Somebody's Injured: Now What?

#4 posting 1.7.2008
your daily dose of girls basketball news & information

Today Seashells and Balloons addresses a topic none of us want to think about – injuries.

Somebody's Injured: Now What?

It has been almost two months into the season and the games are really starting to stack up. And unfortunately, this is the time where injuries may slowly start to creep into a lineup, too. Injuries, from the season-ending, to a missed game or practice, can mean intense pain for not only the injured player. There are a whole lot of concerned parties. With all due respect to the Hippocratic oath, here are some humble prescriptions for everyone involved.

The Injured Player: Stay connected with your teammates. Attend all the practices (with your doctor’s approval) and show your support. It will mean a lot to your teammates to see they aren’t going it alone. At games, you can contribute even while sitting on the bench. Remember how much it helped to hear someone encourage you on the court? Do the same, especially for your replacement. Listen to your doctor and follow your rehab program to the letter. Listen to your body, and keep your priorities in line. Talk to someone else who has been injured. They can be a great friend. As hard as it is to wait, the most important thing for you is to come back healthy and prepared.

The Parents: This is your time to be the Silent MVP. Stay positive. Make sure your player is following doctor’s orders. Watch for signs of depression. They will feel left out, and let’s face it, you may too. Keep your feelings to yourself and be an advocate for your child if you feel they need to take off more time, or are ready to return to the team. No matter how bad you feel, find someone neutral to talk through it. Your kid already feels bad. Your job is to help them heal, help them gently see the life lessons, and make sure they don’t take their frustration out on the siblings.

The Teammates: You may have counted on the player a little too much. Now's the chance for someone else to step up. When treated the right way, an injury can actually make a team stronger. Keep the injured player involved as much as possible, and understand that no matter how much you still think of them as a teammate, they still feel awkward wearing street clothes on the bench. Give 100% when you are on the court and cherish each playing minute. And most of all, be empathetic; you never know when it could be you.

The Coach: Even though they may not believe it, you are hurting as bad as the injured player. But for now, it’s important to be as positive and as silent about the injury as the parents. (See above) You see, your opinion means the world to your players, but they may already be doubting enough on their own. Their pride is as fragile as their injured limb. They need to heal before they get back on the court, and there’s a fine line between gutting it out and coming back too early. Your thoughtful conversations with the trainer and the player will help you determine what is best. But you already know that.

The Trainer: Three cheers to the real MVP. You are treating so much more than a sprained ankle or a bruised shoulder. You are a grief counselor, you are an ally. One minute you are soothing a worried player, and the next, you’re reassuring a coach who is filled with questions. The great trainers are the careful listeners. You are an important resource at a time when a player doesn’t want to show weakness to anyone else on the team. Thank you for all the proactive steps you take, and for all the care you give. Make sure you have people in your court who take care of you the same way you treat the players. You deserve it.

Injuries are the defining moment for every team. How do players respond? Who steps up? How is chemistry affected? We all know that major growth points in our own lives have come when we have dealt with adversity. With a lot of positivity, hard work and team commitment, recovering from an injury can make a player and their team, hungrier and stronger than before.

Thanks Seashells & Balloons.

Here is hoping no one has to deal with this issue, but if you do, now you have a road map.

next up: Later this afternoon with the Grab Bag