Critical Incidents in Sports

The tragic American Airlines – Black Hawk helicopter collision in Washington D.C. in January 2025 calls to mind the unpredictability and inherently fragile nature of life. Among the 67 people who died were 28 members of the international figure skating community. From within the fencing world, our hearts go out to the figure skating community. As members of the Olympic family, we share in their losses and challenges, as well as their joys and triumphs.

As tragic as all loss of life is, the death of young athletes seems to strike a particularly responsive chord. To think that 28 people in a world of billions can have such an everlasting impact on the entire sports community is astounding, but all too true. It has been said that those who die will never have to bear pain and suffering again.

Yet, it is an entirely different story for the ones who are affected by the dead leaving the world behind. The sports community has suffered a great tragedy and lost the lives of once-great athletes who were too young to leave this world. To say they will be missed is an understatement, and the community will mourn them for years to come.

Following the sudden death of a University of Utah football player, Dr Keith Henschen and Dr. John Heil interviewed the players teammates to understand the impact of that death. The research entitled A Retrospective Study of the Effect of an Athlete’s Sudden Death on Teammates published in Omega – Journal of Death and Dying in 1992, explores the response of fellow teammates.

In interviews it was found that even after five years had passed the players were still experiencing grief towards their once fellow student-athlete. We (the researchers) were surprised by how strong and enduring were the memories of this incident. The responses from the teammates showed four major themes: an initial response of disbelief and shock, continued spontaneous remembering at times and circumstances both predictable and surprising, strong and sometimes puzzling emotional response to memories of the player, and a renewed appreciation of life. We also noted that the players, despite their common reactions seldom discussed the death of their teammate with each other – although in retrospect this would likely have been beneficial to all. Here is the link to the full article.

How does one respond to such devastation? The Center for Performance Psychology recommends following the 6 C’s: Connect with the community, coach with information, consider the process, consult with professionals, consider return to play carefully and care for yourself (Athey & Heil, 2011). So, through the challenging times it is important to consider your own well-being along with others and to pace yourself in the healing process. Here is the link to the full article.

Revised and reprinted with permission from the International Swim Coaches Association Newsletter (February, 2025).