David Smith MS ATC
Sports Medicine 1
Injury
 When the body is injured the mind is also affected
 Research shows that athletes who experience negative
response to injury have a longer and more difficult
recovery
 The nature of interaction with the coach, teammates,
friends and ATC affect recovery either +/ We must pay attention to the athletes MIND as well as
their body to help them return to play
How to Treat an Injured Athlete
 Psychologically the athlete will be
devastated after major injury
 Keep athlete as involved as possible during
rehab
 Must be positive in your approach at all
times
 Set Goals (Daily, Weekly, Monthly..)
How to Treat an Injured Athlete
 Never Lie to the athlete
 Let them know they are making progress
 Never let them feel sorry for themselves
 Know who you are dealing with
Psychological Reaction to Loss or Injury
 Denial
 Anger
 Bargaining
 Depression
 Acceptance
Emotional First Aid
 Normal Reaction
 Be calm and reassuring
 Over Reaction
 Allow athlete to vent
 Under Reaction
 Be empathetic
 Encourage them to talk and express feelings
Psychological Response based on
Length of Rehab
 Short (<4 weeks)
 Reaction to Injury is Shock and Relief
 Reaction to Rehab is Impatience and Optimism
 Reaction to Return is Eagerness and Anticipation
 Long (> 4 Weeks)
 Reaction to Injury is Fear and Anger
 Reaction to Rehab is Loss of Interest, Irrational
Thoughts and Alienation
 Reaction to Return is acknowledgement
 Chronic (Recurring)
 Reaction to Injury is Anger and Frustration
 Reaction to Rehab is either a Dependence or
Independence
 Reaction to Return is Confident or Skeptical
 Termination (Career Ending)
 Reaction to Injury is Isolation and a Grief Process
 Reaction to Rehab is Loss of Athletic Identity
 Reaction to Not Returning is Closure and Renewal
Example of Mark at UNM with ACL Injury
Considerations for the Coach
 A coaches perception of the athlete makes a difference
in that athletes recovery time and effort to come back
 The coach needs to listen to the athlete beyond the
complaining
 Should listen for anger, depression or anxiety in their
voice and actions
Considerations for the Coach
 Neglected athletes or treating them like “outcasts” can
contribute to an injury or re-injury.
 Coaches who treat their players like they have no self
worth when injured are not received well
 Some coaches refuse to talk to the athlete or tell his
teammates that he is “soft” or that he/she doesn’t want
to play or isn’t tough enough
Return to Play
 Coaches need to help the athlete when
returning to play after injury not hinder
them
 It is the toughest part of the rehab
process and the athlete will need
encouragement
Return to Play
 “you have to play with pain”?
 “Give it up for the sport or my team”?
 “I’m Invincible”?
 Lack of this attitude may make them
viewed as not being a team player or
they are weak
Things a Coach can do to help the
Athletes
 Establish a rapport with the athlete
 Earn the athletes trust
 Establish good communication
 Have an interest in the athlete prior to
injuries
 Be a good listener
Things a Coach can do to help the
Athletes
 Look the athletes in the eye to show
listening
 Don’t neglect or ignore the athletes
 Facilitate social support of the team
 Include the athlete in their feelings of return
to play
Predictors Of Injury
1) Injury Prone Athlete
 Those who take risks
 Traits tend to be reserved
 Detached or tender minded
 Apprehensive
 Over Protective
 Easily distracted players
Predictors of Injury cont.
2) Stress
 May be Positive or Negative
 Positive are making all state team
 Negative tend to lead to risk of injury
 Negative examples are failing drug tests,
not starting, costing the team the game
Predictors of Injury cont.
 These
lead to lack of focus and
increased muscle tension therefore
leading to injury
 Lack of Focus may lead to miscues
 Increased Tension leads to pulls,
tears or major injuries
Observing Stress in Athletes
 The coach is often the 1st to realize the athlete is
becoming burned out, MUST back off!!
 ATC must realize if the athlete enters the game or
practice angry, frustrated or discouraged, can make
them more prone to injury
What Causes Stress?
 Training too hard w/o rest (Overtraining)
 Coach who is like a drill sergeant
 Lack of positive reinforcement and encouragement
 Negative statements
 Unreasonable expectations by self, coach, parents,
teammates
Interventions for Stress Reduction
 Unfortunately many coaches don’t have an interest in
or ability to work with athletes who need help
 Coaches of smaller teams may notice if one of the
athletes is having problems.
Interventions cont.
 If they notice something wrong refer them to someone
that can get them help.
 Need to do this quietly so it is not made a team issue
that may embarrass the athlete
Using Buffers
 Buffers are techniques that alleviate symptoms but do
not address the problems.
 Many athletes feel that the sport they play is the ONLY
POSITIVE thing in their life!!
Buffers cont.
 This activity gets them through the tough times of
extreme stress
 Some buffers that may help are Relaxation techniques,
imagery, exercise, reduction of caffeine, treatment for
sleep disorders and time management programs.
Relaxation Techniques
 These allow athletes to control stress with a series of
deep breathing, voluntary muscle contractions and
relaxation exercises
 Athletes that are coping well on own should not be
forced into these exercises
 We will do these relaxation techniques as a class
Imagery
 Imagery is the use of all senses to create or recreate an
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experience in the mind.
Visual rehearsal, emotive imagery rehearsal and body
rehearsal
Athletes visualize their success in competition
beginning with basic skills to game situations
Body rehearsal helps the athlete in their healing
process
Not all athletes respond to this technique
Create your own Imagery
 We will now have you create your
own imagery
 I will give you some examples
 Now write your own imagery and
hand in
 Write your name and period on it