Injured Athletes
Injured Athletes
Coping With Athletic Injury – A Program For Injured Athletes
Injury is unfortunately a large risk with competitive athletics. Most elite athletes have experienced some form of physical injury during their athletic career. Minor injuries can be a nuisance but won’t necessarily affect performance. When injuries are more severe, they can directly impact athletic performance. When an athlete is “sidelined,” they can lose the opportunity to develop their skills physically, they can lose strength and endurance, they can become isolated and disconnected from teammates and frequently find it difficult to return to the level they played pre-injury.
While athletic injury will limit the time you have to prepare physically, it can create an opportunity to learn and practice mental skills to improve one’s mindset. This is the difference between a good athlete and a champion. Having this knowledge will directly help with continued development, injury recovery, attitude and management of emotions related to injury rehabilitation. This will translate to improved athletic performance and enjoyment upon return to play.
This program was initially developed to support athletes who have sustained significant setbacks that prevent competition or limit recovery. However, it is also important for any competitor looking to improve and be prepared in the unfortunate event of an athletic injury.