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 grief athletes
Guilt, Shame, and the Sidelined Athlete
Guilt, Shame, and the Sidelined Athlete

As a former sidelined athlete I can tell you that guilt and shame were very specific feelings I experienced when I medically-retired. At the time, I really didn’t feel like I had the right to grieve and I was ashamed of how depressed I had become. I didn’t realize that it was normal - more importantly - that it was OKAY to be mourning the end of my athletic career. Changing the narrative starts with understanding where the guilt and shame behind medical retirement comes from.

An athlete’s natural mindset in performing is to overcome and defeat opponents. To win. But what happens when you can’t even compete?

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Becoming SidelinedChristine Pinaltoretired athletes, grief loss of sport, grief athletes, guilt loss sport, struggling loss of sport, struggling injury sport, sidelined athlete, sidelined, medical retirement, medically disqualified athlete, support medically disqualified athlete, Help Athletes Career Ending Injuries, help medically disqualified athlete, helping sidelined athletes, medical disqualification, helping an athlete medical retirement, how to help an athlete with medical disqualification, loss of sport, identity crisis, guilt athlete
Becoming Sidelined: Understanding the Grief Process
Becoming Sidelined: Understanding the Grief Process

Permanently sidelined athletes can expect to go through a grieving process as they adjust to their new reality of life beyond their sport. Research shows that most sidelined athletes experience the same stages of grief. Understanding what an athlete can expect to experience when coping with the loss of his/her sport can be a powerful piece of knowledge, both for the athlete and his/her family.

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Becoming Sidelined, Meaningful SupportChristine Pinaltogrief loss of sport, loss of sport, career-ending injury, sidelined, medical retirement, medical disqualification, grief athletes, loss athletes, end of sports career