By Vaishnavi Sriadibhatla, Co-Sports Editor
According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), around 90% of high school athletes experience sports-related injuries during the season or at some point during their high school athletic careers. The main variables that vary from injury to injury are the severity of the injury and the predicted recovery time.
With injuries being so widespread among student athletes, they can affect an athletes’ mental health, further taking a toll on their performance. Katie Ryan, a 2010 ’Stoga alumna and mental health specialist who runs her own clinic has worked with athletes in the Main Line for several years, and believes that this is often the case due to a strong correlation between athletics and mental health.
“Athletes, especially if you’re a competitive athlete, have this natural tendency to put a lot of pressure on yourself. You want to be the best, and you want to keep pushing yourself to get better and better”, Ryan said. “While pressure can be a good thing, it can motivate you to want to get better, to improve – it can also become really stressful. It can kind of change in a way where it starts to impact self-esteem or it can cause dysfunction in other areas.”
Psychological symptoms that athletes face include depression, struggles with confidence and a loss of identity.
“When an athlete experiences an injury, especially an injury that takes them out of the sport for some time, it is a really emotional experience. If an athlete identifies with their sport, if it is a huge part of them, and it is taken away from them it leaves them with a feeling of ‘Who am I? What am I supposed to do without playing my sport?’” Ryan said.
There are still ways for athletes to stay involved with their team and maintain their fitness. While injured, athletes can support their teams from the sidelines and discuss strategies with them. They can also participate in basic drills to stay active and agile. To keep themselves occupied, they can take some time to develop their other interests beyond their sport.
Senior Jake Frischmann, a midfielder on the boys’ varsity soccer team, suffered several injuries throughout his high school career and had to sit out. He describes taking up other hobbies to keep himself engaged.
“I ended up having to be active in other ways. I ended up lifting a lot and doing calisthenics,” Frischmann said. “I see that with all my friends who get injured, especially if they’re injured for a year or longer. They have to find other things, whether it’s golfing or lifting or whatever it is that they can do while they’re still being injured.”
Junior Jenna Khalil, a striker on the girls’ varsity soccer team, suffered a medial collateral ligament tear that required her to take a six-month hiatus from soccer. Jenna Khalil believes that an athlete’s career does not end at an injury, instead she sees an injury as a brief break. She encourages athletes to keep on persevering because they can discover other newfound passions, take some time to focus on themselves and continue to improve in other ways.
“Keep your head up and know it gets better. During this time, maybe encourage your other teammates,” Khalil said. “You can take this time to help improve yourself in other ways besides your (athletic abilities) by focusing on self-development.”
Vaishnavi Sriadibhatla can be reached at [email protected].
