Helping athletes cope with grief.

The athletic trainer often becomes an island of comfort in an ocean of pain

High school and college athletes have a certain air of invincibility about them - an attitude of untouchability, the feeling that they are capable of standing up to anything.

Probably the first inkling of mortality comes with a painful injury, but they usually recover and go on to participate in their chosen sport. Other injuries are season- or career-ending and require the athletic trainer to take on the role of counselor, particularly in facilitating the physical and emotional transition the athlete must undergo.

Injuries come and go, but some "hurts" cut deeply and take on a permanence. Modern athletes are ill-prepared for the grief and stress that accompany the death of a teammate or coach, and it's the athletic trainer who often becomes an island of comfort in a society that traditionally avoids the subject of death.

The trainers spend countless hours working with injured athletes. The emotional phases encountered in the rehabilitative process are often compared to the "Stages of Death and Dying," first theorized by Kubler-Ross in 1969.

Initially, athletes may go into a state of denial about the injury. Next, they may fall into stages of anger, bargaining, and depression. Lastly, they will accept the reality of the injury and begin focusing on returning to their sport.

Accepting the reality of a death presents a deeper, more intense problem. Since society attempts to shelter children from death, it has created a generation of athletes (and their non-athletic peers) who are often overwhelmed by the death of a teammate or coach. It is like a death in the family, as many athletes spend more time with teammates and coaches than they do with their peers or even their own families. A sudden death catches everyone emotionally off-guard and can cause devastation.

The keys to assisting athletes through grief are open lines of communication, acceptance or individual emotional responses, and unconditional support.

The school counseling staff can, of course, provide a professional level of assistance and should be mobilized as soon as possible. But athletic trainers provide the first opportunity for communication. Just by listening, athletic trainers let the athletes know that the act of grieving is acceptable and healthy.

They can also make everyone understand that the process is an individual thing. Just as athletes will respond differently to similar injuries, they will show their grief in different ways.

Finally, athletic trainers can create an environment in the athletic training facility and on the playing fields that will enable athletes to express their feelings, concerns, and fears - without judgment from coaches or peers. This environment should, in addition, allow others to provide support and ease the grieving process.

Finally, the athletic community must continue to address the whole athlete - mind, heart, and body. Athletes who are able to express themselves both physically and emotionally are more likely to face up to the pain and stress.

Athletic trainers and coaches must understand the importance grieving and learn how to handle it. They must understand that grieving is a natural emotional outlet to pain and helps create a continuing memory of a loved one.

REFERENCE:

E. Kubler-Ross, Questions and Answers on Death and Dying, New York: Macmillan, 1969.