Doubt To Redemption: How Athletes Rebuild

Athletes of any skill level professional, collegiate, youth can be impacted by setbacks. 

Any athlete with a storied engagement in their sport will have periods of setbacks. Often setbacks are not that the athlete “got worse.” At the elite professional and collegiate level tiny shifts in mental or physical performance can have significant effect in either direction, success or struggle.

The difficult moments an athlete faces are important as the one’s who look closely at themselves often are successful in shifting to a different perspective and higher gear.

Some of the hurdles athletes face along the way that can build into self-doubt, setbacks, slumps, or less than stellar seasons include:

*Injuries & recovery issues: Even minor injuries can reduce speed, timing, endurance. Sometimes athletes return before they are fully recovered, creating nagging relapse.

*Mental pressure and burnout: Constant expectations from self & others, media attention, fear of failure, overtraining, and long seasons can lead to exhaustion or loss of focus due to mental fatigue. 

*Changes in coaching or systems: Coaches change jobs and the new culture of a team may not fit the athlete’s strengths.

*Life Events outside of sports: Family stress, grief, relationship issues, legal issues, or major life transitions can affect concentration and motivation.

*Competition catches up: Every year new players join the ranks and add to the mix of competition for spots. Opponents study elite athletes intensely and develop strategies to compete.

*Variance and regression to the mean: Sometimes a career-best season is unusually high due to favorable conditions or luck. The next season looks like a “slump” even if the athlete is still excellent statistically.

*Motivation shifts after success: After winning championships or huge contracts, maintaining the same hunger and routine can be a challenge for some athletes.

*Technical changes: Athletes sometimes need to tweak their mechanics to improve long-term performance, but the adjustment period can temporarily affect results.

*Health issues: Sleep issues, illness, hormonal issues, nutrition deficiencies, concussions, or other conditions can subtly affect performance. 

That list can look daunting. But many exceptional athletes have faced some of the items on the list and gone onto reverse the trajectory and revitalize their career.

Some powerful examples:

Simone Biles/gymnastics: At the 2020 Summer Olympics, (held in 2021), Biles experienced the “twisties,” a dangerous mental disconnect where gymnasts lose spatial awareness midair. Under huge media scrutiny she withdrew from several events due to visible mistakes. At the time some media framed the withdrawal as “collapsing under pressure.” Biles has cited the USA Gymnastics USAG sexual abuse scandal as deeply affecting her performance at the Olympics. Post Olympics Biles didn’t let the setback define her. She rebuilt her performance confidence and returned to elite competition, eventually winning more world titles.

What she did to change the situation: Instead of masking the issue:

*She shifted to acknowledging the fear, mental overload, loss of confidence. The self honesty reduced panic and allowed recovery work to begin. Biles prioritized psychological recovery, vs. just physical training. Other steps she took in wellness healing:

*She reduced identity pressure, separating being valuable as a person from performing perfectly as an athlete. 

*She rebuilt confidence through small successful repetitions. Instead of forcing herself to perform as before she relearned skills and rebuilt consistency. In the process regained body awareness, and trust in her training. Her confidence was strengthened through demonstrated consistency. 

Paige Bueckers/WNBA: Bueckers has dealt with one of the most injury interrupted, followed by resilient careers in recent WNBA history. She attended the University of Connecticut in 2020 as the No. 1 recruit in the country. As a freshman, she averaged 20 points per game and became the first freshman ever to win major national player of the year awards. In 2021 during a game against Notre Dame she suffered a tibial plateau fracture and meniscus tear. The surgery required caused her to miss most of her sophomore year. She returned late in the year before the NCAA tournament. When she returned she played under minutes restrictions while helping UConn reach the 2022 national championship game. 

In August of 2022 , Bueckers tore her ACL on her left knee before the season began. The injury forced her to miss the entire 2022-23 collegiate season. She returned for the 2023-24 season and averaged twenty-one points per game and led UConn back into national -title contention. In 2025 she completed her college career by helping UConn win the 2025 NCAA championship, a major redemption after years of rehab and setbacks. 

Amazingly Bueckers was selected No. 1 overall by the WNBA Dallas Wings in 2025 and became one of the league’s most watched players. To recap, Bunker’s dealt with enormous  athletic expectations, injuries, pressures as a collegiate superstar and scrutiny after difficult tournament performances. 

Actions she took to manage the situation: Media interviews report that during rehabs she focused on strength and body maintenance, adding muscle, and paying attention to preparation and recovery routines. She engaged in movement work to regain trust in her knee. Bueckers talked about learning patience and listening to medical advice rather than returning as soon as her knee “felt” okay. Former injured teammates helped her understand that healing takes time even when pain decreases. One of the challenges was trusting her body again during cutting, landing and contact situations. She described learning to play freely again instead of being guarded. 

In Bueckers dedication to her craft, her resilience has been fortified by using the injuries as growth periods. Instead of viewing rehab as a setback, she reframed it as a chance to improve mentally, emotionally, spiritually and physically. Her response to adversity hasn’t been in isolation as she has had supportive teammates and resources around her. She has also put in the work to regain momentum in her career. 

These are two examples of athletes who have succeeded when at the crossroads of collapse or clutch, and in their low moments, reshaped and regained their athletic prowess. Setbacks happen and can feel devastating in the moment as it disrupts an athletes compass and knowledge of themselves. At the same time these periods can be a source of renewed sense of purpose and energize the next phase of their athletic involvement. 

Thank you to Pixabay/Photographer Keithjj Thank you to Pexels/Photographer Vlad Vasnetsov