Sports injuries are common among high school and college student-athletes, and they can dramatically affect teens’ physical and mental well-being. Due to forced inactivity and routine disruption, injuries can have a detrimental impact on academic performance, social interactions, and mental health for student-athletes, causing lowered self-esteem, anxiety, depression, and sometimes even identity crises.

I’m Sophia Nguyen. Welcome to my podcast Student Athlete Listening Project, or SALP for short. SALP is a storytelling and listening initiative that focuses on the kind of compassionate listening that creates safe spaces where student-athletes can share their injury experiences, build empathy, and strengthen human connection.

When I was 11 years old, I underwent an intensive spinal fusion surgery after an incident during ballet practice. I recovered well after a lengthy physical therapy. At the age of 15, I dislocated my right shoulder twice—once on a ski trip and another time at volleyball practice. I underwent right shoulder surgery before the beginning of my freshman year in high school. As someone who is extremely active, the year of rest and recovery following the surgery was excruciating. However, during this difficult time, I built strong connections with my medical teams, including my orthopedic surgeon, my physical therapists, and the other patients who had similar stories to mine.

These experiences helped me become a more empathetic and warmhearted person. I learned firsthand that some pain and hardships aren’t visible from the outside. I founded SALP to share my own medical experience with others and explore the power of storytelling and listening to inspire and support other student athletes. I believe that sharing sports injury stories can bring comfort and healing to the storytellers and offer insight and hope to the listeners. If you or a loved one has a story they’re dying to share, please send us an email to salproject2026@gmail.com. Thank you for sharing and listening.