3. Statistics l Estimates of 5-15 million adults and children injured each year in sport, exercise and recreational settings l Almost 100% of the 1200 NFL players will have some injury during a season

4. How are psychological factors involved in sports injury? l Precursors to injury l Influencing recovery l Influencing future play

5. Antecedents to injury l Physical factors –Physical shape (e.g., fitness level; muscle imbalances) –Overtraining –Poor nutrition –Fatigue

6. Antecedents to injury l Behavioral & External factors –Hyper-aggressive participation Bill Johnson

7. Antecedents to injury l Behavioral & External factors –Hyper-aggressive participation –Playing surface / conditions / equipment –Opponent (in some sports) –Situation (e.g., playoffs)

8. Antecedents to injury l Psychological factors –Personality (e.g., sensation-seeking, competitive trait anxiety) –Stress l Studies l Theory explaining stress-injury relationship –Psychological skills / coping

9. Stress and injury model

10. Antecedents to injury l Social factors –Reinforcement in sport for aggressive (risky?) play –Win-at-all-costs attitude –Playing with pain (“No pain, no gain”)

11. Psychological aspects of injury and rehabilitation HOW WILL AN ATHLETE RESPOND TO INJURY AND THE REHABILITATION PROCESS? l Personal factors –Personality factors (e.g., hardiness) –History of injury / previous rehab experiences –Sense of identity as an athlete

12. Psychological aspects of injury and rehabilitation l Situational factors –The nature of the injury itself –Time in season and playing status –Accessibility to rehab –Others around athlete (do they disappear? become overattentive?)

13. Psychological aspects of injury and rehabilitation l Cognitive appraisal –Athletes interpret what the injury is going to do to them –What athlete says to him or herself l “Why me?” l “Will I ever return to my previous ability level?” l “I’m never going to be able to...” l “What does this injury mean for my salary/scholarship/future?” l “What is the best way to rehab?” l “Will my teammates stick by me?” –Coping style (optimistic vs. pessimistic; problem-solver)

14. Psychological aspects of injury and rehabilitation l Emotional reactions –Often follow from the cognitive appraisal –Can run the gamut of emotions l shock / disbelief l fear l self-pity l anger l loss of confidence l depression / grief (Picabo Street video)

15. Picabo Street "I went through a huge depression," Ms. Street said. "I went all the way to rock bottom. I never thought that I ever would experience anything like that in my life."

16. Picabo Street “I think it was a combination of the atrophying of my legs, the new scars, and feeling like a caged animal," Ms. Street said. "I went from being a very physical person, a very powerful athlete, to barely having any strength to get from my room to the kitchen. You're stuck and you can't do what you normally do and it makes you crazy."

17. Psychological aspects of injury and rehabilitation l Behavioral responses –Adherence to rehab regimen –Acting tough OR being too fearful –Returning too quickly to practice / competition –Drug abuse (e.g., painkillers) –How athlete deals with setbacks

18. Psychological aspects of injury and rehabilitation l Benefits? –Personal growth / perspective / development of identity –Psychological performance enhancement –Physical technical improvement

19. Facilitating recovery from injury l Education l Goal-setting l Cognitive-restructuring l Imagery l Relaxation / Stress-management l Staying active with the team / sport l Social support (e.g., support groups for injured athletes)