{"id":4729,"date":"2017-09-13T20:28:45","date_gmt":"2017-09-13T20:28:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/?p=4729"},"modified":"2025-07-10T07:57:10","modified_gmt":"2025-07-10T11:57:10","slug":"parents-helping-sports-kids-return-to-sports-after-injury","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/parents-helping-sports-kids-return-to-sports-after-injury\/","title":{"rendered":"Parents: Helping Sports Kids Return to Sports After Injury"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-4732\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/parents-helping-sports-kids-return-to-sports-after-injury-1.jpg\" alt=\"returning after injury\" width=\"600\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/parents-helping-sports-kids-return-to-sports-after-injury-1.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/parents-helping-sports-kids-return-to-sports-after-injury-1-300x150.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Overcoming_Fear_of_Reinjury_in_Youth_Sports\"><\/span>Overcoming Fear of Reinjury in Youth Sports<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 ez-toc-wrap-center counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/parents-helping-sports-kids-return-to-sports-after-injury\/#Overcoming_Fear_of_Reinjury_in_Youth_Sports\" >Overcoming Fear of Reinjury in Youth Sports<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/parents-helping-sports-kids-return-to-sports-after-injury\/#Upon_returning_from_an_injury_your_children_are_likely_to_worry_about_re-injury\" >Upon returning from an injury, your children are likely to worry about re-injury.<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/parents-helping-sports-kids-return-to-sports-after-injury\/#What_do_you_do_to_get_your_children_ready_to_return_from_an_injury\" >What do you do to get your children ready to return from an injury?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/parents-helping-sports-kids-return-to-sports-after-injury\/#Related_Articles_on_Kids_Mental_Game\" >Related Articles on Kids&#8217; Mental Game:<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/parents-helping-sports-kids-return-to-sports-after-injury\/#Improve_Your_Mental_Game_From_Anywhere_In_The_World\" >Improve Your Mental Game From Anywhere In The World<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<p><strong>A sports parent asks:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>&#8220;I notice my children tend to take a long time to mentally rebound after an injury, often not returning to regular form for weeks or months. Is this normal, and is there anything I can do about it?&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Returning from an <strong>injury<\/strong> is an issue that even professional athletes have a hard time dealing with. While injuries can damage an athlete physically, they can do just as much damage mentally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Upon_returning_from_an_injury_your_children_are_likely_to_worry_about_re-injury\"><\/span>Upon returning from an injury, your children are likely to worry about re-injury.<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>They will feel as if they are less then 100%, and will play warily as they think about the odds of re-injuring or further injuring themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They will be less sure of their physical limits and play with <strong>less confidence<\/strong> than usual. They will play <strong>less aggressively<\/strong> in an attempt to protect themselves from further harm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Playing <strong>cautiously<\/strong> and <strong>fearfully<\/strong> can hurt their confidence, especially if your kids fail to accomplish the things that seemed to be just average for them before the injury.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition, when they play <strong>tentatively,<\/strong> they don\u2019t take the risks needed to improve their performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>From here, you run the risk that they may want to take some time off, or quit altogether if their <strong>confidence<\/strong> is too low.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You need to get to the bottom of this injury-created lack of <strong>confidence.<\/strong> Otherwise, your kids may not return to the athletic form they previously enjoyed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While physical injuries put many athletes in retirement, the mental effects of injuries have caused players to give up the game far before their bodies were ready to hang it up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_do_you_do_to_get_your_children_ready_to_return_from_an_injury\"><\/span>What do you do to get your children ready to return from an injury?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>First, you have to manage your children&#8217;s expectations and assumptions. If your kids believe they will immediately do just as well as before the injury, they are in for an unfortunate surprise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Tell them it is normal to need a few games to get <strong>confidence<\/strong> back, and to not pressure themselves to perform well. Instead, tell them to <strong>focus<\/strong> on being comfortable in the game and finding the flow again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If, on the other hand, your kids think they will play badly because they\u2019re rusty, tell them that it doesn\u2019t matter how they play.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Once again, stress that they need time to re-acclimate to the game, and they should <strong>focus<\/strong> on re-establishing their <strong>confidence<\/strong> instead of performing up to the level that they are accustomed to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It takes time to get over the fears of returning to competition&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A great way to boost their <strong>confidence<\/strong> is to help them learn what to do just before a game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-dots\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"related-articles-on-hockey-mental-game\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Related_Articles_on_Kids_Mental_Game\"><\/span>Related Articles on Kids&#8217; Mental Game:<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/helping-sports-kids-build-a-growth-mindset\/\"><strong>Helping Sports Kids Build a Growth Mindset<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/help-sports-kids-face-unexpected-challenges\/\"><strong>Help Sports Kids Face Unexpected Challenges<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/how-proper-gear-boosts-confidence-when-coming-back-from-an-injury\/\"><strong>How Proper Gear Boosts Confidence When Coming Back From An Injury<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"block-f49818fa-7c7a-4ee3-b5ee-66581aad2c71\">*Subscribe to\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/sports-psychology-podcast-by-peaksports-com\/id152566009\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>The Sports Psychology Podcast<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0on iTunes<br>*Subscribe to <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/0ynyaalKxbnNmsoeL8gF5X?si=8224669de9b3435b\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Sports Psychology Podcast<\/a> <\/strong>on Spotify<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity is-style-dots\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Improve_Your_Mental_Game_From_Anywhere_In_The_World\"><\/span><strong>Improve Your Mental Game From Anywhere In The World<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/mental-training-for-young-athletes.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6868\" style=\"width:138px;height:auto\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>We\u2019re certain that, as a parent,&nbsp;you want to help your child develop confidence and discipline in sports and life.&nbsp;And as a sports parent, you\u2019d love for your children to reach their potential in sports.&nbsp;But encouraging your child to <strong>strive for greatness without pressuring them<\/strong> can be a challenge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can get expert mental coaching with us from anywhere. Meet with us via Zoom, Skype, FaceTime or phone call. With today\u2019s video technology, we are able to connect with athletes and coaches all over the globe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>Call Us Today to Schedule Your Free 15-Minute Session.<\/strong><br><strong>Find Out How Your Athlete Can Benefit From One-on-One Mental Coaching!<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Overcoming Fear of Reinjury in Youth Sports A sports parent asks: &#8220;I notice my children tend to take a long time to mentally rebound after an injury, often not returning to regular form for weeks or months. Is this normal, and is there anything I can do about it?&#8221; Returning &#8230; <a title=\"Parents: Helping Sports Kids Return to Sports After Injury\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/parents-helping-sports-kids-return-to-sports-after-injury\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Parents: Helping Sports Kids Return to Sports After Injury\">Read Sport Psychology Tip<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4733,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17,292,6],"tags":[617,618],"class_list":["post-4729","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports-parenting","category-sports-parents-success-tips","category-youth-sports-psychology-blog","tag-injury-in-youth-sports","tag-mental-toughness-in-youth-sports"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4729","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4729"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4729\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4733"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4729"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4729"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4729"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}