Returning From Injury Psychology

Overview → The Purist → Session Notes
Session Notes The Purist
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 Purist Can Overcome Playing Scared When Returning From Injury

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

In injury recovery, playing scared is the tentative, half-committed movement pattern that emerges when your body has healed but your mind hasn't caught up. You pull out of challenges you once dominated. You avoid positions that feel risky. You perform at half pace, fully aware of the hesitation, yet unable to override it.

For intrinsically motivated, self-referenced athletes, this fear presents a unique psychological trap. Your entire athletic identity centers on technical mastery and process excellence. When injury disrupts that relationship with your craft, the return phase forces you to operate in unfamiliar territory: performing below your standards while lacking the internal confidence that normally sustains you.

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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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