Each year, over 2 million high school student-athletes experience a sports-related injury, and account for over 500,000 doctor’s appointments. As the pressure on student-athletes to constantly be playing to the best of their abilities at all times continues to rise, it is crucial to understand that injuries affect more than just an athlete’s physical health, but their mental stability as well.
Redwood needs to ensure that student-athletes facing injuries feel beyond ready to return to their teams, and take a stronger consideration for their mental health when enduring the healing process.
Student-athletes with concussions, for example, face a heightened pressure to return to practices and games following the injury. The National Library of Medicine (NLM) revealed that 64.4 percent of concussion clinicians reported feeling pressured by student-athletes to permit them to return to sports before they have properly healed.
Junior Elsa Taz, a cheerleader on the varsity team, has suffered multiple concussions that have caused her to take a temporary leave from cheerleading. Taz said that she often felt she needed to return to practices and games as soon as possible, whether she was in her ideal condition or not.
“There’s pressure to jump back in when you’re not ready,” Taz said, “It comes from everyone around you as well as yourself–wanting to be the best athlete you can be and all.”
NLM highlighted that around 43.5 percent of concussed student-athletes reported returning to their sport prematurely and without proper rest. This stems from a combination of student-athletes rushing through concussion protocols and medical paperwork, as well as doctors succumbing to pressures from coaches, parents and patients themselves to allow them to play again.
“When I got my most recent concussion from cheer, I wasn’t being fully honest when I was talking to my doctors. I felt such a need to get moving again and get back to my team, which came from all the pressure around me,” Taz said.
Taz’s experience with multiple concussions reveals that mental health is a crucial factor for an athlete’s support systems to be aware of. Additionally, it also goes to show that there must be stricter and more cautious measures in place to ensure that student-athletes feel comfortable taking their time to fully recover from an injury. Activities like driving, studying and screen time usage are quickly restricted for concussion patients to swiftly heal the injury. Taz explained that she felt rushed by this treatment, and that it was emphasizing a quick recovery, rather than letting athletes recover in a way that suited them.
“I think that having more awareness around how concussions affect your mental health would be beneficial. Honestly, the concussion protocol is too harsh. Telling someone to deprive themselves of everything is a really difficult adjustment to make, especially for people who need that mental stimulation,” Taz said.
It is not uncommon for student-athletes to face setbacks to their mental health in addition to their physical well-being when met with a sports-related injury. A study from the Autonomous University of Madrid revealed that adolescent athletes (ages 12-18) saw a 24 percent increase in anxiety levels, as well as a 28 percent increase in depression levels, following injuries. Many reported feeling anxious about the future of their athletic career and whether they would be able to return to their team.
Freshman Cali Grigg is a girls’ varsity volleyball player who recently tore her anterior cruciate ligament, causing her to take leave from her team. Grigg mentioned that her time off from her team has impacted more than just her physical health.
“I felt like I abandoned my team. I felt guilty for not being there for them. Watching people do something that you love that you’re unable to do is difficult, especially because I’ve worked so hard to get to the position that I’m in,” Grigg said.
The immense amount of pressure that student-athletes face yields a sizable impact on their mental health when met with a physical constraint. Luckily, Grigg noted that Redwood staff met this challenge with a very understanding and concerned lens.
“Redwood does a great job handling the situation. Most of my teachers are super supportive of me, no matter what I need to do to get better,” Grigg said.
There’s a lot of room for improvement in the way that schools, doctors and guardians address injuries in student-athletes. Whether it be reforming a concussion recovery protocol that overwhelms patients in order to shorten recovery time, or lowering the pressure for athletes to resume playing a sport before they feel ready, change is needed.
Student-athletes are some of the hardest-working individuals Redwood has to offer. It’s time we show more consideration for all aspects of their well-being, rather than simply pushing them to be the highest performers they can be, no matter how they feel.
