Written by Last time I wrote about “Ed”, a retired professional athlete who also participated in the Olympics. Ed experienced an extremely toxic environment the last few years of his professional sports career. During my discussion with him, he brought up how many athletes played injured. These injuries were potentially career ending if they were to get worse, but the toxic coaches were adamant that the athletes would play through the injuries, even though physical trainers and doctors advised against it.
This especially came to potential concussions. While the team would pull out the player when there was a suspected concussion, the coaches and the GM would do the bare minimum when it came to concussion protocol. No matter what the medical staff would say, nobody would listen. The medical staff would even raise their concerns outside of the team, just to be met by team lawyers citing nondisclosure agreements to the staff. It was obvious that the GM and coaches did not take an interest in any of their players’ injuries, and actively chose winning over health.
If an athlete has a physical, mental, or emotional injury or illness, it must be addressed immediately for the long term success of the athlete and team. It not only shows that a coach or GM cares for the athletes, but it helps with the financial bottom line, and it is just the right thing to do. If the health and safety of the athletes, coaches, and support staff are not at the top of the list of priorities, maybe it is time for a change. Maybe with change, it could save an athlete’s life.