In our research, we looked at the whole process of rehabilitation after a severe sports injury and the success of returning to compete. We used the post-structured interview for gathering data. The sample consisted of four track and field athletes competing on the international level who suffered a severe sports injury. The enrolment factor was absence from the training process for at least 4 weeks.
The collected data was analyzed and divided into four main groups. The first part describes the environment in which athletes train and the characteristics of the training process. The second part presents the feelings and experiences which the athlete feels right after the sports injury. The third part deals with psychological issues and changes throughout the process and in the last part, we analyzed the consequences of injuries and the level of success after returning to the sport.
We have found that athletes neglect the psychological aspect while being aware of its importance. We were interested in how much social support athletes received during the rehabilitation process. We have found an association with good social support and better coping with the negative effects of injury. Athletes received the most support from their coaches. We have confirmed that previously injured athletes rehabilitate faster and more effectively. Dealing with the effects of injuries is affected by the relationship between the athlete's strong areas and their limitations.
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