1. The athlete did the exercises as prescribed to restore range of motion. If the athlete can move the injured ankle in the same way and as far as her good ankle, she is ready to move on to the next step in the recovery process.
2. A rule to follow: no return to sports if there is any limited motion in a joint.
c. Did athlete regain normal gait?
1. After an ankle injury, many athletes find that they have lost their usual gait (the way they normally walk).
2. The athlete appears to be walking and jogging normally, she is ready for the next step in coming back from her injury.
3. No athlete should be allowed to return to sports if he is still limping.
d. Did athlete …show more content…
I have given her weight-training exercises to build up the weakened muscles (see above). e. Did athlete regain endurance?
1. Fortunately, most healthy athletes, regain their endurance pretty quickly, she won't be really ready to play again until she does.
2. To build endurance after an injury, I will make sure she doesn't stress her system.
3. She should engage in activities like swimming, running in the water, biking, or rowing. Working out three times a week for 30 minutes each time should be enough. f. Did athlete regain skills?
1. Since she was away from her sport for several weeks, her skills won't be as sharp as they were before the injury.
2. We worked in regaining her skills before playing in competition.
3. She returned to competition completely healed. She wore ankle braces for support. g. Did athlete regain confidence?
1. Because she suffered an injury that kept her out of volleyball for an extended period of time, she suffered a psychological loss as well as a physical injury.
2. It is therefore important for her to not only be physically ready to return to volleyball but psychologically ready as well.
3. If she returns too soon, she risks re-injury, injury to a different part of the body, possibly depression, and/or decreased …show more content…
I will be empathic. I will let my athletes know that I understand what they are feeling and going through. I understand where their anger, frustration, and disappointment come from.
1. I will allow them time to be sad.
2. I will not expect them to just "suck it up", "shake it off" and "be strong".
3. By genuinely empathizing and caring, the coach-athlete relationship will strengthen and aid in the healing process.
b. I will work with their self-esteem. I understand the injured athlete has just suffered a major blow to her feelings of self-worth and is therefore feeling quite vulnerable.
1. I will let her know in both actions and words that I still value her as a person, not just an athlete.
2. I will not avoid or act disinterested in that individual. It is my responsibility to reach out to her, not vice versa. I am the qualified adult and professional.
c. I will give her a role on the team. I will help the injured athlete fight their feelings of worthlessness and role confusion by giving them another job on the team.
1. I will assign them as an "assistant coach" or consultant into team functioning. I will seek out their opinion and “advice” during practices or competitions. In fact, my injured athlete had some valuable insight into the inner workings of the