How do you keep moving forward in a sport after coming back from an injury?

In any athlete’s career, signing up for that sport is basically signing up to get injured at some point. The strenuous work an individual puts on their body by going to two hour long practices, having tournaments multiple days in a row, going to weight training, and getting minimal rest in between each event is a big part of that factor. Clearly no athlete wants to get injured, but sometimes it does happen. Getting injured can be from the most tragic event or clumsy incident, but in either sense it still causes that athlete to not participate in their sport for a period of time. Whether the time be a week or three months, not keeping up with the athletic schedule can have major setbacks. These setbacks are not only physical, but also mental and emotional. Being injured can feel like a long process, but what truly matters is how you come back after that injury.

After an injury, starting back up can be very nerve wracking and someone may feel like they have a lot of pressure on themselves to prove that nothing has changed. Unfortunately, various factors have changed after an athlete comes back. For starters, they most likely will lack the confidence it takes to excel in the sport. Depending on how one injures themselves, they tend to overthink every play or movement in order to avoid any type of pain. What most people don’t know is that thinking of the pain is just a gateway for your body to start causing that pain to happen. So, focus on the task at hand and block out the negativity. Many players will be self conscious about their injury that causes them to not play as hard, give less than 100% effort, or even play scared. Allowing your body to trust itself to go back to its old ways is the best thing an individual can do. It will take time to gain back the confidence someone once had, but constantly having the pain of the injury in the back of one’s head is not the way to accomplish that.

Another big mental part of coming back from an injury is overthinking and doubting themselves. On the field, in the dugout, or completely off the field, an athlete will always be thinking about something. One of the most common thoughts for athletes coming back from an injury is related to their performance and comparing the skills they once had to now. Yet, an individual must understand that doing this only makes the situation worse. Hard work and motivation will get an athlete back to the status they once were, not having a negative mindset and comparing themselves to irrelevant things. In relation to this, it is hard for an individual to stay motivated when the odds are against them. The physical, mental, and emotional factors that allow an athlete to be successful can just as easily cause them to fail. This is because it is easy for an individual to fall into a completely unmotivated and degrading way of thinking and feeling. The hard part is staying positive and encouraging oneself to keep trying. So, an individual must use the support system around them, strive further toward their goals, and remember why they love the sport in order to aid them in reaching the athletic level they once were at.

A final roadblock is the athlete comprehending that taking the time to ease back into things is extremely important. Any athlete may already feel behind when coming back, but pushing oneself to the same skill set they once were at is not beneficial. Instead, it could end up hurting that player more. Taking each practice or game one step at a time will soon allow an individual to work at the same intensity level they once were at. This, possibly long, process is not going to be easy. It may even cause someone to question continuing to play the sport they love. However, looking back on their career, realizing how far they have come, and looking to see how far they can go shouldn’t be discouraged by an injury. Building up the strength and confidence for an athlete will eventually guide them to be a greater player than they once were.