Returning From Injury Psychology

Overview → The Motivator → Session Notes
Session Notes The Motivator
Addressing:

Playing Scared

The tentative, half-committed movement pattern that emerges when you don't trust your body yet. You find yourself pulling out of challenges, avoiding certain positions, and performing at half your normal pace, knowing you're playing scared but unable to override the hesitation.

How The Motivator Can Overcome Playing Scared When Returning From Injury

Posted on December 13, 2025 ~ min read
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For: The Motivator athletes in Returning From Injury
Focus: Session Notes - Playing Scared
Read Time: ~9 min
Session Notes December 13, 2025
Profile: The Motivator
Sport: Returning From Injury
Challenge: Playing Scared

In this article, you'll learn the exact protocol to overcome playing scared during your injury comeback. You'll discover why your specific personality type makes you vulnerable to hesitation, and you'll walk away with actionable strategies to rebuild trust in your body.

Playing scared in injury recovery is the tentative, half-committed movement pattern that emerges when you don't trust your body yet. You pull out of challenges. You avoid certain positions. You perform at half your normal pace, knowing something feels wrong but unable to override the hesitation. For athletes with external motivation and collaborative instincts, this pattern creates a unique frustration: you can see the gap between where you are and where you should be, but your body won't cooperate.

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Vladimir Novkov

M.A. Social Psychology | ISSA Elite Trainer | Expert in Sport Psychology for Athlete Development

My mission is to bridge the gap between mind and body, helping athletes and performers achieve a state of synergy where peak performance becomes a natural outcome of who they are.

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Explore Other Mental Challenges

Different challenges require different approaches. Explore solutions for other mental challenges in Returning From Injury:

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