ways to cope after ACL surgery, by SE

Many athletes put all of their time into their sports. So much so, they start to believe being an athlete is what defines them.

When those same athletes who have dedicated their lives to being the best at what they do undergo an injury like tearing an ACL, the recovery process becomes difficult physically and mentally. 

When I tore my ACL, I felt my whole world slipping from my fingers.

I had spent all year constantly practicing to make varsity field hockey and lacrosse my sophomore year. When I was told I would have to wait at least 9 months after my surgery to start participating in practices slowly, I would often find myself thinking, “If I can’t play sports next year, what will people think of me?”.

Throughout my recovery, I have found ways to help cope when I feel like I am not improving or when my mental health starts to drop.

Over the summer, when I was completely starting from scratch and learning how to lift my leg, I took up coaching for Next Level. By doing this, I found ways to connect with other people and still keep Lacrosse in my world. Every time I start missing being able to play, I reach out and see if there are any opportunities for me to coach.

Besides coaching, I have found ways to channel my energy into smaller activities I can participate in. Whether it’s coloring, reaching out to a friend to spend time with, or joining school events, staying busy has been an amazing way to keep my mind off of missing all of the things like shooting or practicing wallball I would normally do to pass the time.

However, it is essential to remember that getting rest, not overworking yourself, and giving time for your body to heal are a big part of recovery.

For the physical part of recovery, I have found it super helpful to join a gym.

I go to Oakfit, a gym where a coach designs a workout program specialized to me as an athlete and my recovery process three times a week. Going to the gym has helped me build relationships with many other athletes I would never have met if I had never gotten hurt and joined Oakfit. Going to a gym helps create a community that always lightens my mood no matter the day I have had before hand.

I remember when I was told by my doctor at my six month post-op check up, that I would never be able to play soccer again. I was devastated. I headed straight from the doctor to Oakfit in the worst mood ever. After 30 minutes of being at Oakfit, I had accepted the fact that I would have to drop Soccer and realized not playing soccer would give me more time to get stronger for Lacrosse and give my body a much-needed break.

Even though my progress sometimes seems slow, I set small goals for myself to achieve, and once I reach them, I set another goal.

This system has helped me remember I am improving, growing stronger, and getting closer to being fully healed every day.

Even when there are times it feels like you will never be back to your old self, it is extremely important to remind yourself that you will be faster and stronger than you ever have been before.

This also helps remind you not to compare your recovery to anyone else’s around you. Everybody heals at different paces and has different experiences. It will always seem like there is someone who is stronger than you or recovering faster than you. It is important to remember that there are numerous types of surgery and different stages in the post-op process that will always separate one person from another.

As long as you are confident in how you are growing and improving, you will almost never feel lesser than anyone else who is also going through the same struggles as you.

An injury like tearing an ACL can seem like the end of the world, but the recovery process builds a certain amount of strength and determination that could never be reached without facing some adversity.

Now that I am farther out from my surgery, I have become stronger mentally and physically than I ever was before. I have learned that as long as you keep a positive mindset and keep working, you can achieve great things.

This article was written for yooou! by one of our Ambassadors, 16 year old, SE. Click these titles to read other posts that SE has written: “improve your lacrosse skills with these routines“, “my favorite lip products“, and “embracing my curls“.