Playing any sports involve the chance of suffering injury. Being injured is an inevitable part of life for any sportsperson, be it adults or kids. But there is a surprising fact behind an injury- although the term plainly refers to the physical aspect of the individual, it also has a psychological implication. Lack of awareness causes accidents or physical injury and along with that accompanies mental scars or agony. There are many cases in which a player suffering from a major physical injury, recovers over time but still cannot gain that confidence like before; he/she lacks the former mental stability and this affects the performance.
The case can be more sensitive if the player is a child. As a proud parent, you may have done your duty by admitting your child for toddler football classes in Swindon, but are you addressing the right issues of the mental aspects of an injured player? Let us look at the points you must consider:
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Strong identity– ‘I am a soccer player’, this identity adds great value in the life of any young soccer player. Any young soccer player will hold this identity closer to their his/her heart as something precious. But when an injury occurs, it can be real trouble for the soccer player. This is so because during the recovery time, the player needs to be away from being on the field and the identity of a ‘soccer player’ is just a mere enactment that is not fulfilling. Often players ponder over a very significant question, ‘if I am not a soccer player, then what is my identity? Who am I in reality?’. Such questions can induce fear, tension and anxiety. Thus to handle such psychological distress, it is important to assure the athletic identity in a more meaningful way.
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Loss of confidence– Confidence and muscles in the body are almost synonymous. On the physical front, the muscles inside the body suffer an injury while mentally, the confidence of the player undergoes similar injury. Negative thoughts, lack of focus and anxiety clouds the mind the moment the player resumes playing soccer after recovery. Thus if the player is unable to meet the performance expectations after recovery, encourage the player with motivational words. Gradually, confidence will be reinstilled and the player will play with more confidence than before.
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Attention & focus- When you can pay attention to anything without getting distracted, that is called focus. While recovering from injury, the player must pay attention to some special concerns like the range of motion and stability or on the point of pain itself. Many times, the focus of a player goes on to some unnecessary aspects like focus on distractors during therapy sessions or comparisons between you and other players. These areas do not require your attention so divert them to aspects that are beneficial for you like feedback from the therapist, how to improve the physical condition of your body and others. Be confident enough to differentiate the areas that need attention and those that do not.
Conclusion- Prevention against injury is not possible for a soccer player, young or old. So even if you have your child enroled in the best kids football coaching in Swindon, make sure you now know how to deal with injury both physically and emotionally. Remember! Scars on the body will go away but scars on the mind are likely to stay if not dealt with properly.
