An Often Overlooked Secret to Avoiding Injury

Guest Blogger: Inner-Sports

by Garret Kramer

Wayne Gretzky weighed only 170 pounds during the better part of his hockey career. He obviously played a bruising sport, was often the focus of the opposition’s “tough guy,” and during the course of the season, logged an incredible amount of ice time. While Gretzky did have teammates that watched his back, he wasn’t however, one of those athletes who protected himself by spending countless hours in the gym or weight room. How then would you explain the fact that he was rarely injured during the 22 years that he played professional hockey?… As the number one tennis player in the world, Roger Federer plays a grueling schedule in which his body is put to the test, tournament after tournament, often reaching the finals against now younger and equally hungry rivals. What then is his key to consistently staying healthy?

Players with the keenest of mental games naturally conserve energy during play.

The answer lies in the overlooked truth that players with the keenest of mental games naturally conserve energy during play. Clearly, when you are conserving energy your body is far less susceptible to injury compared to those players who are consistently fatigued. While this notion might seem obvious, let’s take a closer look at why athletes, who play the game in a relatively fluent state of mind, rarely spend time on the disabled list…. Quite simply, players get hurt when their minds are not present to the task at hand. Much like when we fail to live in the present moment in our daily lives, when an athlete dwells on a past mistake or looks ahead to what’ s coming, he or she will get sloppy. When we get sloppy we open ourselves up to being in the wrong place at the wrong time, and in the wrong physical position. You can figure out what often comes next! So, while the gift of living in the present moment has clearly allowed both Gretzky and Federer to consistently excel, it has also served the essential purpose of allowing them to stay in the game to do so.

Players who “grind it out” or rev up their bodies will be more vulnerable to injury, as compared to those who play with a lightness or ease.

Moreover, there is one other important factor at work here that should not be overlooked, and is unfortunately often confused by coaches. That is, players who force themselves to get psyched up for a game, or who believe that success will come from grinding it out or revving up their bodies, will ultimately be more vulnerable to injury than athletes who play their game with a lightness or ease. And please don’t make the mistake of separating lightness and ease from hustle. For, players who compete with a natural resiliency and effort are those who operate from a clear and unencumbered (light) state of mind, and thus tend to stay healthy. Brett Favre, anyone?

A modern example of a pro athlete who exhibits this type of mind set is another fine hockey player, Zach Parise of the NJ Devils. I have had the good fortune to work with Zach over the past two years, and one of our primary focuses is this very concept. In other words, if you have ever watched Zach play you know that he is virtually all over the place out on the ice. I mean he never stops hustling, no matter what the game situation is! And unlike Gretzky, Zach is more than willing to throw his body around. Why then is Zach rarely injured? Now, a rigorous off- ice training routine is indeed part of the explanation, but more significantly, Zach is learning to play the game from an unbounded place of freedom in action. This lightness allows Zach to be more conscious in his effort as the perceptual field expands for him. As a result, he often finds himself in a positive position to make a pass or score a goal, but also to avoid being open for a hit (or to be in an errant physical position when he is hit) that might lead to injury.

A “bound up” or “tight” level of psychological functioning will lead to a “bound up” or “tight” level of physical functioning.

Finally, I am hoping that in this post I have provided food for thought for sports teams, training staffs, parents, and individual athletes. For, while it is truly necessary to train your body to avoid injuries, understanding your mind for this overlooked purpose is at least of equal relevance. Clearly, a bound up or tight level of psychological functioning will lead to a bound up or tight level of physical functioning, thus leading to the susceptibility for injury. Think about your own life, when we are uptight, worried, or just down, we tend to lack energy and often fall victim to illness. Therefore, if a player wants to consistently stay on the field of play, my suggestion is to develop an understanding not only in your physical attributes, but also in the principles that allow for an unencumbered, free flowing and keen state of mind as well!




Garret Kramer is the founder and Managing Partner of Inner-Sports.com. Inner-Sports evaluates and then coaches athletes of all ages on the behavioral characteristics that lead to peak performance on and off the field of play. Inner-Sport’s evaluative partner has created the behavioral assessment used at both the National Hockey League and the Major League Lacrosse scouting combines. Inner-Sports and Garret work with Baseball Factory players at select player development events.