Introduction
Any sporting activity is associated with injury. Many sports men and women know that the only drawback in their carrier is injury. An injury to a footballer means a lot of many things that a normal person cannot realize. To start with, an injury stagnates any training and preparations that a footballer is entitled to meaning that the activity that a person devotes a lot of time and energy can be taken away. For a footballer, playing football is part of his or her identity and a very significant activity. Once such an activity is taken away from a player even for a short period, it creates possible negative effects that affect his or her life. In addition, an injury can take away from a player the positive reinforcement that sports provides whereby a footballer has a sense of mastery, control and autonomy towards his profession. Finally, an injury may be considered as a setback because many players use sports as a means of reliving stresses (Anderson, 2005).
The above reasons indicate that a player experiences a series of emotional responses and stress once injured while playing. According to the American College of Sports Medicine (2001), players’ emotional experiences caused by injuries differ with different people; however, some common effects include anxiety, fear, tension, fatigue, disbelief, lack of motivation and anger. In order to cope with such situations, sports psychologists play an essential role in guidance and counseling of injured players in order to assist them get back to their normal life, and also increase their recovery time. Presently, sports psychologists are readily acceptable as part of regular training staff for teams and private footballers. They perform many roles, but mainly they teach players how to improve their performance and skills together with mental game skills. Of importance among all these roles is injury rehabilitation (American College of Sports Medicin, 2001).
Sports injuries among college level football
The National Athletic Trainer’ Association claims that college sports have flourished in the last ten years, with players required to undertake a year round training and competition and not seasonal. These players are exposed to more physical and mental challenges that introduce greater risk of injury. A study conducted on the effect of sport injuries among varsity footballers showed that players experience many frustrations and anger once they face injuries while sporting. The research concluded that sports rehabilitation centers with trained sports psychologists help to improve the status of an athlete and fasten recovery. Rehabilitation from a sports injury does not only involve a physical consideration, but also a psychological one.
In United States, more than 30 million children and teenager participate in one form of organized sport or another. The country reports more than 3.5 million injuries each year, and approximately a third of these injuries are sports related. The sports injury surveillance system conducted by the NCAA and National Athletic Trainer’s Association has reported over 200,000 injuries between 1988 and 2004. This shows an average of 12,500 injuries each year. The high numbers of football injuries incurred by college athletes each year are caused by many large teams all over the country. Football has the highest number of injuries compared to other athletic games such as wrestling, and running games. The most common football injuries include knee, foot, elbow, ribs, toe, wrist, groin, head, neck and shoulder.
Most retired football professional players suffer from dementia caused by repeated concussions while playing. A study conducted by the National Athletic Trainer’ Association in 2001 indicates that 34 per cent of football players had experienced one form of concussion while 30 per cent have had more than one concussions. The report by the University Of Pittsburgh Department Of Neurological Surgery shows that most players who suffered a second concussion after the first one ended up dying. A total of 26 deaths, which occurred since 2000, were caused by the second impact syndrome. In addition, sports injuries among college level footballers can result into learning disabilities and loss of memory (2007).
Some common risks associated with sport injuries, especially those occurring at the head include blood clot in the brain. In addition, each additional injury in the head of a player increases his or her risk of long-term problems that may include trouble in thinking or concentration, poor coordination and disability. Adverse effects of untreated minor head injuries that affect a person during adulthood include the following. Firstly, a person shows a sign of distress or unacceptable consequences in different aspects of his or her life. Secondly, other symptoms are seen in at least two of the following areas:
- Emotions (the appropriateness and range of emotional functioning)
- Interpersonal functioning (Relationship with others and social status),
- Thoughts (how the person views the world, how the person thinks about oneself and others, level of interaction).
- Impulse control
The role of sport psychology in injury rehabilitation
Traditionally, rehabilitation from sports injuries was viewed as wastage of time and resources, but currently it forms one of the most essential aspects of sports. Sport injury rehabilitation process involves the experts of surgeons, physiotherapists, scientists, athletic coaches, dieticians and sport psychologists. Researchers have presently gained some interests on the psychological impact of injury and how players react once they face an injury. The advancement of knowledge on the psychological adjustments necessary for athletes in times of injuries and the impact on their personal and social life led to the introduction of rehabilitation programs. The psychological support of an injured player should be provided by a psychology expert, but it is practically administered by a physiotherapist. Physiotherapists, however, don not trust their expertise in performing therapists to injured athletes because they believe their experience is not adequate to deal with such cases. In addition, most athletes who have been attended by a physiotherapist complain of them not providing solutions to their emotional impact caused by an injury (Brewer et al, 2000; 25-26).
Psychological reaction to injury
Denial – Anger – bargaining – depression - Acceptance and reorganization
In order to cope with the stressing situations and overcome these stages, a player requires attending a rehabilitation program. Even if some factors such as stress hinder an athlete from attending a rehabilitation program, other factors such as social support play a significant role in assisting a person very much. The way an injured player copes with the resources available to assist him or her influence the outcome of the injury. Moreover, social aspects of rehabilitative work such as family and friends support and motivation are also important. Treatments of injuries are always positive to college athletes who have pain endurance, social support, and self-motivation.
Injury rehabilitation aims at ensuring a player copes with the current situation in order to fasten his or her recovery time. The degree of an individual variation affects the psychological reaction to an injury. Most players progress through three stages of response, depending on the adaptation nature of a person.
Stage 1: injury relevant information processing
Once a player gets an injury, he or she focuses more on the pain, and the negative consequences of the injury, demanding to know how it happened.
Stage two: Emotional Upheaval and reactive behavior:
The player develops some emotions such as shock, disbelief, denial, and disturbances like high tension, anxiety and anger
Stage three: Positive outlook and coping
After a long struggle, the player accepts the reality and develops a positive attitude in an attempt to cope with the injury.
Psychological Aspects of Injury Rehabilitation
For a sport psychology rehabilitation program to be successful, it must adopt an historic approach. An historic approach supplements both the physical therapy and psychological strategy to promote recovery from injury. The main role of a sport psychologist is to equip a player with the necessary skills to assist him of her amend to the rehabilitation requirements. Sport psychology use of mental skill techniques such as positive self-talk, imagery visualization, relaxation training, and goals setting in footballers in order to achieve the following:
- Deal completely with the rehabilitation process
- Cope with any setback that may take place while undergoing rehabilitation program
Developing rapport among players
Sports psychologists and team coaches have a significant influence on physical rehabilitation of players. Rapport is central to a successful rehabilitation. Deep emotions that an injured athletes experience makes it hard to create and build a rapport. Sport psychology ensures that a player feels understood and accepted in the society by adopting the following procedures. Firstly, sport psychologists develop an empathy with a player in order to show their understanding of the injury and associate with the player on the feelings they perceive. Secondly, they provide emotional support and are always available whenever needed. This enables a player lessen the sense of isolation and vulnerability. Finally, sports psychologists allow players to take part in planning and implementation of the rehabilitation program. By doing so, a player shows some acceptance to the process and also develops a crucial sense of control over his or her emotions.
Education during rehabilitation
Sport psychologists in injury rehabilitation programs give players the necessary education that helps them understand injury practical terms and the expected recovery process. This forms the physiotherapists’ primary role in rehabilitation centers. The information provide to players includes:
- The nature of the injury and the main reason for initiating certain medical procedures
- The goals of treatment
- A detailed medical procedure that will be undertaken
- Possible side effects
- When and how physical and psychological changes might occur.
Sport psychology rehabilitation programs aims at ensuring a player under rehabilitation process feels involved in all activities and stays informed of any recovery progress. The impact of providing quality medical information is to reduce the exaggerated fear found in injured players caused by lack of clear information. College level football players are associated with a lot of peer pressure that might discourage someone from attending such rehabilitation programs. Most players who have undergone injury rehabilitation processes blame poor quality medical information as the main hindrance to psychological rehabilitation. Provision of poor quality medical information does not help reduce worries and fears associated with injuries neither does it provide hope to the injured players (Welk, 2008; 200-203).
Social support
Sports psychologists in injury rehabilitation also give injured players social support. Players require social support during those stressing times in order to significantly know others care about their welfare. Social support coming from coaches, teammates, friends and families of the injured has a significant impact in the recovery process of a player. Sport psychologists ensure the presence of team coach is felt because it shows an injured player a sense of belonging and helps maintain close personal contact between the player and the coach. Sport psychologists, however, claim that players get inadequate social support (Hanin, 2006; 335-337). For example, a study of severely injured footballers showed that more than 67 per cent of players lacked emotional support from their teammates and coaches, a major factor that hindered psychological rehabilitation. Players who lack social support question their relationship with friend, families and coaches and fear returning to the same sporting activity upon recovery (Brewer, 2010).
Generally, a sport psychologist assist injured players become mentally prepared for a competition while undergoing recovery from a rehab. A player develops personal confidence, focus, intensity, composure and trust in a football match performance. In addition, psychologists continue encouraging players emotionally and physically after recovery until their gain self confidence that they can return back to the game and perform wonders.
Conclusion
References
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http://www.nata.org/NR052107
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