Injuries are the low points of athletes’ careers. Beyond the physical effects of an injury – pain, restricted movement, loss of strength – there are layers to the psychological effects. Athletes are creatures of habit and routine. They get used to the patterns of practice, training, competition, and downtime. Socializing is built into their lives because they’re around their teammates, coaches, trainers, etc., regularly. Whether they enjoy all of these aspects of their sport or not, they are accustomed to them. An injury causes almost all of these to come to a screeching halt. The change in routine alone can cause psychological stress, not to mention the cascade of other challenges that can arise.
Feeling isolated from the team, not belonging in the same way, and not receiving the same amount of attention from coaches and teammates can be very difficult to manage. Injured athletes often feel a lack of purpose – they are no longer training with the team, looking forward to the next game, or seeing their gains in the weight room. Most athletes who play at a high-level experience a loss of identity if they get a significant injury. They have lost their identity as an athlete (at least in the short/medium term), which is a big part of how they define themselves. This can be disorienting and uncomfortable. Injured athletes often feel guilty – like they’re letting their team down or worry that their teammates don’t believe that they are injured as they say they are. These feelings can cause an athlete to withdraw from the team even more, compounding the issue.
Fear of reinjury is an understandable experience as athletes heal and start to transition back to playing. Even when their injury is fully healed and their body is ready to play, this fear may get in the way of their ability to perform. The fear of reinjury can cause tension in muscles (guarding), elevated heart rate, shorter breathing, favoring different muscles/movements, and decreased flexibility. These are all normal responses to fear but can be problematic for an athlete trying to attain their previous level of performance.
Stay tuned for my next post about what injured athletes, coaches, trainers, and parents of athletes can do to help mitigate these negative effects and even find positive and empowering aspects of the experience of coming back from an injury.