Leaving team unexpectedly sometimes traumatic for athletes

By NAINA NARAYANA
Collegian Sports Writer

Throughout her 14 years of swimming, Lauren Brant never thought an injury would end her career. But after two injuries and two surgeries, she knew she had to leave the Lady Lion swimming and diving team.

Brant (senior-economics) made one of the biggest changes of her life when she quit the team in 1993, after her sophomore year.

"You get so used to something in your life," Brant said. "Then it's gone."

At first, Brant said she thought about transferring to another college and tried to isolate herself from her teammates because she felt like a failure. Dreaming of making the U.S. Olympic team, Brant had high hopes of achieving many athletic goals in college.

Retiring from a sport, commonly called disengagement, is normal for any athlete due to age, injury or a voluntary decision, said Penn State Sports Psychologist Dave Yukelson.

For some athletes, the transition can provide an opportunity for new roles and personal growth. But for athletes who do not anticipate the change, it can be traumatic.

"Often times, when young people get so emerged in their sport, they don't pay attention to other things," said Jay Cokley, a sociology professor at Colorado.

Because of pressure from parents, advisers and fans, a student-athlete can often get too involved in a sport, Yukelson said.

When disengaging, athletes can experience failure in areas outside their sports and feel a loss of confidence, Cokley said. These athletes sometimes develop a pattern of hanging out at the gym, getting involved in a sports-related activity or talking about the "old days."

Brant said after leaving the Lady Lions, she did not want to totally disassociate herself from swimming. After a semester of adjustment, Brant became an undergraduate coach for the team. It was difficult, she said, because she had always been known as "Lauren the swimmer."

Yukelson said an athlete's sense of self can sometimes be based on excellence in sports.

"If your whole life is centered around a sport, your identity is foreclosed," he added.

When athletes go into a non-sports setting, they can be petrified at the prospect of being in a place where they have not developed skills and abilities, Cokley said.

"Our self-conceptions are diverse and sometimes unconnected," he added. "Self-esteem doesn't always carry over into every area of life."

Yukelson said in most cases, leaving a team is difficult since athletes must weigh many factors.

Women's Swimming Coach Bob Krimmel said he asks athletes who want to leave the team questions about the importance of swimming in their lives. Many athletes do not realize there are other things to get involved in other than swimming, he added.

Brant said she feels her decision was a positive choice.

"I look back at it now as the only choice I could have made," she added. "I realized that people didn't care if I swam or not."

Before making this kind of change, an athlete should have a particular mind set, Yukelson said. Ninety-five percent of the athletes that choose to leave feel better knowing they had the courage to leave, he added.

"When an athlete walks out onto an athletic field, they have to appreciate competition and play it like it might be the last game," he added. "You must know that you can walk away if tragedy occurs. "

Athletes can also prepare for this change by taking classes that are not sports-related, developing relationships outside of their teams and taking jobs which do not involve their sport, Cokley said.

When disengaging, athletes can resent their college if it has not done anything to help make the transition, Yukelson said. Because of this, they can feel a loss of competence and rejection, he added.

Cokley said coaches and athletic departments can help athletes prepare for an athlete's transition by promoting sports participation as a way to expand experiences.

Krimmel said he does this by stressing that competing in sports can prepare an athlete for life after college. Athletes can learn about failure and success through sports, he added.

"You can never stop competing, no matter what the job is," Krimmel said. "You really just change the uniforms."

The staff at the Academic Support Center for Student-Athletes tries to help student-athletes prepare for life after college sports, Yukelson said. Along with athletics, academics and the development of personal relationships are discussed, he added.

Yukelson said the Center tries to teach student-athletes that there are lessons learned through sports that carry over into life such as discipline, determination, competition and time management.