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Introduction: The starting point for this thesis was prior research indicating that young, ambitious athletes may be at increased risk of health- and load-related challenges, including injury, illness, and inadequate recovery. Against this background, Prep to be PRO was developed in close collaboration with Norwegian sports schools as an overall health supportive- and development-oriented programme aimed at strengthening students' capacity to safeguard their own health, make informed decisions, and develop as athletes over time.
Methods: The programme was developed and evaluated through a four-year development process from 2019 to 2023. The studies employed a descriptive retrospective design, a mixed methods case study, and questionnaire data, grounded in the TRIPP, RE-AIM SSM, and implementation quality frameworks. The data material included contributions from sports schools, coaches, athletes, school leaders, and other stakeholders through workshops, focus groups, field observations, and survey evaluations.
Main Results: The school leaders, coaches and other key stakeholders considered Prep to be PRO relevant, useful, and suitable for implementation in Norwegian sports schools. The programme comprised modules related to performance training, growth and maturation, critical periods, load management, total load, recovery, nutrition, and sport psychology. Key facilitators of implementation were perceived relevance, coach training, leadership anchoring, and feedback systems. Important barriers included limited time and resources, varying levels of coach preparedness, and tensions between standardisation and the need for local adaptations.
Conclusions: Overall, the findings indicate that Prep to be PRO provides a relevant, practicefocused framework that supports overall health and athlete development over time in Norwegian sports schools. The programme appears to strengthen students´ capacity to safeguard their own health, make informed decisions, and develop as athletes over time. At the same time, the results underscore the importance of sustained implementation support, clear leadership anchoring, involvement of parents and support personnel, and further research on implementation quality and the programme's long-term effects.
