Injuries Effects on Athletes

http://blogs.theadvocate.com/

         In my overall blog posts I learned that in any sport at anytime you can get injured, and after your injury you may make an extraordinary recovery or not make one at all. Sometimes you can control how you recover and sometimes you do not have that luxury. Looking back on my blog posts I will highlight some of the key ideas and quotes.
When you are starting college on scholarship, there seems like there is nothing that could go wrong. Then you realize that it could all be taken away if you plant on your knee the wrong way in practice. Injury, although sometimes is very treatable, triggers a number of emotional responses. According to an article on NCAA.org, the emotional responses include, “sadness, isolation, irritation, lack of motivation, anger, frustration, changes in appetite, sleep disturbance, and disengagement.” All of these can be signs of mental illnesses because of injuries that not just affected your performance in the sport you love, but also could have taken away your free education and a chance at the next level.
It seems like there is nothing better than being a pro athlete, but is it really worth not being able to run around and play with your  kids at a young age? A former pro athlete chimed in on it. According to an article from the Washington Post a former offensive lineman, Pete Kendall states, “I can’t run anymore,” he then goes on to say that, “I can’t play basketball with my kids, can’t walk for any extended distance.” This definitely makes people realize the effects that playing a professional sport does to you. You have to wonder that if Kendall could go back would he change his path in life, and just play in college and get a degree so he can be effective in the work force?
Another point I would like to make is that all injuries are not career ending. Actually some people make remarkable recoveries and come back and compete at a championship level. I will refresh you on a few people who made it through a terrible injury. Niki Lauda- He was “one of the best drivers” in Formula 1 history who was trapped in a fire, and went into a coma. Surprisingly, he was back racing in six weeks, and took 4th place in the Italian GP. This in my opinion is one of the biggest miracles in all of sports to be in a coma and then a few weeks later be back to the sport that you love. This shows that athletes can come back from terrible injuries and still make an impact. Maria Sharapova- She was a tennis player who was “dominating every court,” despite a nagging shoulder injury that took her out of play and into surgery. Many thought that she would never be the same, and some thought she would never even return. But through vigorous rehab she was back on the court in a year. She won the French Open capping off an already impressive career making her one of the best to ever play. No matter what sport you are returning to I admire someone who can come back and play at such a high level.
I concluded that it truly depends on the person, if it is really worth playing professional sports, and risking injury.