Rebuilding Safety After Outdoor Sports Trauma
Many athletes love and enjoy their time outside engaging in the sport of their choice, whether it be cycling, running, football/soccer, field hockey, swimming, basketball, etc. It can happen where an athlete becomes injured or has an outdoor sports accident that leaves a lasting impact. When we are talking about outdoor accidents this may include being hit by a car while cycling, having a near drowning experience, or getting injured while running on the trail and not having help nearby. The lasting impact may not just be physical. It could be mental or a combination of both physical and mental. In this case, we are talking about the mental impact after a doctor has cleared the athlete and the gear is ready to go, but as soon as the athlete sees the trail, the mountain, or the water, their body completely freezes up. In this case it isn’t a lack of grit, mental fortitude, devotion, determination, or lack of passion. Rather, it is a highly intelligent, automatic survival mechanism where the brain, particularly the amygdala, is doing its job by sending a signal of danger in effort to keep the athlete alive. So, then how do we work with experience to get back out there? Enter the bottom-up approach. And, as we dive in please remember that this blog post is not intended to be mental health advice, treatment, or a plan. Rather it is meant to bring hope and know that trauma is not the end of enjoying a sport.
The Difference Between Treating Trauma and Being Trauma-Informed in the World of Sports
For the past two weeks we have been talking about the importance of being trauma-informed when working with athletes. We now reach a point where we need to discuss the difference between treating trauma and being trauma-informed. While both aim to support athletes, they are two different scopes of practice, clinical boundaries, and ultimate objectives. So let’s dive into our discussion!
Trauma-Informed Approach to Sports and Working Athletes Part 2
This week we continue with our discussion about the importance of a trauma-informed approach in sport psychology. Our focus switches to 6 Guiding Principles of a Trauma-Informed Approach introduced by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2018). As a gentle reminder, the 6 Guiding Principles are the daily behavioral values used to achieve the R’s discussed last week.
Trauma-Informed Approach to Sports and Working Athletes Part 1
Many of us have heard the old athletic mantra: Leave your problems at the locker room door or something similar. For decades, traditional sports culture has demanded that performers push through pain, bury their emotions, and rely on sheer "mind over matter" to win. This approach has cost many athletes when it comes to their mental health and from a neurobiological perspective. The leave your problems in the locker room approach ignores a fundamental truth: the body keeps score, and athletes cannot simply uncouple their lived histories from their physical performance.
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