But experiencing an injury is not always as negative as we first think. We have such a negative outlook on injuries because we only perceive the worst kind of injuries as the most common – we get this negative perception from emotional news articles, movies, and tv shows. But scientific research about sport injuries actually tell us that athletes experience four outcomes from an injury: 1) the athlete never returns to sport (in the worst case scenarios) 2) the athlete is able to return to sport but with some impairments as a result of the injury 3) the athlete returns to their same level of functionality pre-injury and 4) the athlete surpasses their ability post-injury (Wadey, Clark, Podlog, & McCullough, 2013). As you can see, the majority of athletes are able to return to their sport which debunks the myth that most injuries are the “career-ending” type of injury that are publicized!
In addition to just returning to their sport, a lot of athletes can actually benefit from their injury as well. We typically see injuries as something that just wastes an athlete’s time or cause them to get out of shape or allow their teammates and opponents to surpass them in skill level. While this may be the case for some athletes, other athletes use their recovery time to better themselves mentally and physically.
Our mindset coaches have compiled a list to help you see the ways that you can improve yourself while you’re injured:
1- Improve Nutrition
2- Better Sleep Habits
3- Mindset Training
4- Video Review
5- Flexibility Training
6- Reading
7- Self-reflection
8- Active rest and recovery
9- Renewed excitement for the sport
10- Talk with coaches and mentors
As you can see, even though you can’t completely participate in your sport physically, there are still a lot of ways that you can improve yourself, your health, your mental state, and your outlook toward the future!
In fact, I completed my Master’s program with a dissertation about how athletes experience growth following a sports-related injury. My findings were very interesting because, of course, I spoke with a lot of athletes that did not recover well from their injury; however, I also spoke with a lot of athletes that did actually experience a lot of positive growth following their injury. To summarize my findings, the athletes who recovered well from their injuries were able to mentally process their situation – they understood there was a bigger plan for them, they did not foster a lot of blame toward themselves or others, and they did not allow the injury to make them question their identity or purpose. On the other hand, athletes who did not recover well did the opposite of these things.
In summary – yes, an injury can mean the end of your sporting career. Yes, an injury can mean you “miss out” on a whole season of volleyball. Yes, an injury can mean that your teammates and opponents now have a leg up on you. BUT – an injury doesn’t have to mean all those things. Instead, an injury can also mean that you have a new opportunity to grow, to further appreciate your sport, and potentially return to your sport even better than you were pre-injury! Use our tips and this information to ensure that an injury means you’ll become a better athlete!
Wadey, R., Clark, S., Podlog, L., & McCullough, D. (2013). Coaches’ perceptions of athletes’ stress-related growth following sport injury. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 14(2), 125-135.