Brazil’s forward Neymar is carried on a stretcher after being injured during the quarter-final football match between Brazil and Colombia (Getty Images)
It’s no secret that injuries are common in athletics. That said, not all injuries are the same. Each requires its own amount of recovery time, physical therapy, and caution regarding activity. Athletes are the most prone to injuries as they are always exerting their bodies in various ways to the maximum for their sports; thus, they deal with injuries much more than non-athletes. However, the point of this article isn’t to give facts about injuries or talk about the pain they cause. It is about something much more serious: mental health struggles during injuries are some of the hardest things that any athlete will face.
For most athletes, their sport is their passion, their life, and their goals. Their sport is where they meet their friends, it is what they do in their free time, and it’s been a pillar in their life since a very young age. To have that snatched away from them for varying lengths of time can be a significant hit to any athlete’s mental health. A member of the soccer program, Lohkoah Paye ’25, has been nursing a groin injury since November and just made his return to the field this past weekend. On the topic of injury, Paye said “Those injured months were some of the hardest I’ve been through. Soccer is my life and to lose that was really tough. I saw all my friends having fun on the field and I just had to sit by and watch.” I have also dealt with lengthy injuries in the past, so I knew how he was feeling, but I still couldn’t figure out the best way to deal with these struggles.
In order to figure out the best way to stay out of the depressive slump that follows injuries for athletes, I decided to speak to Northwood’s own psychologist, Mrs. Wright. We discussed how friends, passion for the sport, and routine all play a role in these feelings of sadness that come with these obstacles, and in the end, she was able to provide me with a list of strategies for athletes to help themselves during these trying times.
Notes on how physical injury affects the mental state:
- After an athletic injury, mental recovery is something that is extremely important but often overlooked.
- Even when fully cleared, athletes may be understandably focused on how the injury occurred, whether it could occur again, and subconsciously hesitant in their sport as a result. This can result in slower decision-making, momentarily freezing up when faced with a situation similar to the one in which they were injured, or even finding they are feeling less passionate about their sport overall. This can be particularly evident when an athlete experiences a significant injury for the first time. The feelings of being confident in their body and ability are challenged by the concept that injury can (and did) happen to them.
- There is also a tremendous social aspect to physical athletic injury, during which an injured player may feel more isolated, left out, and disconnected from their teammates.
Tips on how to rehabilitate your mental state while rehabilitating physically:
- Focus on your “self-talk” – those little doubts inside your head. Pay attention to these thoughts and how they may differ from your thoughts pre-injury. When those doubts pop up, counter them with facts. For example, if your self-talk keeps telling you, “I don’t want to get hurt again,” you can counter it with, “I’ve played hockey for 10 years and was injured once. Using that math, I got injured once in 3,650 days of playing. It is very unlikely an injury will occur again anytime soon.”
- Talk with the adults in our community – your coaches, Nurses Marge, Donny, your advisor, and Mrs. Wright. These adults have lots of experience with their own injuries and with helping others. It is important to share how you’re feeling and not let your worries stay bottled up inside.
- Create positive imagery – to reduce replaying the injury in your head, imagine past scenarios from your sport. Make a plan to replay these positive scenarios in your mind once per day. Imagine yourself in a positive athletic scenario in the future – stopping a goal, scoring or assisting a goal, pushing off a ski jump and landing smoothly, achieving a smooth figure skating landing, hitting every ski gate, landing a perfect 360 off a rail, or looking up at an ice climb you just completed. While you are working to build new experiences and memories of positive experiences post-injury, this “future imagery” can help to keep your focus on future achievements instead of the injury.
Injuries are one of the most common things in athletics, and unfortunately, there is no way to prevent them completely. However, when you are injured, there are ways you can ensure that your mental health is good and your recovery is quick. Injuries can be tough, especially in the minds of athletes, but by acknowledging these issues and doubts that come with the trouble, athletes can progress past the mental block. Injuries can take athletes out for very long periods, but with a good support system and positive techniques, athletes can get back to the field quicker, with a new strength to their life on and off the field.