Riding the Bench: What’s It Like Being Injured as an Athlete?

Regardless of who you are, being injured is the worst. Having a broken toe, torn ligament, or cracked rib is an absolute nightmare, especially if you have to go to school or work while injured. However, for athletes of all levels, being injured is not only painful and inconvenient, but also possibly season, or career, ending.

Every season, more and more kids come to school in those big, plastic knee braces with the dial on the side. Passersby, whether they are athletes or non-athletes, recognize this as the calling card of the ACL, MCL, or meniscus tear--or possibly all three at once. This injury is one of the worst for an athlete to receive, as it keeps most of those it affects out of play for six months to a year.

During last year’s lacrosse season, I tore my right TFCC, which is the ligament connecting the hand to the ulna. After continuing to play and train with the injury for about four months, I progressively became unable to ignore the reality of my condition; during the tail-end of my field hockey season, I was not able to practice because the pain was so severe. In my very last fall lacrosse game before finally deciding to take time off, I re-tore the ligament to the point that I could not feel my pinky and ring fingers. I was then completely out of commission for six weeks. As I walked around the school with my bulky wrist brace, I started to pay more attention to the other students who had similar appliances. Because of how my injury affected me as an athlete, I wanted to find a way to help people like me, who were struggling through their recoveries. In the past month, I interviewed three injured NHS student-athletes to hear their perspectives on the topic, and find out what advice they might have for someone recently injured.

The first athlete I interviewed was Needham High School diver Cat Bryan, who suffered three stress fractures in her back due to gymnastics. According to Cat, coming back was worse each time. Due to her injuries, she had to wear a hard brace for 23 hours a day, and was sidelined for three months each time she was injured. When asked about her time spent on the sidelines, Cat stated, “it felt so diminishing and discouraging--I loved supporting my teammates but felt jealous because I wanted to be able to compete and train with them. Everyone was getting better as I felt my strength slipping away.” Furthermore, Cat described how she almost quit gymnastics several times due to her injuries and the frustration that came with them. Being an athlete is a huge part of her identity, and due to her injuries, she was, as she said, “stripped of it.” The idea of having your identity stolen from you by an injury is familiar to me and many other athletes who have been injured, and this specific idea is part of what makes an injury such a miserable thing to endure. In my opinion, recovering is more difficult than initially being injured. The process is long, grueling, and frustrating, but 100% worth it. Cat Bryan’s message to athletes in recovery is to “find other ways to keep active.” Cat continues with, “look for a silver lining. Your body needs rest, and as frustrating as it is now, try to channel it into motivation to come back better and stronger.”

The second athlete I interviewed was Chloe Demaio, a player on the NHS girls’ volleyball team, which won the state championship this year. Chloe tore her ACL and meniscus, and sprained her MCL at a volleyball training camp while jumping in celebration after serving an ace. “It was definitely challenging to watch the whole season from the sidelines, especially because it was such an important season, with the state championship victory,” explained Chloe, when asked about how she felt being sidelined during the 2021 season. She added, “I’m so lucky to have had such amazing teammates and such an amazing coach that still made me feel like a part of the team even from the sidelines.” Next, I asked Chloe the same question I asked Cat: What would her advice be to an athlete who had suffered a significant injury? Chloe responded, “keep the mindset that everything happens for a reason, and you’re going to come back stronger than ever. Stay positive, because it’s so easy to slip into a dark place when you aren’t able to enjoy a sport that you love.” She then finished her interview with the statement that injured athletes should “find another way to help your team, like keeping stats throughout the season. This will help you feel like you have a place on the team.”

The final athlete I interviewed was Monica Iriti, a player for Needham High School’s girls’ soccer team. Monica tore her ACL six months ago, and has been sidelined ever since. “It was mentally challenging and all I wished was to be able to help my team on the field, but I had a good time cheering on my teammates and helping them from the sidelines,” she told me during the interview; “being on the sidelines was not ideal, but I tried to make the best of it.” I then asked Monica what her advice would be to an injured athlete, and she answered, “It’s going to be really hard at times, but being there to support your teammates and watching the game from an outside perspective can teach you a lot about the sport you play! Also, work on seeing progress in smaller increments, because then you’ll see how far you’re coming!” Monica had a very optimistic outlook on being injured, continuing with, “it’s important to look at the positive sides of recovery and step up into a role on the sideline to give advice and support your teammates! It’s important to stay a part of the team and act as a leader, even off the field!” In fact, Monica was voted as team captain for next season, showing it is possible to be a strong leader from the sidelines.

Cat, Chloe, and Monica are three amazing people, friends, and athletes who have provided me with new perspectives on injuries, recovery, and my duty to be there for my team, even when I might not be able to play. I hope that every injured athlete reading this, whether you’re out for a week or for a year, knows that you are not alone and that there are plenty of people who will help you along the way as you recover. One of the best parts of being an athlete is being part of a community where we can all support each other, regardless of the sport we play.

Thank you so much to Cat, Chloe, and Monica for taking the time to talk with me about injuries! Here’s to hoping we all stay out of physical therapy next year.