Pressure to do well during a game, is a good thing. Pressuring players to come back to the game even if they feel they aren’t ready is a bad thing. Just because an injured player is cleared to play that doesn’t mean he’s mentally ready. The doctors clear the players if they are physically ready, they don’t have a say in the mentality of the player.
Derrick Rose
Derrick Rose was injured during last years’ short season when he tore his ACL and than had surgery. As you may have realized, you haven’t heard his name for a while and why? Because he hasn’t played one game this season. He is the franchise player for the Chicago Bulls and he is just not ready. He told the media a while back, that he won’t play until he feels that he is 110%. You can’t place pressure on a player who doesn’t feel he’s ready. He has started 5 on 5 practices, and is doing well. If I were Derrick Rose, I wouldn’t come back until I felt mentally and physically ready. If your head isn’t in the right place, your shot, defense and rebounds just won’t be the same. If and when he does come back, the team won’t be looking at straight wins. The guy hasn’t played with them this season, he may understand the plays, but it will be confusing for a while. The only way it would make sense for him to come back this season is if he is ready for this Friday’s game against Golden State. If they had 0-10 games left when he comes back, there just wouldn’t be a point. He should skip this year, and come back healthy and ready to play next season, don’t jump the gun on coming back, just because of the pressure.
Dwight Howard
During the off-season, Howard had back surgery. Though he wasn’t in shape, he decided to play once he was cleared. Clearly, that wasn’t the best idea. Howard has spoken to the media about his injuries this season, after being acquired to the Lakers from the Orlando Magic.
“I just wanted to get back and try to do whatever I can do to help this team, knowing that I was not in great shape. My body wasn’t all the way there yet, but I just wanted to do whatever I can to help this team win”.
During the season Howard has been sidelined a few times with injuries. Coming back from back surgery in 6-months, isn’t the best decision you could make, he even talked about taking the whole season off. It might have been a better move, than pushing through injuries. It was clear to a lot of people he was in pain. Some people even had the nerve to call him a whiner, cry baby and a loser for not playing even though he had been cleared with his torn ligament in his shoulder. Kobe said he should be playing. Last time I checked Kobe didn’t go to university, let alone medical school. Dwight has come to the conclusion that he probably should have stayed out a little bit longer, and blames himself for a bunch of team losses. A team has more than one player. A player with an ongoing injury can’t blame himself for the teams losses. It would have been best if you had returned in December/January, given your body enough time to heal.
As a past athlete, injuries aren’t something you play around with. You take the amount of pre-cautions, and directions the doctor gives you. If they say, sit out for 6-8 months, do what they say. If you’re not mentally ready for the sport, don’t play. Just because the doctor clears you, doesn’t mean your ready to jump back in. Take a breath, find your mental game, and play your physical game.
Derrick Rose, knows what I’m preaching.
