Communicating Pain: Negotiating the Tensions of Leadership, Toughness, and Injury

Abstract

Leilani is a star volleyball player, team captain, and dedicated student. During her junior year, she suffered a foot injury. Hesitant to communicate her pain for fear of being perceived as weak or being benched, she played through the pain and tried to manage it on her own. However, her delay in receiving care eventually warranted a more extensive surgery. During her arduous recovery, she felt abandoned by her team and coach who seemed to blame her for not being tough enough and hiding behind a little pain. Upon her recovery, she began developing the same injury on her other foot and found herself in a similar position; struggling to determine when and how to talk about her pain while balancing her roles as celebrated athlete and team leader—to be tough, yet responsible to herself, her body, her team, and her family.