The Comeback

The Comeback is a self-directed mental skills program designed to support athletes throughout the sport injury process & optimize their return to play.

Throughout injury rehab, athletes spend a lot of time addressing their physical wellness, yet often ignore their mental wellness. The Comeback is meant to serve as a strategic way to incorporate 10 minutes of mental skill development during rehab sessions - which is important given the mental toll injuries can have on athletes. This program is quite convenient, as many athletes choose to work through these components during passive rehab treatments.

This program includes four phases with 5-6 components per phase. See details about the phases below.

As you can see in the example to the right, each component has a handout. This handout has a QR code at the top, which is linked to an audio file that explains the content or skill. Additionally, this information is written, so athletes can quickly refer to this in the future. Each component has at least one activity for the athlete to complete.

  • Six components focused on helping athletes develop a routine, address identity, get the most out of rehab, and build confidence.

  • Six components focused on introducing the concept of stress and why this matters during healing, practice of various stress management skills, and review of coping.

  • Five components that address how to maintain mindful attention. In other words, how to stay present, non-reactive, and nonjudgmental throughout this process. Also introduces the importance of self-compassion.

  • Five components focused on improving communication, increasing assertiveness, setting boundaries, and expressing gratitude.

Mental Skills Playbook

Mental Skills Training is an important component of Sport Psychology. Although this type of work varies depending on one’s specific goals, it generally follows three stages: (1) assessment, (2) introduction of concepts and skills, & (3) application and practice.

This playbook serves as a guide for stage 2 (introduction of concepts and skills). By working through this playbook, you will be exposed to the major components of mental skills training and can begin developing your own mental training process.

Program Starter Playbook

The Program Starter Playbook is a starter kit that includes a variety of documents and information to help sport organizations create & develop an integrated sport psychology program. These resources are organized into three categories (see details below).

  • Information focused on getting this program off the ground. Example documents such as: Explaining the Value of Sport Psych, Budget Considerations, Job Description, Provider Recruitment Tip Sheet, Operations Tip Sheet, Clinical Forms, Policy Sheets, etc.

  • Information related to best practices for integration. Example documents such as: Getting Buy In, Considerations for Integration, Creative Applications of Sport Psychology, etc.

  • This information is related to clinical documents and resources that can be helpful. Example documents include: Mental Health Emergency Action Policies, Workshop Series, Clinical Worksheets, Tip Sheets for Coaches, etc.