WISSQ Tool

What is the WISSQ?

The Wisconsin Sport Specialization Questionnaire (WISSQ) is a validated patient-reported outcome tool to measure levels of specialization among high school athletes.

Who should use the WISSQ?

The WISSQ is intended for use by athletes aged 14-18 and should be completed by the athletes themselves for accurate results. A similar tool is currently under development for athletes under 14 years old.

How do I interpret my scores?

Athletes will receive four scores after completing the questionnaire. All scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating higher specialization. The overall score provides an indication of an athlete’s overall level of sport specialization, whereas the three sub-domain scores indicate an athlete’s level of specialization as it relates to physical, motivational, and social aspects of sport participation.

The tool is intentionally designed on a continuous scale to accommodate nuanced sport participation profiles, and at this time there are no relevant cut-points to categorize athletes into levels of specialization. It is recommended that an athlete’s specialization scores be considered alongside measures of their sport participation volume and intensity when assessing the impact of specialization on athletes’ health and well-being.