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Playing Through The Pain : Sports And Injury

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Playing Through The Pain
The year was 1979 when Jack Youngblood broke his fibula in a divisional match-up against the Cowboys, an injury that would knock any sane person out for the season. But no, Youngblood threw a plastic cast over his leg, played in the NFC Championship a week later, and the Super Bowl a week after that. (Block, 2013) Believe it or not, this scenario and many like it happen every year in every level of competitive sports. Playing with an injury can be very serious and can have life altering consequences. Athletes are supposed to be tough and maintain a positive attitude while regularly playing through pain. (Heil, 1993) When they are forced to sit out because of an injury, they should be focused and driven to return to play as quickly as possible. They should rest, rehabilitate and then trust that their bodies are ready to go full speed upon their return.
This is the idealistic view of sport and injury. However, the reality is that injuries are an unavoidable byproduct of being an athlete and the transition from “active athlete” to “injured athlete” and back to “active athlete” does not always occur without complications.
Injured athletes struggle with fear, frustration, anger and sometimes depression during their time away from sport, which may even prevent them from following their rehabilitation program effectively. Additionally, the return to sport itself yields a new set of adversities as athletes must navigate through personal fears and a

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