athlete supportEmpowermentFriendshipinjury recoveryPsychologySafe Space
When the Injury Didn’t Happen to You: The Hidden Impact of Witnessing a Sports Injury
When it comes to sports injuries, the focus is usually on the athlete who got hurt.
Focusing on their recovery & rehabilitation process and looking to get them back into play as soon as possible.
But there’s another layer we don’t talk about nearly enough:
What happens to the athletes who witnessed the injury?
Recently, I was speaking with a former competitive athlete who reflected on an experience from her earlier years. During a practice, a young female athlete collided violently with a pole and sustained a serious injury. Everything stopped. Adults rushed in. Emergency services arrived. Shock rippled through the gym.
And then eventually… practice resumed.
No one really talked about what had happened. And the athletes were expected to just go back to drills. Back to games. Back to performing.
At the time, this athlete remembers feeling stunned and unsure of what she was even feeling. But in the weeks and months that followed, something changed for her. Without fully realizing why, she became more hesitant around the walls and poles. She stopped going as aggressively for certain plays that she would have instinctively chased before.
Coaches and parents began asking:
“Why didn’t you go for that?” You normally would have had that.”
At the time, she didn’t consciously connect it to the injury she had witnessed. But looking back now, the connection feels super clear.
Witnessing someone get seriously hurt can change something in how your nervous system experiences the sport.
The Body Remembers Before the Mind Fully Understands
When a young athlete witnesses an injury, especially involving a teammate, friend, or someone similar to them, their brain and body may register the experience as a threat. Even if they themselves were physically safe.
Suddenly, the sport that once felt exciting and automatic may also start to feel fragile, unpredictable, or dangerous.
This does not mean they are weak.
And it does not mean they are dramatic.
And it certainly does not mean they “don’t want it enough.”
It means they are human.
Sometimes after witnessing an injury, teen girl athletes may notice:
- hesitation during certain plays
- increased fear, doubt, or anxiety
- feeling more tense or cautious
- avoiding situations that remind them of the incident
- difficulty concentrating
- second-guessing themselves
- changes in confidence or performance
And often, they may not even fully understand why it’s happening. Especially for teen athletes who are very aware of themselves in comparison to their peers, these responses can operate beneath the surface.
The Silence Around It
One of the hardest parts is that witnessing an injury is rarely acknowledged unless the athlete themselves was the one hurt. The injured athlete receives support, attention, and care.
But the teammates who watched it happen are often expected to move on immediately.
Play resumes.
Practice continues.
The season carries on.
And while many athletes may process the event without lasting distress of any kind, others may carry pieces of it with them long after the moment has passed.
That’s why creating space for these experiences matters.
What Coaches, Parents, and Adults Can Do
We do not need to assume every athlete is traumatized after witnessing an injury. But we also should not assume it had no impact.
Sometimes the most supportive thing we can do is simply acknowledge the experience.
Something as simple as:
“What you witnessed today must have been pretty scary?”
or
“What was that like for you to see what happened to X?”
This can open the door for teen athletes to check in with themselves.
It communicates:
“You don’t have to pretend you were unaffected.”
And for some athletes, the answer may genuinely be:
“I’m okay.”
For others, it may uncover fear, confusion, sadness, or anxiety they haven’t yet put words to. Adults can also normalize the fact that athletes may temporarily feel more hesitant or nervous afterwards. This isn’t a sign of weakness or even a permanent change, but is a normal nervous system response to witnessing something frightening.
Supporting Athletes Through It
As coaches, parents, and support people, we can help athletes rebuild trust in themselves by encouraging awareness.
Instead of:
“Why didn’t you go for that?”
We might become curious:
“I noticed you seemed more cautious there. What was happening for you at that moment?”
When athletes feel safe enough to notice and talk about their internal experience, they are better able to work through it.
Team conversations can help too.
Giving athletes permission to acknowledge:
- “Yeah, that scared me.”
- “I’ve felt more nervous since then.”
- “I didn’t realize it was affecting me.”
can reduce isolation and normalize their experience.
More Than Mental Toughness
Sport culture often celebrates pushing through. But emotional awareness is not weakness. In fact, it can propel athletes to new levels and It is part of healthy athletic development.
Learning to recognize fear, tension, hesitation, and nervous system responses helps athletes build deeper self-trust, not less. And sometimes, supporting athletes means recognizing that injuries impact more than the person who got hurt.
Sometimes they also impact the people who witnessed it.
Team Talks & Parent Conversations
If you’re a coach wondering how to support your team after an injury, or a parent unsure how to start the conversation with your athlete, you do not have to navigate it alone.
Sometimes a short conversation, a team debrief, or simply having language to help athletes process what they witnessed can make such a meaningful difference. I’d love to have you reach out if you’d like support navigating these conversations or helping athletes rebuild confidence and trust after a difficult experience!
And if you’re looking for a place to start, here are a few prompts that can help open the door:
- “Sometimes watching a friend/teammate get hurt can leave us shaken. I’m here if you want to talk”
- “Even when the injury didn’t happen to us directly, seeing something scary happen to someone else can still affect us.”
- “You might notice yourself feeling more nervous, hesitant, or distracted after what happened today, that can be a really normal response.”
- “There’s no right or wrong reaction after witnessing an injury. Some athletes move through it quickly, and others notice it sticks with them a bit longer.”
- “I just wanted to check in after today. What was that experience like for you to witness today?”
- “What thoughts have you noticed since it happened?”
- “Have you noticed feeling any different during practices or games?”
- “What do you think your body or mind might need after witnessing that?”
Simply creating space for athletes to feel seen, heard, and understood is the best first step in helping them move through it.
Let’s Keep Walking Together
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With gratitude,
Chantal
