As an athlete, injuries are obviously inevitable. The hardest thing to
do after an injury is getting back into game mode. The very first day back at practice
and being able to go your full potential is scary. There are so many different hesitations
that come with reentering the game, especially with knee injuries. Going full throttle
for the first time in practice requires confidence.
My very first day back after my very first knee surgery was
the absolute worst. It was 9th grade volleyball tryouts in August. I
had gotten cleared to play the week before tryouts, so I was fresh out of
physical therapy. The first day of tryouts I went home unsure if I would even
make the team. I could barely run, I could only jump a little, and I was so out
of shape! That night I went home from tryouts defeated because I thought I was
going to be cut from the team. The next day I went in with full confidence that
I could do everything everyone else was doing, and I did just that. I put full
confidence in myself and my knee and I excelled, making J.V my freshman year.
After my recovery and reentry into volleyball, I realized
that my confidence level was holding me back all along. I kept
telling myself “you can’t do that”, “that might hurt”, or “you’re not strong
enough yet to actually jump without falling.” Even though I had been doing
these things all summer with my physical therapist, I did not think I could do
it on my own without injuring myself. After all my knee injuries and surgeries,
I feel like I have gotten more confident each time with working out and getting
myself back out on the court.
Like I said in my last post, motivational speeches and songs
definitely put an athlete in the right mindset to excel. Hearing other athletes’
stories on how they get back into the game after an injury helped give me the
right motivation because if they can do it, so can I.
Every setback is a comeback. Check out this video on returning from an injury! Dr. Jarrod Spencer hits it spot on!
