Sidelined Athlete Support: Guidance for Parents of Sidelined Athletes
We understand how difficult this can be for not only your athlete but also you as well. Your athlete may or may not be opening up about what they’re feeling. They may be resistant to help. They may be isolating or turning to unhealthy coping mechanisms. So what can you do to break through and provide the best possible support as they go through this difficult transition? Today’s podcast guests can speak to this topic both professionally and personally. In this episode, a parent of a permanently-sidelined athlete interviews two sports psychologists who personally experienced a medical disqualification themselves. Listen in to glean insights from others who know first hand the challenges of helping a young person through the transition following a medically-forced exit from sport.
* Valuable insights for all members of the sidelined athlete support network: spouses, athletic trainers, coaches, as well!
Show Notes:
(1:50) Guest intros
(10:25) The sidelined athlete experience
(13:45) Advice for parents helping their son/daughter through this transition
- The process
- Timing of therapeutic help
- Triggering points
- Outward signs of inner turmoil
(17:30) Helping the athlete through the grief process
- Questions to ask athletes
- Importance of being a non-biased participant in grief process
- Understanding the purpose of emotions
- What true empathy looks like
- Avoiding “silver lining statements”
- Why denial isn’t “all bad”
- Why suggesting your own ideas may not be preferred
- Importance of “when the time is right”
- Offering an anchor of hope & confidence
(27:20) How parents can help alleviate the severity of identity loss
- Key questions to ask
- Identifying how values play into their identity
- Bringing the “athlete mentality” into whatever’s next
- Transitioning from reckoning/grief to “reinvention” phase
- The value of finding a professional for the athlete to talk to
- Tips for finding a sports psychologist
(37:11) Tips for getting the athlete to open up
- Talk with them while they are moving/active
- Open-ended questions
- Engaging again down the road
- Remind them that it’s a process and they can talk to you at any time
- Acknowledging they may prefer opening up to someone else
(42:22) The decision to stay involved with the team or not
- What serves the athlete best?
- How can the athlete stay connected to the people most important to the them?
- Trusting the instincts of the athlete
- Working through the pros and cons with the athlete
- The crux of the decision
(49:15) Unhealthy coping mechanisms/strategies to watch out for
- Substance abuse / numbing out
- Reckless behaviors
- Helping the athlete identify healthy ways to take a break from their hurt
- Isolation
- Pay attention to the duration of symptoms
- Depression symptoms
- Unbalanced reliance on romantic partner
(56:00) Conclusion/Wrap up
- Empathy as a learned skill
Additional Resources:
Finding a sports psychologist (as mentioned by Kelsey):
Sidelined USA resources:
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