
An 18 year-old elite soccer player steps on to the pitch for what seems like a routine summer training.
There were the same coaches & teammates, the same field, and the same drills.
However, for him – this day felt incredibly different.
He feels a little nervous, but almost in a good way.
He’s not consumed by the fear of failure.
He’s present, focused, and grateful for the opportunity to train.
Unsurprisingly, he goes out and crushes it.
But how did he get here?
A year ago, things looked much different.
He was training harder than ever, chasing personal bests, and pushing his body to the limit.
His entire identity was wrapped up in his sport.
Every opportunity to perform felt like a measure of his worth.
And then, in a split second, it all came to a halt – a torn hamstring took him out of competition for months.
At first the injury felt devastating. The fear of falling behind, of losing his edge, of not knowing who he was without soccer – all weighed heavily on him.
But in that time away, something unexpected happened.
As he and I (coach Adam) started working together, he gained perspective about his identity.
For the first time in years, he was forced to slow down. He spent time with family and friends. He pursued interests outside of training.
He realized that, while soccer was a huge part of his life, it wasn’t the only thing that defined him.
And instead of chasing perfection, he started appreciating the process.
By the time he returned to the pitch, he was a different athlete – not physically, but mentally.
He wasn’t playing to constantly prove himself anymore. He was playing because he loved it.
The pressure had lifted and was replaced by a deep sense of purpose and gratitude.
And on this particular training day, that shift made all the difference. Instead of being weighed down by expectations, he felt light, free, and ready to get to work.
He performed loose, playing his game the way he wanted to play it, without any hesitation.
This is the silver lining of injury.
For many athletes, physical setbacks feel like the end of the world. But sometimes, those setbacks provide exactly what’s needed – a chance to step back, reassess, and transform your mindset.