Welcome to Out Of Bounds, a place where young athletes can connect and share stories about personal journeys, triumphs, and struggles. Feel free to post your story, or join the discussion.
Welcome to Out Of Bounds, a place where young athletes can connect and share stories about personal journeys, triumphs, and struggles. Feel free to post your story, or join the discussion.
Hey Jack, Elise here… I want to share my story from this past year because my struggle with mental health has also been linked to injury. After I graduated from GSB, I was set to go to the Coast Guard Academy, play softball, and eventually serve my country. I went into summer training and received a serious concussion that sent me home; no softball, and no Academy; my dreams put on hold. They told me I could come back next year, but that meant that I would have to have a plan to get through this year. For the first couple months of being home I struggled because I felt like I was just lost. Recovery almost seemed like a chore, and without softball, I almost did not know who I was anymore. But things have been turning around for me. I enrolled in Community College and realized that I can receive my associates degree within two semesters and graduate early. I realized my newfound love for writing, and just spending more time outdoors… going for walks with my dog, spending time at a park. My recovery process is almost done, and soon I will be able to go back to playing softball; playing for the Community College was kind of unexpected for me, but I realized that these girls on this team are like my new second family. I can’t wait to start the season with them once I get cleared. And of course, I will continued writing and enjoying the outdoors, because now it is a part of who I am.
I know I am rambling on, but I guess my point is, everyone faces bumps in the road. Dealing with it mentally can be tough at times, but it is these bumps in the road that make us stronger, and make us who we are today.
Elise, thank you so much for being courageous enough to share your story. I’m so sorry to hear about your concussion, but you really turned it into something positive. When we get knocked down, it’s so important to find the light in it and remind ourselves that we’re more than our sport. It’s inspiring the way you turned this hardship around: spending more time in nature, with your family, making new friendships, loving to write. Your strength and ability to redirect your problems into positives is something I hope all athletes can be able to do.
Again, thanks so much for sharing and a big good luck to you in your season and in college.
Great info!
During high school, as a result of my success in my freshman season, I was rewarded an “Honorable Mention”. As I continued to succeed and have a season that I had always dreamed of, I came out of freshman year with my head held high, eager to continue playing the year after. Fast forwarding to my sophomore season, it felt as though my dreams had been wrecked in front of me. I developed a shoulder injury over the winter which limited me from performing to the best of my abilities. I went from being a guaranteed starter to being a close last option. Expectedly, this took a heavy toll on my mental health. My statistics for that year were very subpar. As a result, I almost had to “re-learn” the correct way to throw and hit. The summer season leading into my junior year with my club team was the biggest summer for me. This summer was when I would be watched by many college coaches, hoping to get recruited. Playing in college was my inspiration. So, I worked harder than I had ever before. I worked out, took extra reps, and most of all, I believed in myself. I believed that I would get past this slump I was in and I would come out of the other end stronger and better than ever; I did just that. In my junior softball season, I was recognized with more awards than I ever thought I was capable of receiving. This new and strong momentum led me to have a fantastic summer season with my club team. The lesson that I learned and will hold onto forever is: dreams will not come true if you don’t believe that you CAN.
That’s it. It’s all about confidence in yourself. YOu need to know that you can get through something like this. You can believe in yourself. You can overcome this. Thank you so much for sharing your story.
Similar to Jack, my struggle with mental health has also been linked to injury. As a member of the Canadian national team, fencing has been my life. However, after tearing my UCL and requiring UCL repair surgery, my world was turned upside down. My regimented training schedule turned into free time that I didn’t know what to do with. I was forced to find myself beyond fencing and discover new passions.
Very inspiring, Jeremiah. That’s what it’s all about. We are not chained to our sport. It isn’t our identity. Your ability to overcome this mental conflict is what I hope to see many younger athletes start to do in the future.