Getting hurt anytime is a pain, literally, but in sports it’s even worse because not everyone can just shrug it off and keep playing through the pain. I know that in a lot of movies and shows there will be that one coach who doesn’t care if you got hurt; if it’s not broken or bleeding, then you get an angry wave from the coach to get back in the game. That can do a lot to any athlete, mentally, especially school-aged players. The pressure is to keep going and put on a brave face even though it’s hurting so badly that you want to cry.
I was never in sports myself as a child, other than the ones I was forced to play in P.E, but I do know that the pressure that kids go through from a coach, and even parents or aunts and uncles, can do more mentally to someone than they realize. Being able to sit out and let your wounds heal should be way more encouraged and respected than what is seen in the media. I know that if I had a child athlete, I would do whatever I can to make them recover faster, and I would never pressure them to shake it off and keep playing.
I think that coaches, parents, or other family members can see it as a weakness. Like the other team will see that as an opportunity to strike back. Sports can be dangerous. You can break an arm, leg, or foot, or you can even have worse damage. Although it’s not the same as sports, I was hurt on the job one year, and I was not given enough time to recover, and I suffered from it. If someone doesn’t let their injuries heal for as long as a doctor tells them to then they can reinjure it, or at least irritate the injury and it could end up being where they can’t play anymore at all.
I think that the most important thing is to let any athlete heal all the way, no pressure to continue, even if its just a few minutes to catch their breath, it’ll be better in the long run and save the risk of something worse!
