Beyond the Game: Harnessing Your Competitive Edge for Life

The room is so very bland. That icky not-quite-beige, not-quite-white color. My heart is racing. Tiny beads of sweat are starting to form on my forehead. I can’t sit still, my legs bouncing in nervous anticipation. The doctor walks in, his face as bland as the walls. I try to make a read on what’s coming next, but can’t. File folder in hand, he sits down.

“Well, it is not good news. Your MRI shows a full thickness tear in your meniscus. I think we can fix it, but it would be my recommendation that you never skate again.”

Wait, what?! What did he just say?

Beyond the Game: The Power of Mental Vigilance in Overcoming Challenges

When we witness the likes of LeBron James compete at highest level of play, when we watch in awe at the power behind one of Serena Williams’ serves, or when we behold the command of Clayton Kershaw’s fastball: what factors do we immediately contribute their success to?

As fans (or haters) we can speculate advantages or debate statistics, but few would dare to argue that these dominating athletes have not worked tirelessly to achieve success. What is less often considered, is the work these athletes have done within the confines of their own mind. As anyone who has competed in any arena can attest to; change, improvement, and success take hard work. If we were able to work as hard on our minds as we do in our work, sports, and relationships, we would see big change in many facets of life.

Beyond the Game: The Power of Celebration

I’d like to acknowledge that we’re in the middle of a pandemic and many of us are struggling to find anything to be happy about. So while celebration might be the last thing you’d want to consider right now, I’d like to encourage you to lean in and give this resource a try. Celebration is one of the fastest tools to shift your mindset and powerfully take on whatever you have in front of you.

Becoming Sidelined: Understanding the Grief Process

Permanently sidelined athletes can expect to go through a grieving process as they adjust to their new reality of life beyond their sport. Research shows that most sidelined athletes experience the same stages of grief. Understanding what an athlete can expect to experience when coping with the loss of his/her sport can be a powerful piece of knowledge, both for the athlete and his/her family.

Healthy Adjustment to Career-Ending Injury or Health Condition Part 1: The Down Period: What to Expect

Following their injuries, sidelined athletes go through a period of sadness, characterized by low energy, lack of motivation, inactivity, and withdrawal. This is a natural and necessary phase which sidelined athletes must go through in order to come to terms with the significance of their loss. The question then begs, what can one expect in this period? How long does this period last? Going through the Down Period blind and alone can further the athlete's depression.

Healthy Adjustment to Career-Ending Injury or Health Condition Part 2: Finding Your Voice in the Aftermath

Receiving the news of forced sport discontinuation can be devastating to an athlete. The reality of being permanently-sidelined from the sport you love may force you to confront many new challenges you may not have faced before.

This article is here to help break down and assess your situation as a permanently-sidelined athlete and help you find your voice to get the support you need.

Becoming Sidelined: The Loss of Athletic Identity

For athletes forced to discontinue their sport due to injury or health condition, the mental journey towards acceptance and internal healing can be confusing, complicated, and flat out brutal.

Permanently-sidelined athletes have described their grief as feeling as though a part of them has died. Sports psychologists refer to this as “losing the athletic identity”. One of the hardest parts of processing the loss of ability to compete in sport is feeling like you don’t know who you are without your sport.

Healthy Adjustment to Career-Ending Injury or Health Condition Part 3: Evaluating Internal Coping Strategies

Being an athlete is not an easy thing to do. It takes grit, discipline, and the resounding capacity to get back up after being knocked down. These are qualities you can continue to nurture in yourself throughout the healing process. Essentially, the same mindset which made you a great athlete has the power to help you overcome the loss you are experiencing.

Becoming Sidelined: Signs and Symptoms of Depression

The World Health Organization estimates that over 300 million in the world suffer from depression. According to studies of depression in student-athletes, as many as one in five athletes may be depressed. Clearly depression represents an emergent health crisis with a massive scope of impact. Not surprisingly, research has identified depression as a potential outcome of the athlete’s emotional response to becoming permanently-sidelined.

7 Keys to Supporting a Sidelined Athlete Battling Depression

What can you do as a supporter if you know a sidelined athlete in your life is dealing with depression and needs continued support? Sidelined USA has compiled this list of seven essential considerations to help get you started.

KEY 1: FIGHT THE STIGMA. Mental health is just like physical health. If someone has an injury, they get treatment; the same applies to mental health concerns and

Insightful articles for helping permanently-sidelined athletes find a meaningful way forward.

contact@sidelinedusa.org

EIN #: 83-2147421

Resources

Insightful articles for helping permanently-sidelined athletes find a meaningful way forward.

contact@sidelinedusa.org

EIN #: 83-2147421