What is the WISSQ?
This Wisconsin Sport Specialization Questionnaire (WISSQ) is a validated patient-reported outcome tool to measure levels of specialization in high school athletes.
Who should use the WISSQ?
The WISSQ is intended for use in athletes 14-18 years of age and should be self-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 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 developed on a continuous scale to allow for nuanced sport participation profiles, and at this time there are no relevant cut-points to categorize athletes into categorical levels of specialization. It is recommended that an athlete’s specialization scores are considered alongside measures of their sport participation volume and intensity when understanding the impact of specialization on athlete health and well-being.