GARY'S Injuredor

There there are few more “touchy” subjects among coaches than dealing with an “injured” or “hurt” player In professional environments a Head Coach may have a group of trusted advisors – be that Biokineticists, Physiotherapists and masseurs who can provide clarity on any particular injury and the rest and recovery needed for full rehabilitation. In more amateur environments this objectivity can quickly turn to subjectivity as the player controls his desire to play or not play as well as the less qualified coach making his mind up of what he determines is fit or unfit to play Here are some guidelines to consider to make this period as valuable and beneficial for all parties.

I recently read a book by Rob Roy named The Navy Seal Art of War. As the title suggests he is a former Navy Seal and now leadership consultant As the commander of Navy Seal Team 5 and being challenged in as rugged and challenging environments as is humanly possible he provides insight into this particular subject. His theory – although very simple – is are you injured or are you hurt? These two words are not to be confused. The distinction between the two is if you injured –“you are out”, if you are hurting –“you play on”.

His advice on the subject, “If you are hurting, you feel pain, you are uncomfortable, the difference is that you can still perform if you are hurt. You can play through the pain, walk it off, get back up, keep going”. Injured then means you are “done, out, sidelined. You need treatment and time to heal in order to successfully recover”. His final comment on the subject, “If you quit every time you feel pain you will never succeed at anything, but if you are truly injured and you have to leave the arena, you are someone who went down fighting.”

So how do you manage these two spaces effectively enough in order to make the best possible decision for the individual and the team?

Drawing a distinction between the two with the players prior to the season is a very important factor. Once a player buys in to the definition of each of these he can then make a much more informed decision as to which category he fits and thus so can the coach. This provides clarity in both parties mind and provides congruence and informed decision making.