St. Petersburg High School is home to many athletes. However, almost all athletes in general have experienced an injury at some point in their athletic career. Injuries can break down athletes’ confidence, mental and physical states, and love for the sport. But, if almost all athletes go through some type of injury, how do they overcome it?
There are many challenges athletes must overcome when faced with injuries. Mentally, they have to accept their emotions, focus on what they can control, and visualize their comeback. Using mental imagery to picture themselves performing their sport successfully can help boost confidence during recovery. It is also essential to prioritize positive self-talk, so athletes’ confidence isn’t affected, and it can help reduce stress levels when going back. Once the negativity is let in, it is hard to keep it out; so, don’t let it in. It is important to stay connected with your team, and stay involved with your sport, even when injured. This way you can maintain a sense of belonging, by attending games and cheering your teammates on from the sidelines.
When looking at the physical side of injuries, a good method to follow is the RICE method- Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation. Resting injuries from activities that can put further stress on the injured area will help with the recovery time. Icing your injury will help reduce swelling and inflammation, and temporarily ease the pain. Compression will help reduce swelling and provide your injured area support. Keeping your injury elevated will help reduce swelling and bruising, by making it more difficult for blood to reach the injury. Elevate the extremity on and off for 24-72 hours, depending on the severity of the injury. It is also important to gradually return to your sport, starting off light, gradually increasing the intensity so the injured area doesn’t get reinjured.
Vivian Do, a Sophomore at St. Pete High is a cross-country athlete. She experienced shin splints but overcame them and competed in several meets. Do talked with trainers and said, “they both recommended doing walk/running intervals during practice and resting when necessary to avoid further injury.” It isn’t fun being the person who walks when everyone else runs, however Do knew she could be further injured if she didn’t rest properly. This is probably one of the hardest parts about being injured. The mental battle. While this can be a long and sometimes frustrating process, in the end it will be worth getting back up to one hundred percent, rather than staying at fifty. Despite these challenges, Do overcame them, and said, “the girls are super supportive, which made returning to running really fun.” She is back and feeling better than ever, because she took the proper precautions when injured to be fully healed.
Injuries are never planned and can change an athlete’s life in a second. However, almost all athletes overcome them, and return to their sports at one hundred percent. Being injured isn’t fun, but taking the right precautions and steps to overcome injuries will be beneficial in the long run, even if you don’t see it now.
