photo credit: johngarghan
Bouncing Back From Sports Injuries
Bouncing back from sports injuries requires very special types of motivation. Sports injuries can change an athlete for good in more ways than one. Unfortunately, many people, especially those who are not serious athletes, will choose to stop participating in the specific sport they suffered the injury from. The feeling in these cases is that the sport is just too dangerous for that person.
The individual will be so freaked out from the injury that he or she will not be risking another injury again. In many of these cases, friends and family members, particularly those who do not participate in that sport, will also encourage the individual never to have anything to do with that particular sport again.
In many ways, this is a real shame because that person often still has a chance to enjoy that particular sport. For example, I suffered not one but two separate serious knee injuries from my martial arts competition years. Both times required ACL reconstructive surgeries and these were documented in a past episode of my Motivational WebTV series. If you missed this particular video where I even showed you my scars on my knees, check it out at My ACL Knee Sports Injuries.
I could have chose to stop martial arts altogether after these serious injuries, but I didn’t. Instead, I worked hard in rehab and changed my training to adjust my techniques that would be more suitable to my post surgery condition.
Although I no longer do risky jump moves, I still do a wide range of techniques within martial arts and with better focus, I actually became a better martial artist and competitor. The sports injuries did not stop me from participating in an activity that I love.
Types Of Motivation Needed
The types of motivation needed involve the faith that many other athletes have successfully recovered from their injuries and continued to play in the sports they love. They didn’t have to give these sport up.
If you ever sustained an injury from playing sports, you don’t have to give the sports up. Rehab well and alter your training if required. Take necessary precautions if you can. Many hockey players who sustained eye injuries come back with shields attached to their helmets.
Another sport I love is snow skiing. Despite my two serious knee injuries from martial arts, I can still ski. In fact, I’m skiing at a much higher level than before. I just don’t do crazy stunts that have much higher risk on my knees when I’m on the slopes.
If you love a particular sport, there are still many ways to stay involved. Depending on the injury, you might not be able to play the game the same way as before but you can probably still participate at one level or another. Just make sure that you rehab under supervision of professional physiotherapists and maybe get back into the sport with professional coaching.
If you haven’t checked out my 3-part Personal Development Video Series yet, access them by filling in your email below. You can also watch the intro video at the top left sidebar. There are some great examples of bouncing back in that series to motivate you.
