Everyone talks about physical injuries. Usually it starts off with a player getting injured during competitive play. They see the athletic trainer to see what the problem is. If the injury seems more severe than they can handle, they refer you to a doctor. After making an appointment, the doctor runs some tests. The injury might need surgery. If the injury needs surgery, it is time to schedule the operation. After the operation, the athlete might experience severe pain through the body. After a couple days to weeks of rest, the athlete can go back to school. After a couple days of school, rehab starts. During the rehab, the athlete will see small improvements as the weeks progress. Once rehab is complete, it is time for the athlete to return to play as long as the doctor clears them.

During this long journey, people forget to ask the athlete how they mentally feel? Are they confident to come back into the game? Are they scared to re-injure the body? Have they developed depression, anxiety, stress, low self-esteem, etc. during this process? Have they lost will and want to play their sport?

Everyone seems to worry about the physical aspects of athletes over how they mentally feel. People think it is easy to come back from an injury because that sport is their passion. This is true, but it can be challenging to remember the good from the sport when the process after surgery is draining to the body and mind.

How can we prepare athletes to mentally be prepared to come back to the sport they love? Here are three ways that will make athletes more confident coming back to play:

1.  Imagery: During rehab, the athlete should imagine playing again during sport specific skills. Practice mimicking plays, ball handling, foot placement, and strategies. During these skills, the athlete should see themselves playing. If someone is coming up the court, how to stop them from having an open shot. Shuffling side to side on offense or defense. Jab stepping an opponent to fake them out. Shooting a foul shot after driving to the hop and getting an and-one. By visualizing them performing how they used to play will make them feel more confident when they get back onto the court with their teammates.

2. Goal Setting: These goals should be short-term to give the athlete something to look forward too. This way the athlete will notice the small improvements compared to being upset that they are not able to play just yet. These goals should be tracked so the athlete can see what has been achieved throughout their rehab. It shows concrete evidence that they are taking small steps in the right direction to be able to play again. It also shifts their focus to the goals compared to the worry of not seeing immediate improvement.

3. Positivity: When the athlete has made progress, give them awards, feedback, and reassurance that they are doing a great job at accomplishing their goals. This will motivate the athlete to keep at their rehab. Rehab can be boring and seem repetitive. If the athlete knows that they will get a small reward after each week is complete, they will be more motivated to keep coming into rehab to get better. They are going to better themselves quicker and want to keep achieving new goals.

Written by:
Sarah Grippi
Director of Basketball Mindset

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Category: Basketball