with other athletes, or the playing environment, are <br/>fundamental aspects of many sports. These can result from intentional high-impact actions (e.g. <br/>tackling in rugby, throws in judo), and/or incidental actions (e.g. contesting an aerial challenge <br/>in netball, blocking a ball in football). With the unprecedented growth and professionalisation <br/>of women's sports that include collision events, the physical and mental demands on female <br/>athletes have significantly increased. Female athletes should be empowered and supported to <br/>perform contact sports well, with appropriate skill and physical/mental preparation. We <br/>question whether the collective sports community (e.g., coaches, strength and conditioning <br/>professionals, sports scientists, and sport and exercise medicine practitioners) is adequately <br/>preparing female athletes for collisions in sports, or whether a gendered sports environment<br/>(1) may be holding them back from necessary preparation? The editorial presents contempor