In our research, we discussed the entire process of rehabilitation after a sports injury and the connection of this process with the dual career of young competitors in artistic gymnastics. We used a semi-structured interview to collect data, and the participants' answers were analyzed using content analysis. The sample consisted of 10 young gymnasts between the ages of 12 and 16. The inclusion factors were regular involvement in the training and competition process and a sports injury that prevented the activity at least for a certain period of time.
The collected data was analyzed and divided into four main topics. We analyzed the responses of the participants and divided them into four main themes. The first topic refers to the characteristics of the sports career of young athletes and the basic characteristics of their dual career. The second topic describes the characteristics of a sports injury and the athlete's experience of it. In the third part, the emphasis is on the rehabilitation process, the feelings during this time and the impact of this period on a dual career, while in the last part we analyze the return to the training process and the impact of feelings during this time on the coordination of school and sports obligations.
We found that young athletes experience strong negative emotions after a sports injury, which decrease with progress in the rehabilitation process. We were interested in what influence the mental state of athletes during this period has on a dual career.
We found that during this time, athletes devote themselves more to their school work and receive a lot of support from their educational institution, so they have no problems with a dual career during this time. We also found that athletes receive a lot of practical and emotional support from their families throughout the entire rehabilitation process, which has a positive effect on coping with obstacles during this time. During the rehabilitation period and when returning to the training process, the trainer's support also plays an important role in terms of understanding and gradualness in re-conquering the basics.
|