ABSTRACT
‘But I need you to play’: a statement that many of us will have heard at some point during our careers as either athletes or practitioners. The connotations from this statement are wide ranging: ‘Does my coach value me that much that I should play?’; ‘Does this mean we'll likely lose if I don't play?’; ‘What does it say about everyone else if I'm expected to play when I'm not really ready?’; for many athletes faced with this statement, though, the response would simply be something akin to ‘sure, boss, no problem’, wherever possible. A simple statement can have many meanings and implications for athletes, all of which are generally related to the power and influence that a coach has within their team environment. We assert that how coaches choose to use that power and influence will be a significant contributory factor to athlete and team medical outcomes, specifically injury risk and the success of rehabilitation outcomes. Consequently, this chapter will (1) discuss the coach's role in injury risk, (2) discuss the coach's role in injury rehabilitation and return to sport and (3) present an applied case study for consideration.
