To the Injured Athlete,

I'm sorry. I'm sorry that whether big or small, you've faced an injury to your body that is keeping you from playing the sport you love so dearly. You may have had a small sprain, a concussion, broken bones, muscle tears, the list goes on and on; but all you can think about is wanting to get back in the game. I know because I've been there before and I'm back there now. However, I'm not here to tell you how much it sucks to be injured, we already know this and definitely don't want to be reminded. What I am going to tell you is what you need to hear in order to get better.

First, don't push an injury off because you think it's "nothing", that "you're fine", or that you can "tough it out". There is no shame in talking to your Athletic Trainer when you tweak something at practice, that's what your trainers are there for. It is SO much easier to fix a small problem from the start rather than waiting. Had I not ignored my pain for a few weeks, I may have been able to fix the problem right away instead of still being in therapy 8 months later. Learn from my mistake and address the problem right away.

Speaking of addressing the problem, for any of you athletes who are going through treatment and physical therapy, it will get better. The best thing you can do is be optimistic, keep a positive attitude, be patient because healing takes time. As much as you want to get back to practice and back in the game, your body isn't ready yet and needs to be fully healed. If you start playing again before you are 100% better then you significantly increase your chances of re-injuring yourself. While you might think you are healed, trust what your doctor, therapist, and trainers say; they want you better as much as you do.

Which reminds me, listen to your therapist, trainers, and doctors!! This is their job, they know what they are doing. They are going to work to the best of their ability to get you back in the game, but they can't do their job unless you do your part. That means when they tell you to rest and do your exercises, do it!! You are not going to magically get better, it takes time and work that you must be willing to put in. Trust me, I know how awful those exercises and stretches are, but I also know they work.

In the end, it is going to take time to heal. Although you may be physically out of the game, that doesn't mean you are mentally out of the game. Take the time of your injury to get in the right mindset of what you can do to get better. Maybe that means watching YouTube videos on plays and skill drills that you and your team could use, studying the opponents game strategy to find ways to beat them, or simply visualizing your gameplay (it's actually proven visualizing can increase your chances of success) So my fellow injured athlete, the world is not over, you will recover, and you will get back to the game you love so dearly; but for now take your time and fully heal.

Sincerely,

A fellow injured athlete