Hockey
Confidence Reset Post-Injury
·1 min read
What You Should Know:
Coming back from injury impacts your timing, but more importantly, your confidence. Research
shows that fear of re-injury is one of the top predictors of performance drops post-return (Ardern et al., 2013).
Mental recovery isn’t automatic. Athletes who actively retrain their confidence outperform those who just hope it returns.
What Helps:
• Reps rebuild confidence. Confidence follows reps, not the other way around.
• Break goals down. Start with movements or drills that feel safe.
• Track small wins. Don’t wait for game stats to see progress.
• Talk it out. Naming fear shrinks it.
• Visualize successful reps. Your brain believes what it rehearses.