“ I’ve unfortunately faced a series of surgeries and setbacks over the last few years. While I feel like I have a supportive group of friends, I don’t feel like my primary coach has been that understanding of the mental toll that this has taken on me or how to navigate a game plan through my recovery, even though she’s successfully done that in the past with me as injuries have come up.  She doesn’t feel approachable to talk to and rarely reaches out to me. While I know she isn’t my therapist, I feel like I should be able to have honest conversations with her. When I’m not injured, I normally spend several hours a week 1:1 with her during my lessons. Every time I’ve approached her to sit down and discuss goals, she has objected saying that we cannot set goals with the unknowns of injury and recovery. I don’t know if I need to sit down and have a conversation, or just find a different coaching team, even though we’ve worked together for over 10 years. Any suggestions on how to navigate this?"

—Kat

In season 8 of The Injured Athletes Club podcast, mental skills coach Carrie Jackson answers a question every other week about the mental side of overcoming injuries. 

 

Kat isn’t alone in having conflicts with a coach during an injury—it can be particularly challenging when someone you’re counting on to support you doesn’t show up for you in the way you’d hoped.

 

Navigating these dynamics may require a hard conversation and what Coach Carrie calls radical honesty: Explaining clearly how you’re feeling and channeling curiosity and non-judgment to find out her side of the story, and how you can both move forward.

 

Resources/links:

• Our book Rebound: Train Your Mind to Bounce Back Stronger from Sports Injuries

 

A huge thank you to LEVER Movement, the exclusive sponsor of season 8 of The Injured Athletes Club podcast! The LEVER system is an innovative way to reduce your body weight, and the impact on your joints, while exercising on a treadmill. Use the code “TIAC20” to get 20% off your purchase. 

 

You can subscribe to The Injured Athletes Club on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Audible, Amazon Music, or wherever you get your podcasts, and if you like what you hear, please leave us a rating or a review in Apple podcasts. That helps other injured athletes find the show.

 

To access more resources for injured athletes:

• Buy Rebound: Train Your Mind to Bounce Back Stronger from Sports Injuries —now available as an audiobook!
• Buy Injured Athletes Club merchandise, including hoodies, stickers, patches, journals, mugs, hats, and gift cards
• Access webinar videos, mental rehab e-courses, and more great resources for injured athletes while supporting our work
• Join The Injured Athletes Club mailing list, for news and updates
• Join The Injured Athletes Club Facebook group, for support and camaraderie
• Like The Injured Athletes Club Podcast Facebook page, for the latest episodes
• Email us at [email protected] with questions, guest suggestions, or other feedback

 

DISCLAIMER: This content is for educational & informational use only and & does not constitute medical advice. Do not disregard, avoid or delay obtaining medical or health related advice from your health-care professional because of something you may have heard in an episode of this podcast. You should not rely on this information as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please consult with a qualified medical professional for proper evaluation & treatment. Guests who speak on this podcast express their own opinions, experiences, and conclusions, and The Injured Athletes Club podcast hosts nor any company providing financial support endorses or opposes any particular treatment option discussed in the episodes of this podcast and are not responsible for any actions or inactions of listeners based on the information presented. The use of any information provided is solely at your own risk.