Team Behind the Comeback
When you’re experiencing a sport injury, recovery often feels like a solo battle.
Hours in the athletic training room, endless rehab reps, mental ups and downs. But the truth is, no athlete comes back alone.
Your “team behind the comeback” includes not just those helping you rehab your body, but the people who support your mind and spirit along the way.
Why a Support System Matters
Recovery isn’t just about bones, muscles, joints, or ligaments.
It’s about confidence, motivation, and mental readiness.
And that’s where coaches, athletic trainers, physical therapists, medical staff, and sport psychology professionals can make or break the comeback experience.
When these roles work together, and keep the athlete’s voice at the center, returning to sport becomes safer, stronger, and more sustainable.
Best Practices: What Works in Recovery Support
Athletes consistently highlight a few key needs during injury recovery:
Clear, consistent communication → Knowing what’s next in the rehab plan helps reduce anxiety.
Inclusion in team culture → Staying connected to teammates prevents isolation.
Recognition of mental milestones → Confidence and trust in your body matter just as much as passing a strength test.
When coaches, athletic trainers, and physical therapists make space for the mental side of injury (not just the physical) the comeback feels and becomes more complete.
What Athletes Wish Their Coaches, Physical Therapists, and Athletic Trainers Knew
“Even if I look physically ready, I might not feel mentally ready.”
“Checking in about how I’m really doing helps me feel seen.”
“Confidence comes back slowly. I need patience, not pressure.”
“Inclusion matters. Just because I can’t play doesn’t mean I don’t want to be part of the team.”
Your support system can’t read your mind, but being honest about what you need creates opportunities for them to step up.
Don’t worry: We’re working on programs for your support team, too!
Checking in on Mental Readiness
Returning to play isn’t a green-light/red-light decision. Physical tests are important, but so are mental ones:
Do you trust your body to hold up?
Are you confident in your skills under pressure?
Are you ready to face the fear of reinjury?
The most effective recoveries happen when physical and mental readiness are tracked side by side.
The Takeaway
Your comeback is bigger than just you. It’s a coordinated effort between you, your coaches, athletic trainers, physical therapists, medical staff, and sport psychology professionals. But the most important voice in that process? Yours.
Join Ready, Set, Return if you want to find your voice and confidence!
Welcome to Ready, Set, Return! We’re a group of professionals and researchers passionate about helping athletes be mentally ready to return to sport after injury.
We’re currently researching an online program for collegiate student-athletes to help them build psychological readiness. We’re recruiting participants through 2025.
Learn more at www.readysetreturn.com.