The Beginning
SPRING Forward was originally co-founded in May 2020 by Dr. Kathy Vidlock and Catherine Liggett with the goal of providing an organized educational curriculum for adolescent athletes discussing approaches to sustainable eating, exercise, and body image in sport.
The program was largely inspired by similar programs held at the collegiate level, but with a recognized need for similar education with younger athletes as well.
Timeline
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May 2020: program/curriculum developed and initial sessions led with high school athletes in Denver metro area
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2020-2021: pre-post study assessing body image flexibility in female athletes participating in the SPRING Forward 3-session educational program completed and published
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May 2022: SPRING Forward officially established as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in effort to expand outreach
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April 2023: SPRING Forward book published with intention of providing educational background for individuals wishing to lead session amongst their own sport teams
August 2024 - Present: expansion of SPRING Forward’s Board of Directors team, initiative to update social media platforms and website, focus on expanding participant diversity and program accessibility
Book
​The SPRING Forward book was published in April 2023 with Taylor & Francis publishing.
It includes all session manuals, relevant background information and program how-to/s and tips.
The goal in publishing was to increase dissemination of the SPRING Forward curriculum while also ensuring session leaders have the appropriate education and knowledge base to discuss the content covered in the program with youth athletes.
Research
In an effort to assess the efficacy of the SPRING Forward educational program, our team completed a prospective cohort study looking at body image flexibility prior to and following completion of the 3-session version of the SPRING Forward curriculum.
Body image flexibility was assessed using a previously validated survey called the BI-AAQ (Body Image - Acceptance and Action) - this survey was administered prior to and following participation of athletes in the SPRING Forward curriculum. Overall scores on the BI-AAQ improved from 43.6 prior to participation in the SPRING Forward curriculum to 54.1 following completion of the SPRING Forward curriculum. This difference was statistically significant with a p-value <0.01 meaning the results of this study were unlikely to be caused by chance alone and thus are of significant value.
The above research was completed using the 3-session curricular model of SPRING Forward. In this version, athletes participated in three 1-hour sessions throughout their sport season. This model was initially selected as similar programs held at the collegiate level follow the 3-session design.
Following publication of the research project, we updated the curriculum to a single session that is 2 hours long as we discovered many athletes were unable to attend three separate sessions throughout their athletic season. To keep with our goal to ensure the program was accessible, we condensed the program with the aim of increasing program participation rates.
There is a need to complete updated research on the efficacy of the single session SPRING Forward program in addition to assessment of expanded outcome measures beyond body image flexibility.
Future
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Continue to lead sessions with athletes including options for virtual sessions to increase outreach
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Research on the updated single session SPRING Forward curriculum including expanded outcome measures, long-term retention, and a more diverse participant population
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Updated book with newly modified curriculum and updated research/understanding surrounding female athlete health and performance
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Continue to create online, freely accessible information for female athletes, coaches, and healthcare providers
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Expand the diversity of participants in our program and Board of Directors