Ava Stone

While injuries can interfere with an athlete’s season, there can be some silver linings in recovering from the event.

Skiing down a snow-covered mountain was supposed to be a fun activity. It was supposed to be easy enough to learn how to ski from my friends. But when I fell and ruptured my ACL, the future of my life changed. 

The results of my MRI stopped me from playing softball. I was on crutches for multiple weeks and the physical therapy seemed like it lasted forever. Now, 10 months after surgery I still do not feel 100%. 

Recovering from a season-ending injury can be very difficult. Whether it’s tearing your ACL or rupturing your Achilles’ heel, the mental and physical effects can be a roadblock in life. Having long recoveries can lead to feelings of loneliness and even depression. But using those negative feelings as fuel and motivation is a way to get positives out of a difficult situation. Sophomore Lilly Wishe has torn her meniscus two times and has needed surgery two years in a row. 

“I would say the hardest part is getting over the mental blocks,” Wishe said. “Mentally preparing yourself to go back and doing the sport that got you injured the first time around is very scary.” 

After having time off to heal it’s hard to get back to where you were. In many sports, the injured player’s spot gets taken. This makes returning even harder because you feel you don’t belong on the team anymore. But staying involved with your team and helping out while injured can help with those negative feelings. You can still learn and get better at your sport while injured, just not physically. Senior Kyle Bucher, a three-sport athlete, broke his thumb but continued to play baseball for the rest of the season. 

“There was an option to continue playing, but that didn’t mean I wouldn’t heal as fast,” Bucher said. “I didn’t want to risk the loss of a season.”  

Often when a player gets injured, they ignore their pain and keep playing. But doing so can make your injury worse. If you are injured, it is best to take all the time you need to heal. Use your injury as a lesson or learning experience to prepare for a strong comeback. 

Sports injuries can seem inevitable, and no one is truly invincible. The only way to get better is by letting your body heal. Use your recovery time to focus on other things you usually don’t have time for, such as spending time with family, studying for school, or even learning more about your sport mentally as opposed to physically.