Changing Your Sport

After a bad sports injury, many athletes are forced to abandon their primary sport and switch to a completely different sport. Although this is certainly better than giving up on sports and physical...

After a bad sports injury, many athletes are forced to abandon their primary sport and switch to a completely different sport. Although this is certainly better than giving up on sports and physical activity entirely as a result of a major injury, athletes who are forced to switch up their sport often do so with a heavy heart. It’s not easy to give up a sport that you are passionate about, but if an injury sidelines you permanently then sometimes you will have no other choice than to choose a different sport or physical activity to pursue.

Some people do not have any problem with making a switch, especially if the sport they have to give up is one that they don’t have a particularly strong desire to play anyhow. For example, a person who occasionally skis, but who does not have a true passion for the activity, may readily give up the activity after a bad injury without so much as a second thought. On the other hand, someone who looks forward to skiing every year – or who makes a living from being a ski instructor or as a professional competitive skier – will have a much tougher time in this transition. Something about sports injuries already feels unfair to some people, especially when the injury isn’t the person’s fault at all, but when it essentially ends a person’s involvement in a certain sport it can be devastating.

Ending involvement in a favorite sport or physical activity is something that you may actually need a little time to mourn, particularly if the sport was a really big part of your life. You may choose to remain involved as a spectator or as a coach, but some athletes have such a difficult time with not being able to play that they prefer to make a clean break from the sport.

Unless your injury is bad enough to limit all your physical activity, it’s a good idea to try taking on a different sport. You don’t want to lose all of your physical activities, and you never know when you may find a different sport that you can develop a real passion for. Try to find a sport which does not require you to use whatever part of your body has the tender injury. A tennis player who is told to never play tennis again due to a shoulder injury may be able to jump right into another sport that does not require as much shoulder involvement, such as soccer or another sport that concentrates more on the legs than anything else. A physical therapist that specializes in sports injuries can probably help you decide which sports your injury will allow you to do, but if you try a certain sport and find that it aggravates your preexisting injury then keep looking. The point is to find a sport or physical activity which will allow your full participation, even with your injury. You may be surprised at the fun and exciting sports you can engage in with certain chronic conditions.

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