3 Social support in sport injury rehabilitation

Social support can be defined as ‘an exchange of resources between two individuals perceived by the provider or the recipient to be intended to enhance the well-being of the recipient’ (Corbillon et al., 2008, p. 94). Social support can be provided by different people around the injured athlete such as the coach, team mates, physiotherapist, sports therapist, friends or family.

At first glance, social support may not seem like a psychological technique, but its potential impact on an injured athlete is extremely powerful. It can mediate some of the psychological stresses of being injured. Being able to talk to someone about how being injured is making you feel is an important therapy for an athlete or exercise participant. If you have regular and close contact with an injured person you can be a key source of social support. Simply by talking and listening to the injured person you can make them feel better and more positive.

When talking to an injured athlete, ask them about the emotional and psychological aspects of their injury as well as the standard physical aspects. This will help the athlete to come to terms with their feelings. Using effective counselling skills such as active listening in your interactions with injured athletes may help improve your social support skills. Active listening can be thought of as listening with a purpose in a way that makes the speaker feel listened to. Other counselling skills that may improve interactions with injured athletes and exercise participants include being empathetic, non-judgemental and genuine (a ‘person-centred approach’). These are summarised in Figure 3.

You can also help to encourage social support from sources other than yourself. Some of the negative consequences of injury such as loss of identity and loneliness occur because contact is lost with team mates and coaches when an athlete is injured.

In Section 6 you saw that Lois was experiencing these feelings. Her support team addressed this by scheduling her rehabilitation sessions alongside team training sessions to encourage her to maintain contact and social support from her coach and team mates.

Lois’s story has parallels with the athlete in the video below, Arielle Sanders (rower), who initially felt very isolated following injury. She then received social support from a support group (Athletes Connected) and through remaining involved with her team mates when she could no longer compete.

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Transcript: Video 3

[MUSIC PLAYING]

ARIELLE SANDERS

When I started at the University of Michigan, I had no idea I would have the opportunity to walk onto the rowing team. I immediately fell in love with the sport and the team. Every aspect of my life revolved around the team, and I didn't want it any other way.

During the fall of my junior year, everything changed. I became injured and had to medically redshirt for the rest of the season. I was devastated. What was I supposed to do without rowing? Being away from my teammates, unable to practise or compete, made me sick to my stomach. Negative thoughts ran through my mind.

I spent most of that year crying, feeling sorry for myself. I went from everything in my day to day revolving around rowing and my teammates to isolating myself to numb the pain. I felt like a failure. I was scared and embarrassed to ask for help.

This same year, Athletes Connected was created. I started attending Athletes Connected meetings. These meetings helped me realise that I shouldn't suffer in silence. I began to open up to my coaches and close friends. Learning how to communicate my feelings during these meetings was important for my mental health while being injured. With the injury rehabbed, I came back in the fall of the next year ecstatic to be back training with my favourite team.

Within the first week of practise, I was injured again. I was devastated. Through that year, I worked with my athletic trainer, and I was able to come back at the end of the season. But I did not contribute in the way I wanted. Fast forward to the beginning of my fifth year, I was still suffering from lingering injuries. My coaches and I decided that it was time to medically retire.

I had recently been elected as one of the captains by my teammates, and I felt that by seeking medical retirement, I was giving up and letting my team down. But in reality, it was the opposite. I was met with unwavering support. My coach asked me if I wanted to still be captain and take on a new role as a student coach. It took me a long time to accept that my rowing career was over. But I had a new place to put my passion for the team and rowing.

Athletes Connected and our athletic counsellors helped me realise that my sport does not define me. Even though I was not contributing to the team physically, I could still contribute by being a great leader and a great teammate. Although my journey was a roller coaster of ups and downs and different than I could have ever imagined, I am forever grateful for the experience. Michigan and Michigan rowing has changed my life for the better.

STEVE CONNELLY

We are one community.

CAROLINE MANDEL

You perform best when you're physically and mentally healthy.

JEVON MOORE

Asking for help is a sign of strength.

End transcript: Video 3

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Video 3

You’ve seen that social support is important, but what does good social support look like? You’ll explore this next.