Sidelined USA
Supporting, resourcing, and advocating for permanently-sidelined student-athletes

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Insightful articles for helping permanently-sidelined athletes find a meaningful way forward.

Posts tagged athletes identity
Beyond the Game: Harnessing Your Competitive Edge for Life
Beyond the Game: Harnessing Your Competitive Edge for Life

The room is so very bland.  That icky not-quite-beige, not-quite-white color.  My heart is racing. Tiny beads of sweat are starting to form on my forehead.  I can’t sit still, my legs bouncing in nervous anticipation. The doctor walks in, his face as bland as the walls.  I try to make a read on what’s coming next, but can’t. File folder in hand, he sits down. 

“Well, it is not good news.  Your MRI shows a full thickness tear in your meniscus.  I think we can fix it, but it would be my recommendation that you never skate again.” 

Wait, what?!  What did he just say? 

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Beyond The GameChristine PinaltoSidelined athletes, sidelined athlete, sidelined athletes, sidelined, coaches sidelined athletes, parents sidelined athletes, helping sidelined athletes, forever sidelined, permanently sidelined, Recommendations Permanently Sidelined Athletes, athletic trainers sidelined athletes, career ending injury, Career Ending Injuries, career ending injuries, medical disqualification, end to sports career, Help Athletes Career Ending Injuries, medically disqualified athlete, athletes identity, athletic identity, competitive edge, competitive spirit, athlete for life, athlete, athletes with depression, athletic injury, MDQ athlete, life beyond the game, transition sports, post sports days, sport retirement, loss of sport
Becoming Sidelined: The Loss of Athletic Identity
Becoming Sidelined: The Loss of Athletic Identity

For athletes forced to discontinue their sport due to injury or health condition, the mental journey towards acceptance and internal healing can be confusing, complicated, and flat out brutal.  

Permanently-sidelined athletes have described their grief as feeling as though a part of them has died. Sports psychologists refer to this as “losing the athletic identity”. One of the hardest parts of processing the loss of ability to compete in sport is feeling like you don’t know who you are without your sport. 

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Becoming Sidelined, Meaningful SupportChristine PinaltoSidelined athletes, sidelined athlete, parents sidelined athletes, coaches sidelined athletes, athletic trainers sidelined athletes, athletic identity, loss of sport, sports psychology, end to sports career, career ending injury, Career Ending Injuries, identity crisis, athletes identity
Becoming Sidelined: Managing Negative Self-Talk
Becoming Sidelined: Managing Negative Self-Talk

Being forced to retire from competing in a sport that you love is objectively heartbreaking. You’re allowed (even encouraged) to let yourself feel every negative emotion that comes with grieving the loss of a really important aspect of your life and identity. What remains important throughout this process though, is that you treat yourself with kindness and patience. You owe it to yourself to alter any internal-dialogues which threaten to convince you that these circumstances are more disastrous than you are strong.

As we begin to analyze our internal dialogues, we should be wary of unhelpful thought patterns that have manifested themselves so deeply that they impact our entire perception of the world, our experiences, and ourselves. These thoughts are not reality-based and overtime they are reinforced, resulting in biases, irrational thoughts, and groundless beliefs.

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Becoming SidelinedChristine PinaltoSidelined athletes, sidelined athlete, sidelined athletes, sidelined, coaches sidelined athletes, parents sidelined athletes, helping sidelined athletes, forever sidelined, permanently sidelined, athletic trainers sidelined athletes, career ending injury, Career Ending Injuries, career ending injuries, cardiomyopathy athletes, end to sports career, early retirement sports, emotional recovery, self-talk, depression athletes, teen athletes, retired athletes, healing athletes, sports psychologist, sports psychology, sport retirement, sport retirement concussion, sports coping strategies, loss of sport, transition sports, coping mechanisms sports, internal healing sports injury, internal coping mechanisms sports, negative self talk, cognitive distortions, athletes identity, athletic injury, athletic trainers, Athletes Heart Conditions, brain health risk, TBI sports, concussions athletes, connective tissue disorders athletes, coping strategies, mental health athletes, heart conditions athletes, Athletes Forced Retirement, internal coping strategies, internal coping skills, internal coping mechanisms, life beyond the game, mental vigilance, Recommendations Permanently Sidelined Athletes, repeat concussions