5 Ways to Deal With Sports Injuries

Photo by: Ashley Alonzo

Passion is everything when it comes to a sport. Working hard and striving to give your best is what keeps an athlete going. We have different teammates and coaches who are there to support us at the end of the day. It takes the individuals to have faith and work hard in order to get better. Every team deals with their strengths and weaknesses differently. This fall, there were a few injuries for a couple of sports. The Ottawa University football team endured about six long-term injuries and 10 minor injuries. The softball team also suffered a couple of minor injuries too. Believe it or not, injuries can affect the team as a whole. Here as some ways to recover and stay positive throughout your season.

1)      Accept It:

First you must accept the fact that you have been injured. It may sound silly, but a lot of athletes tend to ignore the injuries which can make it a lot worse. Understand that you have to recover and that it will take time. During this period, set some individual goals aside that will make you comeback even harder. 

2)      Stay Active:

Though it may be very depressing not being able to play the sport you love, you must keep working in some type of way. For example, if your injury is shoulder-related, you should attempt to work on your legs. Use this time wisely to not get lazy. Stretch/Ice and wrap your injuries. Most importantly, stay active to stay healthy. 

3)      Watch Your Team:

Watching your sport and actually playing it could be a bit different. Since you are recovering, you get to seek different perspectives that your teammates may not see. Give advice and take notes for yourself. Make it more of a positive than a negative.

4)       Be Consistent:

Just because you have an injury does not mean you aren’t still part of the team. Go to each practice and every workout as if you were able to play. Not only will it help you as an athlete, but it will show your coaches how much the sport means to you. Be there for your teammates and push them to do better.

5)      Redeem Your Spot:

Injuries have a way of messing up your head. Being an athlete is not only a physical activity, but it has a lot to do with the mental side of things. When you stay positive, good things will happen. When you have faith, it will only make you improve your mental side of the game. Change your mindset and put them to action. You know your worth and talent; your comeback all starts with you!