Running Head: “PSYCHOLOGY IN SPORTS INJURY”1

“Psychology in Sports Injury Rehabilitation”:

A Rhetorical Analysis

Stephen Fitch

Appalachian State University

Author Note: This paper was written for ENG 2001 during the fall semester of 2013.
“PSYCHOLOGY IN SPORTS INJURY” 2

Don Draper

Ms. Meg McSwain

ENG 2001

7 September 2013

“Psychology in Sports Injury Rehabilitation”: A Rhetorical Analysis

In an article written by two professors in England, “Psychology in Sports Injury Rehabili-

tation,” risk factors associated with training for any major athletic event, both physiological and

psychological, are observed and evaluated for the need of a cross-fertilization approach to the

treatment and management of injuries for high-performance athletes. Authors Michael Concan-

non and Bob Pringle (2012), senior lecturers in Podiatry and Exercise, Health, and Physical Ac-

tivity, conducted their study during the 2012 Summer Olympics. As the authors state in the in-

troduction, “With the forthcoming London Olympic Games … competitive and recreational

sports enthusiasts may draw inspiration and motivation, potentially increasing their participa-

tion in sports activities … and their chances of sports-related injuries” (Concannon & Pringle,

2012, p.484), this was no coincidence. The article expresses the need for physical rehabilitation

as well as psychological guidance for athletes during recovery, concluding that athletes display

the best results when a general practitioner, practice nurse and a sports psychologist are all

present throughout the rehabilitation program. Through the use of section headers, tables, style,

and formatting, the authors effectively persuade their audience. Additionally, by including a case

study about the patient being observed, the authors create logos, ethos, and pathos to persuade

their audience throughout their interesting argument.

The authors employ clear section headers throughout their text to clearly organize their

research, clearly presenting their research and conclusions. The article begins with an “Abstract”

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section that provides readers with a general summary of background information and their find-

ings:

Using the case study of an 18-year-old track athlete with a chronic Achilles ten-

donopathy, this article identifies risk factors associated with training for major

athletic events … and presents evidence for adopting a multidisciplinary ap-

proach to the treatment and management of athletic injury, addressing the physi-

cal aspects of the injury, as well as the psychological needs of the athlete. (Con-

cannon & Pringle, 2012, p.484)

This is crucial in grabbing readers’ attention because it provides them with just enough infor-

mation to understand the topic discussed but keeps them wanting to read more to fully obtain

all the details and the process leading the experimenters to their results. It also allows the edu-

cated audience to quickly identify whether or not the article will be of use to them. Much like the

“Abstract,” the authors also end the text with a “Key Points” table, reiterating the main ideas

they want the reader leaving with. Though this could have been incorporated into the conclu-

sion, this is an extremely easy way for the reader to recap the information they have read.

The next portion of the article is the introduction. Unlike the rest of the article, this

wasn’t given a section title, but it’s obvious it is the introduction. This section is written to in-

clude the authors’ information, in addition to describing similar previously performed experi-

ments on the same subject. The end of the introduction includes the authors’ thesis about the

benefits of a psychologist in sports rehabilitation, concluding:

Sports medicine physicians would benefit from increased collaboration with

sports psychologists who are specifically trained to deal with the unique needs of

athletes and who have a greater understanding of the psychological issues associ-

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ated with the management and education of injured athletes. (Concannon &

Pringle, 2012, p.484)

This format guides the reader into the remainder of the article, beginning with the case study

background and description, by peaking their interest in the experiment.

The case study is the most important part of the article because it is where the purpose is

executed. This introduces James, an 18-year-old male track athlete, who had been selected to

take part in national trials for the British athletics team for the IAAF (International Association

of Athletics Federation) World Championships in 2013 (Concannon and Pringle 485). The au-

thors want the audience perceiving James as a “kid” or young adult. When adults learn about

children experiencing difficulties, they are more sympathetic than they would be towards an-

other adult in the same situation. We learn about the struggles James endured during rehabilita-

tion and some of the emotions experienced, presenting the pathos appeal because it allows the

reader to empathize with the athlete. The authors mention James was “starting to have serious

doubts about his ability to overcome the long-standing complaint and he [was] starting to feel

anxious about the forthcoming trials” (Concannon and Pringle 485). The authors also mention

some examples of the emotional responses such as fear of re-injury, loss of identity, anger, frus-

tration, depression, and disbelief (Concannon and Pringle 486); injured athletes feel when they

are removed from the field for recovery. Anyone who has experienced a similar situation to

James’ will understand some of these psychological battles. Being able to recognize these feel-

ings appeals to the readers’ emotions and the authors successfully hold the audience’s interest

and begin persuading them by influencing their emotional responses.

The authors provide essential background information on the experiment performed and

the patient being observed in the introduction and case study, addressing the logos appeal. The

injury mechanisms were discussed in a section of its own, including a table breaking the infor-

mation down further, effectively presenting the medical information to the reader. Sever’s dis-

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ease is an inflammatory condition at the site of the calcaneal apophysis (outgrowth or swelling

from bone lacking independent center of ossification) (Concannon and Pringle 485). They also

explain up to 9% of participants in sports involving running or jumping will experience Achilles

tendonopathy, and a chronic injury to the Achilles increases its potential to rupture due to poor

tendon vascularity (Concannon & Pringle, 2012, p.485). For anyone who is already knowledge-

able about James’ injuries, Sever’s disease and Achilles tendonopathy, they can simply skip over

this section, but for the reader who wants to enquire more about the injury, they aren’t forced to

resort to additional research. This was a practical decision by the authors, saving the reader time

and keeping them engaged with their findings. Likewise, the reader is not left with any questions

at the end because they are all answered throughout the text. The writers do not make any

claims without immediately supporting them with useful information and citations, further de-

veloping their own ethos, or credibility. Supporting claims enhances the perceived validity of the

information presented. This also corresponds with the ethos appeal, because it shows the authors

performed thorough research before publishing their article.

The authors give many examples to support their discussion of the importance of psy-

chological support in addition to physiological rehabilitation for injured athletes. They also com-

pare previous rehabilitation attempts without the presence of a sports psychologist and how the

results were affected by their companionship. One study of athletes recovering from reconstruc-

tive surgery of the anterior cruciate ligament previously reported “guided imagery, coupled with

relaxation exercises, had a significant impact in reducing patient anxiety about possible re-in-

jury and also facilitated faster gains in knee strength” (Concannon & Pringle, 2012, p.485). The

authors explain this conclusion supports the earlier work of Ievleva and Orlick (1991), who re-

ported, “faster healing athletes demonstrate greater use of psychological skills such as goal set-

ting, positive self-talk and imagery” (Concannon & Pringle, 2012, p.486). Including the compar-

isons of the various courses of rehabilitation and injury management effectively persuades the

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reader of the importance of the psychological support injured athletes require. The citations pro-

vided along with their claims also give the reader confidence in the information in the article. In

addition to this being a logos appeal, the authors consider style when writing the article by incor-

porating these citations and tables with information they want to convey quickly to the reader.

After a thorough investigation of the article, it is apparent Concannon and Pringle (2012)

considered style, form, and appeals when writing and executing the article. Style and form aid in

making the article easy to read and follow for the audience, regardless of their level of previous

medical knowledge. They also guide the reader through with section headers and footnotes in-

cluded throughout the text to give them a better understanding of the information and results

published. Additionally, the logos and pathos appeals influence the article’s strength by giving the

authors’ own factual information found along with outside instructors’ results cited throughout

the text. The case study, as stated before, is the most powerful section in drawing the reader in

because it appeals to the readers’ emotions, and provides them with a real situation to imagine.

When any writer conducts research and publishes her/his findings, her/his purpose is to inform

and help people who are seeking more information on their shared focus. Keeping the reader in-

terested is vital in persuading them to agree with the author’s argument, findings, or conclu-

sions. Making information easy to follow, supporting it with strong evidence, and employing ef-

fective appeals will satisfy an audience, whoever that audience may be, and guarantee the

achievement of an author’s purpose.

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References

Concannon, M. & B. Pringle. (2012). Psychology in sports injury rehabilitation. British

Journal of Nursing, 21(8), 484-490.

Goldberg, A. (2013). The mental side of athletic injuries: A coach’s and athlete’s guide to psycho-

logically rebounding from injury. Competitive Advantage. Available from www.competi-

tiveadvantage.com

Hardy, C. J., , K.L. Burke, & R. K. Crace. (2005). Injuries : The psychology of recovery and re-

hab. Shane Murphy (Ed.), The Sports Psych Hanbook (pp. 163-187). Champaign, IL: Hu-

man Kinetics.

Schwab Reese, M. L., Ryan Pittsinger, & Jingzhen Yang. (2012). Effectiveness of psychological

intervention following sports injury. Journal of Sport and Health Science, 1(2), 71-79. Avail-

able from Science Direct database.

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