01 | Mindset and Injuries

Sport injuries are hard. When athletes are injured, they are often left on their own to mentally muscle through. This course will help you understand the psychology of sport injuries with the goal of increasing your understanding of your own mindset during your injury, rehabilitation, and return to play process. First, we need to explore two basic sport psychology concepts: Motivation and Identity.

Motivation

If you are an athlete you know this term. You know what it feels like to have it and what it feels like when it is low or absent. What you might not know are these dimensions and types of motivation.

Identity

If you are an athlete you know this term. You know what it feels like to have it and what it feels like when it is low or absent. Our identity is a combination of our values and our choices. The more we identify as something, the more motivated we are to engage in behaviors that align with that identity. Think about it, when you get dressed you are expressing your identity. You wear your favorite team’s logos, you wear your own player number, you dress in a way that aligns with how you see yourself and want others to see you. We socialize with others who also identify the way we do.