Written by Recently an interview with Stephen Schoch, pitcher for the University of Virginia baseball caught my attention; not just because it was hilarious but because his comments struck a chord. When asked what makes him nervous, he jokingly said caves, but quickly retorted with “this is just a game, there are going to be way harder things in life.” This is just a game. Sometimes I think that gets lost.
Several Olympic athletes withdrew from Olympic Trial competitions this week, US diver Steele Johnson, and US gymnast Laurie Hernandez. Both withdrew because of injury and both medaled in Rio. Naomi Osaka also withdrew from The French Open for mental health reasons. It is just a game. We cannot encourage risking health, mental or physical, for a game. For Olympic athletes, this year is very special as it is an Olympic year, and they have had to train an additional year, but it is commendable that they recognize the cost of pushing their bodies past their limit, is not worth an Olympic Games.
What happens when youth athletes see their athletic heroes pushing themselves past the limit? They may think they need to push themselves past the limit; get that extra playing time, impress the coaches, get the scholarship all while perpetuating an injury, resulting in lasting long-term damage. Youth athletes do not always have access to the same medical resources professional athletes have, and their bodies are still growing, so the healing process is often slower. Forcing themselves to play through the pain is not beneficial.
It is not easy to make that decision and miss out on opportunities, but as my new favorite baseball player said, “it is just a game, there are going to be way harder things in life.” Let’s remember that as we get frustrated that our team lost their top scorer to a season ending injury, or our kids need to sit out a few weeks to prioritize their mental health. There will be lessons learned in this time away, and new strengths developed. It is just a game.