How the Psychosocial Effects of Serious Injuries are Related to the Academic Lives of Student-Athletes

Abstract

Competing within the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) involves an inherent risk of injury. For the student-athletes who experience serious injuries, the subsequent difficulties can be hard to navigate. While most research focuses on the athletic identity of recovering student-athletes, little is known about how they are affected within the classroom. This study utilizes qualitative methodology and Wiese-Bjornstal et al.’s integrated model of response to sport injury (1998) to explore this gap in the literature, by looking at how the psychosocial effects of injury are related to student-athletes’ academic responsibilities, as well as the balance between their athletic and academic commitments.