Being a college athlete, you’ve made it. You were the best on your team at some point. Your entire identity has been an athlete your entire life. Some injuries take up to a year to recover and you’re not promised to be at the same level as when you left. The first few practices after an injury of that nature is almost embarrassing. You’ve been out so long and a whole new class has joined the team and you are now seen as one of the weaker players on the team. Coaches don’t always understand the extent of these injuries and they start to forget who you were and only see you as what you are now. Knowing that you’re performing at a lower level than you did before is extremely taxing on your mental health. Practice is the first thing you do in the morning and when it doesn’t go well it dictates the rest of your day. It shouldn’t, but it does. Injuries affect the physical and mental health of athletes in such a way that people who haven’t experienced it can not even understand. The fear of being injured again is the toughest battle to overcome. It’s isolating, it’s frustrating, and it takes a serious toll on your mental health.
Being a college athlete, you’ve made it. You were the best on your team at some point. Your entire identity has been an athlete your entire life. Some injuries take up to a year to recover and you’re not promised to be at the same level as when you left. The first few practices after an injury of that nature is almost embarrassing. You’ve been out so long and a whole new class has joined the team and you are now seen as one of the weaker players on the team. Coaches don’t always understand the extent of these injuries and they start to forget who you were and only see you as what you are now. Knowing that you’re performing at a lower level than you did before is extremely taxing on your mental health. Practice is the first thing you do in the morning and when it doesn’t go well it dictates the rest of your day. It shouldn’t, but it does. Injuries affect the physical and mental health of athletes in such a way that people who haven’t experienced it can not even understand. The fear of being injured again is the toughest battle to overcome. It’s isolating, it’s frustrating, and it takes a serious toll on your mental health.
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