Essay On Sporting Injuries

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2.1 Introduction
Sporting injuries can be a very stressful, emotional and sensitive time for that of an athlete. Whether the athlete be recreational or elite, the prevalence of injury can be a traumatic, nerve-wracking experience. For competitive athletes in particular, there can be heightened levels of despair, frustration, fury and confusion with add-on effects such as loss-of confidence and fear of returning to the game (Evans et al 2006). According to Marjorie (1997) the occurrence of an injury not only temporarily incapacitates but places an athlete in a world with no guarantees or predictable outcomes. Injury rehabilitation is an essential element which allows injured athletes to return to previous fitness and begin to again play their chosen sport. However a hindrance of an athlete’s performance and return may be due to the psychological images, thoughts and judgements which fill the athlete’s head. Sports injuries are extremely common and have huge prevalence rates worldwide. According to Nicholl, et al (2003), it is estimated that 29.7million sporting injuries occur in Ireland and the British Isles and a total of 991 million euro can be attributed towards treatment and at loss of working days. Walden et al (2005) found in a prospective study that the injury frequency among international elite soccer players was 9.4 injuries per 1000 hours of sport related activity of any sort. In addition, Hagglund (2007) reported that 65% to 95% of players had at least one injury per year. Indeed, the sporting settings places frequent and rigorous strain on the body and almost universally involves the acceptance of a risk of injury, such universality is not evident in other occupational spheres (Flint 1998). Participation in sports is ex...

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...eational activities. (Emery, 200?). Although sporting injury is an increasing health concern, there has been limited research inspecting the psychological antecedents of perceived risk of sport injury. (Flint, 1998). Despite the huge advances in medical treatments which have notably condensed the time required for the physical healing of an injury, it occurs too often whereby the psychological essential responses are forgotten. This results in athletes whom are ready to return to sporting activity but are not yet psychologically recovered. With re-injury fears and prevention in mind, this present study further aims to explore the psychological process involved with injured athletes coping with injuries. It attempts to further review if those whom are physically ready to return to sport also contain the psychological readiness which is too often forgotten about.

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