Passion can be a driving force in anyone's life. Athletes have the passion to push themselves to the highest level in order to excel in whatever their sport. However, this passion can sometimes be both beneficial and destructive. Although passion can allow an athlete to excel in the sport, if that athlete gets injured, that passion can cause them to return to play too soon. Returning to play too soon can be detrimental to the athlete, whether immediately or years later. An athlete should not return to play until adequate healing and recovery has occurred and the athlete has been able to return to the sport at a pre-injury level. However, this may not always happen due to the athlete's mindset. Athletes have a different mindset than others when it comes to injuries. The desire to return to an activity as soon as possible often interferes with an athlete's common sense. According to Charles Peebles, if an injury cannot actually be seen by the athlete, such as a stress fracture, the injury does not communicate to the athlete that they need to stop the sport or activity they are participating in (Peebles). The doctor and sports trainer must protect the athlete from further injury and this sometimes involves making the decision that the athlete must stop their sport for a specific amount of time. Healing and recovery may take time depending on the severity of the injury. the injury and physical condition of the athlete. According to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, studies have shown that good physical conditioning can not only prevent injuries, but also reduce their severity and speed recovery ("Return to Play"). This is why some p...... middle of paper ......to play after an injury. If an athlete returns to play too soon after an injury, they risk reinjury or long-term effects, either immediately or years later. Although the athlete may not be able to return to play immediately, they can maintain fitness in activities that would not aggravate the injury. The key is to protect the athlete while allowing them to remain physically fit when they return to play. Works Cited Peebles, Charles. “Key information on athletes' return to sport after injury. » Podiatry today. Podiatry today, nd Web. November 15, 2013. “Return to the Game.” OrthoInfo. American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, nd Web. November 15, 2013. Sims, Abby. "Athlete Recovery from Injury: Are They Setup to Fail? Part I." HuffPost Sports. The Huffington Post, July 2, 2013. Web. November 15 2013.