Confidence Post-Injury

Whenever an athlete experiences a physical injury, this can affect the individual's confidence. Athletes may fear the injury happening again which could lead to shying away from certain physical situations or challenges, ultimately hampering their performance.

One way to manage this fear post-injury is to focus on the scenarios, your fears, and build up your confidence by altering the script.

First, you would visualize the actual scenario in which you experienced the injury that you suffered. Break down the scenario in your visualization until you find in the details what led to the injury itself. Identify the exact cause of the injury in this scenario you experienced. Now challenge yourself to think if you could have prevented the injury or what you could have done differently in the scenario for a better outcome.

Next, visualize the same scenario that led up to your injury, but now incorporate some of the alternative choices you could have made to prevent the injury. Continue this visualization practice with different outcomes preventing the injury to help cope with the original experience while simultaneously building your confidence for your future performance.

For example, if you took a hit from behind on a play during a hockey game in your defensive zone, your visualization practice may include taking inventory of the opposing players and their directional motions when you are going in towards the boards for the puck, keeping your head up during the play, and being aware and alert of your surroundings and the traffic. Visualizing a different result during that defensive play that could allow you to go in confidently for the puck with the same result in defense but avoiding an injury can help you prepare for future performance and remove the fear of another injury, building your confidence.