top of page

Reflective Essay

Cooper Burkhalter

Murray State College

English Composition II 

Spring 2025


 

Over the past couple of months I have seen big changes in the way that I write. My writing has not only improved but has also gotten compliments from teachers and peers at my High School. Even helping me earn athletic and academic scholarships to the school that I will be attending next fall. I started as a basic writer, and now that has become a driving factor in what I plan to do in the future. Even if writing is not a big part of my line of work after college I hope to make it a big part of my life even if I am not sure how to tie it into my everyday life. I would like to reflect on big parts of my improvement, those being word choice and showing my knowledge.

First, my improvement in word choice. At the beginning of my writing journey I was struggling with finding the right words to say when writing an essay. I would use words that are considered not proper in writing for example stuff, things or even make I feel and I believe statements while writing. Now, my writing shows that it has improved by having better word choices while not making the basic mistakes.

Last, showing my knowledge through writing. I found myself second guessing the things that I wrote about, and that was the worst thing that I could have done at the time. While being a major setback in my writing, not being able to show my knowledge affected my everyday life. I have pushed myself past that setback. People have told me that I have seemed more confident in many ways including being confident in my knowledge even if I was wrong.

My writing has improved, and it has affected me in a positive way. It has helped me get through some rough times in the last couple of months, and has affected people around me. This class has shown me how to be a better writer and a more knowledgeable person. Peers have complimented me and have wanted to learn more about how I have improved as well. 

 

​

​

How Injuries In Youth Sports Effects The Mental Health of Young Athletes

 

Cooper Burkhalter

Murray State College

English Composition II

Spring 2025

 

Youth sports are often used for their ability to grow teamwork, discipline, and physical fitness among children. However, the darker side of youth athletics appears when people consider the psychological effects of injuries sustained during the playing of sports. Injuries can lead to emotional distress for young athletes, as these incidents often strip away not just their physical abilities but also their identity and social connections (Rainey, 2025). When a child is sidelined due to an injury, they may experience feelings of grief and loss that can spiral into anxiety, depression, or even addiction in some cases, and the transition from being an active participant in sports to facing restrictions can be extremely disheartening solutions to the epidemic may include counseling, coping mechanisms, and rehabilitation.

First of all, the long-term psychological effects of these injuries can linger far beyond the initial trauma. Many young athletes grapple with self-image issues stemming from their inability to perform at previous levels or return to play altogether. This struggle with self-worth is compounded by societal expectations surrounding athleticism and success in sports (Diehl, 2025). As youth sports continue to gain popularity worldwide resulting in millions of injuries each year the need for awareness around mental health support becomes increasingly urgent. Understanding how injuries affect not only the body but also the mind is crucial for parents, coaches, and medical professionals alike as they strive to create a supportive environment that prioritizes both physical recovery and mental well-being for young athletes. An important fix to this problem would be to check up with the athletes while they are injured when asked about how she could be better understood during injury Rylee said, “I felt like nobody even talked to me to ask me how I was doing and I feel deeper into pain because it felt like no one truly cared,” (Yandell, 2025).

Next, people can fall in between the lines of anxiety and depression. Anxiety is caused by the overwhelming thought that the player may never be as good as he/she used to be at the sport. This was a common thought in athletes that have been on the road to recovery with more serious injuries like breaks for bones and tears for muscles or ligaments. One of these statements from an interview said, “Anxiety is the hardest that I have had to deal with, but anxiety also affected me after I recovered by always making me think if only I never got hurt,” (Yandell, 2025). People often overlook mental health in these young athletes for the ages of elementary to High School and with that the athlete feels as if they are not understood by the people around them including that athlete's parents or their support system. Depression also comes along with this wild recovery journey by crippling any self confidence in a player which also affects a player after they are done with the recovery process. Young athletes may even find themselves in harsh positions caused by the depression that has arrived. This has become more of a problem in the athletes closer to being adults. Big fixes for this could be finding a therapist that might have a specialization on helping either athletes or children who are struggling.

Third, how athletes can fall into addiction. Taylor Shipp said this about athletes falling into addiction, “sometimes you can see athletes of any age trying to find a way to release the pain of an injury, but some of them choose the wrong way of either drugs or alcohol,”  (Shipp). The good ways are things that will be provided by a medical professional, but the bad ways are by picking up something like drugs or alcohol which is not only illegal but also very dangerous for all youth athletes no matter the age. These addictions have not only harmed athletes but have killed many people from the intoxicating effects of their contents. The help of counselors may be needed to help find better ways to cope with the recovery process of an injury that will be better for the health of the mind and body. Being misunderstood is a major factor of anxiety and depression, but anxiety and depression are smaller affects than addiction because addiction can cause both anxiety and depression. Players would find themselves in a deeper hole by getting addicted from drugs or alcohol. A fix for the addictions that could happen would be rehab and addiction therapy even if the athlete does believe they need the help. 

Next to last, the disheartening transition and other effects of injuries. Players may often be pulled for under performing, but major injuries make the athletes question if they will ever get the chance to perform ever again in their sport. One athlete stated, “My worst fear was if I was ever going to find myself back on the field, but I found my way back and overcame that fear,” which is a good quote for her path to recovery (Yandell, 2025).  Players find themselves lacking in confidence in times of injury which is one of the reasons an athlete might lack in performance when they come back from this injury. Some athletes may find themselves in a constant state of recovery because of the minor injuries that may come with their sport and combining these injuries could lead to even worse mental health. That same athlete said, “on my road to recovery from a broken finger I started to run and find other ways to be active but while I was running I was combining my injuries with pulling muscles along with the broken finger,” (Yandell, 2025).  That was another disheartening addition to her injury and her road to recovery. People do not understand what some athletes are going through which makes it harder for them to find their final destination which is performing on the field. A way to solve this problem would be to find a good coach who can help on the side of scheduled practices to help the athlete to transition back into playing their sport.

In conclusion, Athletes may find themselves struggling with their mental health no matter what the injury. Anxiety, depression, addiction, and other things can affect the young athletes in many ways that many people may not understand. Players are not as mentally healthy as they may seem from the outside. While youth sports are good for child development, sports injuries could hurt the way that these kids develop both mentally and physically. 

​

​

How Can Youth Sport Injury Be Related To Kafkaesque

Cooper Burkhalter

Murray State College

English Composition II

Spring 2025

 

Over 3.5 Million kids around the world have struggled with one thing which is Injuries caused by sports. Sports Injuries in youth is a common problem in today's world, but many children who are facing injury may need ways to relate to someone or something to make them feel better about their situation. While finding something they relate to, they might find a new writer/writing style to help them get through their time. Kafkaesque writing is a relatable writing style for injured youth athletes to read or write, so what is Kafkaesque writing, what are the mental effects of an injury for an athlete, and what makes them related to Kafkaesque writing?

First of all, what is Kafkaesque writing? The kafkaesque writing style is looked at as, “a meticulous, almost clinical, attention to detail and a deep immersion in the internal states of his characters,” (Gilliam). While the definition is the best way to describe what kafkaesque writing is, other examples show more information about the topic of Kafkaesque writing. Franz Kafka was a German speaking writer who wrote many novels about feeling like an outcast to society because of his religion which is how many Injured Athletes feel when trying to recover. People in Germany during his time were hunted for religion and race due to the Holocaust, but he was lucky enough to survive. He wrote books like Metamorphosis which is a book about being an outcast in your family. His truth was shown in this book with his German family looking to get him away because of his Jewish religion. Franz drove his writing on his life as an outcast to society mostly when his life was at its hardest points.  Franz wrote letters to one of his parents in what was an attempt to write how he truly felt about his life, but his letter never made it back to his parents before it was too late. This was considered a big check point in his writing career because more people came to be interested in Kafka’s writing, but the autobiography is still not looked at as his most famous piece of work. His writing has come to inspire and guide people through struggles that they may face in life. Franz Kafka was worried that his works troubled people before his death; he requested that his work be destroyed to keep from any backlash after his passing.

Next, what are the mental effects of an injury for an athlete? Nebraska Medical wrote an article about youth sports injury in which they talked about the mental effects of an injury to an athlete, “When faced with a sports injury, they may experience a loss of identity and struggle with feelings of self-doubt and frustration,” (Nebraska Medical). People may often find young athletes struggling to find themselves again, but some athletes never become the same. Self-doubt and frustration are driving factors that make the child feel like an outcast when trying to find their way back to playing a sport. Athletes also seem to focus on current events that they miss out on instead of looking forward to the future which causes them to fall into a deeper hole of depression or anxiety. Young athletes are also more likely to be overconfident coming back to their sport which can cause reinjury or even more injuries on top of the original injury. When looking into the mental factors of coming back from an injury it is often that people may look over the fact that injuries can also start the athlete having less motivation than they did before the injury, but with time that becomes easier to fix than some issues. Players who get injured may feel like they are ready to give up on their sport, but supporting that athlete plus trying to relate to their problems is a quick and easy fix for those problems. Checking on the mental state of a young injured athlete might come in handy while looking into their road to recovery, and  people should check on their athletes more often.

Last, what are the ways Franz Kafka can be relatable to young athletes. In an interview with Taylor Shipp she stated, “an injured youth athlete can be affected in ways like feeling like an outcast, but finding ways to relateable makes these feelings slowly disappear,” which helps in understanding of these athletes (Shipp). Something being relatable for today's youth is very impactful whether they are injured or not. Franz would be able to make the struggling athletes feel more comfortable about their journey back to playing their sport, but not only his writing about feeling like an outcast to society makes him relatable to these children. People around the world wish to be understood, but not many people know who truly understands them. When Franz Kafka was young, he was often overshadowed by dread due to his poor relationship with his parents that might have been caused because of his two older brothers deaths during childhood. The feeling of being overshadowed by dread is something that most athletes feel while trying to recover from injuries but how he coped with the dread is what is the most interesting. Kafka wrote about his troubles and struggles which is how his stories were told, so an athlete who writes about their problems in recovery can potentially find themselves feeling better than they did before their injury. When Taylor Shipp was asked about how writing about your struggles can help any people in need, she said, “I have found that writing in journals or diaries are extremely helpful for people who might have stress of any amount,” (Shipp). This evidence shows that writing is a possible fix for the problem of overwhelming stress for the young athlete in need. Kafka was considered an outcast by some, but that is what makes him so relatable to people who may feel like an outcast while recovering from injury.

In conclusion, Kafkaesque writing is a relatable writing style for injured youth athletes to read or write, so what is Kafkaesque writing, what are the mental effects of an injury for an athlete, and what makes them related to Kafkaesque writing? Young athletes get hurt often and might need to find some ways to relate to something, so Franz Kafka is the guy who relates to the problem the most. 3.5 million youth athletes are injured in a year, but the mental aspect is what is the most important about the athletes. People may find what he writes about to be helpful in their own lives whether they are an athlete or not. 

 

References (Pr.1)

 

Conway, Blaise. "The Impact of Youth Athletics on Your Child's Mental Health." The Impact of Youth Athletics on Your Child's Mental Health, (22 February 2025) https://greaterbostonbehavioralhealth.com/rehab-blog/youth-athletics-mental-health-impact/.

Rainey, Caitlin. "Mental health concerns in student athletes after injury." Mental health concerns in student athletes after injury, (18 February 2025) https://www.contemporarypediatrics.com/view/mental-health-concerns-in-student-athletes-after-injury.

Yandell, Rylee. Personal Interview, (24 February 2025).

Shipp, Taylor. Personal interview, (26 February 2025).

​

​

References (Pr.2)

Exploring the kafkaesque: How creative writing consultants can guide your journey. Gilliam Writers Group. https://www.gilliamwritersgroup.com/blog/exploring-the-kafkaesque-how-creative-writing-consultants-can-guide-your-journey

 (2025a, March 25). How can a sports injury affect mental health?. Nebraska Medicine Omaha, NE. https://www.nebraskamed.com/health/conditions-and-services/sports-medicine/how-can-a-sports-injury-affect-mental-health#:~:text=When%20faced%20with%20a%20sports,can%20make%20the%20injury%20worse.

 

Personal Interview with Shipp, Taylor. LPC. (February 28, 2025)

© 2035 by Train of Thoughts. Powered and secured by Wix

bottom of page