Content Warning: Mentions of suicide, depression, and eating disorders.
Injuries are hard to avoid when playing a sport. Injuries not only cause physical injury but also mental. They get in the way of the athlete from doing what they love and get in the way of their motivation. NCAA sports science institute explains that student-athletes respond to injuries in many different ways and it depends on the injury and healing time. Along with rehab and getting back to their sport. Common reactions to injuries are sadness, isolation, irritation, lack of motivation, anger, frustration, changes in appetite, sleep disturbance, and disengagement. The NCAA says “One problematic reaction is when injured student-athletes restrict their caloric intake because they feel that since they are injured, they “don’t deserve” to eat. Such a reaction can be a trigger for disordered eating”. Many student-athletes experience depression from injuries from their inability to perform how they did before the injury. Depending on the injury athletes could be unable to do everyday things like getting dressed which will decrease the athlete's independence and lead to shame and exasperation.
Olympic skier Picabo Street experienced significant knee and leg injuries in March 1998, she battled with depression. She said: “I went all the way to rock bottom. I never thought I would ever experience anything like that in my life. It was a combination of the atrophying of my legs, the new scars, and feeling like a caged animal”.
Kenny McKinley who was a Denver Broncos wide receiver committed suicide after experiencing a knee injury in September 2010. He had surgery and was not able to play for the rest of the season. He had supposedly made statements about not knowing what he’d do without football and began sharing thoughts of suicide.
For an athlete to perform at their best they need to be healthy mentally and physically. Simone Biles is a perfect example of this. At the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics, she experienced what gymnasts call the “twisties” which is the failure of muscle memory for athletes performing dangerous stunts. Biles explains, “I was not physically capable. Every avenue we tried, my body was like, ‘Simone, chill. Sit down. We’re not doing it.’ And I’ve never experienced that”.
Concussions can be very challenging for an athlete compared to other injuries. Other injuries have a timeline and can predict recovery. A concussion has an unknown timeline. Concussions make one unable to do anything. You can’t go to school and have to stay away from electronics. With other injuries, you are in crutches, a boot, a sling, or something that visibly shows your injury. With a concussion, you can’t tell by looking, which makes feeling validated in about not playing a challenge. Concussions can cause brain trauma and can be a trigger of depression.
Dealing with an injury can also impact an athlete's future. It can cause them to feel paranoid that the injury will keep happening. Athletes have experienced feeling scared when something hurts and feeling like they are going back to a bad place. A common fear of resuming their sport stems from the idea that they won't have the same abilities or will get injured again.
It’s important for doctors and physicians to be aware of the mental effects on athletes, along with the support of coaches, family, and friends. It’s hard to recognize when someone is struggling with their mental health, but simply offering help and telling them that you’re there for them can help. Keeping athletes involved and engaged with their sport, coaches, and team can encourage them to stay positive or keep going.
Naomi Osaka
Naomi Osaka: “Perhaps we should give athletes the right to take a mental break from media scrutiny on a rare occasion without being subject to strict sanctions. In any other line of work, you would be forgiven for taking a personal day here and there, so long as it’s not habitual. You wouldn’t have to divulge your most personal symptoms to your employer; there would likely be HR measures protecting at least some level of privacy”. Naomi Osaka has struggled with mental health issues from having a lot of pressure as a professional athlete. She explains, “I feel like for me, recently, like when I win, I don’t feel happy. I feel more like a relief. And then when I lose, I feel very sad.” Even though she didn’t have an injury, she was struggling. She talks about how athletes are humans too and have their own life and problems outside of sports. She explains how she likes the press but not all press conferences. She wants people to know that her taking a break from tennis was never about the press but was about the amount of pressure she felt during her matches. She also wishes for some privacy and empathy.
I mention Osaka because she is a great example of how much pressure athletes face no matter if it’s on a high school, college, or professional level. Many people need to understand that even though someone could look like they’re doing well, they could be doing badly. A way to help is to check on people even if it looks like they’re doing fine. Reassure them and don’t pressure them into situations.
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