COPING STRATEGIES FOR ATHLETES

1. Allow yourself to be sad. It is ok to mourn and to feel a sense of loss for what you are experiencing. Attempting to be ‘tough’ or ‘macho’ is only a waste of energy. But, it is also dangerous to be sad and depressed for an extended period of time. Allowing yourself adequate time to mourn is a necessary process of healing. So, be sad, and then move on.

2. Deal with it. Don’t think about all the ‘could a beens’ and ‘should a beens’ instead focus on what IS. Wishing and hoping will not change reality. Your reality now is that you ARE injured, and you have to deal with it.

3. Set GOALS  for yourself. Set goals in your recovery process as well as in other aspects of your life. Sustaining an injury can leave you more time to pursue other things that you may be interested in. You may have more time to focus on your studies, or to spend time with friends and family. Goals help to keep you motivated and ensure that you stay focused. Being injured allows plenty of opportunities to develop new goals. Don’t think about your old goals until you’ve achieved all of your new goals. 

4. Maintain a positive attitude. Try to stay positive. A positive, optimistic outlook can help to speed up the healing process and to lessen the emotional pain. Thinking negatively doesn’t do anyone any good, and will not only discourage yourself, but also those around you. 

5. Take an active role in your recovery. Work as hard at your rehabilitation as you did in your sport. Don’t cut corners, and follow your medical teams’ advice. Develop your mental skills. Use Imagery, Deep Breathing, and Progressive Relaxation to facilitate your return to sport.

6. Continue to practice and work out. If your injury allows you to continue any of your training or conditioning, be sure to do so. Practice your mental Imagery, and feel, hear, and see yourself performing successfully in your sport. Continue to go to practice so that you will be able to catch up more quickly when you make your return to sport.

7. Seek out the support of your teammates. Participate in team functions and activities. Do not isolate yourself. Many of your friends are probably on the team, and now is not the time to separate yourself from them. 

8. Think about the life skills you have learned by playing on a team and how you can apply them to the rest of your life. If your injury forces you to retire from your selected sport, think about the many wonderful experiences and skills that you have developed by playing on a team such as: dedication, commitment, persistence, motivation, and time management,. Think about how you can apply these skills to your life outside of sport, and then pursue a new challenge that will allow you to apply these skills that you have already mastered.


9. If necessary, speak to a counselor. If you continue to be depressed for an extended period of time, lose interest in other things that used to excite you, notice that your sleep or eating patterns change, or have suicidal thoughts, seek professional help. Your athletic trainer can refer you to a qualified professional. Seeking help is not a sign of weakness, it is a sign of strength.

10. Be patient. Don’t be over anxious to get back to your sport. Don’t push your recovery or your rehabilitation. Allow your body time to heal. Rushing a return to sport can often mean re-injury, which would keep you out of sport for even longer. Listen to your medical staff, and arrive back to your sport fully healed, and confident in your rehabilitation and recovery process.