Taking Time Out
Transitioning between college and pro sport, dealing with injury, and why mental health validation is vital
By: Holly Hutchinson
Holly Hutchinson is a 2021 Old Dominion University Master’s Graduate in Lifespan and Digital Communication. She is a professional tennis player, Social Media Co-ordinator, and has represented Great Britain in the World University Games. Holly is a TeamBath athlete.
The past couple of years have been, on a global scale, catastrophic. When sitting down to write an article about my personal journey from transitioning between college to professional sport, dealing with injury, prioritizing and validating mental health, and just general reflection on being a tennis player, it must be noted that I write this article with a perspective that I am extremely lucky and privileged to do what I love for a job.
I graduated with a masters degree in Lifespan and Digital Communication from Old Dominion University (ODU) in August 2021, ready to focus on a professional tennis career. College tennis at ODU gave me a team environment in tennis — something that is rare for such an individual sport, and I am forever grateful for the teammates and lessons I learnt during my five years there. The transition from practices every day with eight other girls, travel sorted by your coaches, clothes and equipment managed by others, to pro tennis where everything is managed by yourself, made me realize the benefits of being within a team unit.
Tennis is a very individual sport. Transitioning to professional tennis, where you have to travel to countries by yourself week in and week out can be brutal — especially at the lower levels of the professional tour. At the lower levels, you are making a loss financially, staying in some questionable places, managing equipment, and advertising for sponsorship on social media — all whilst planning travel/flights and tournament schedules for the upcoming weeks (and much more). Unfortunately for myself, I only got three weeks on the tour in Bulgaria and Italy before I sustained a lower back injury and was ruled out for a couple of months.
Being injured and not a student-athlete anymore — something I had been my whole life — was a shock for me mentally because I suddenly felt so useless, and empty. What was my purpose every day if I couldn’t play? It was hard for me to get motivated for rehab, as the pain in my back would come and go. Some days I couldn’t even walk for long periods of time, but I didn’t have the usual outlet of school or university to keep me distracted from not playing tennis, which had previously been the backup plan. Essentially — I felt like I still hadn’t started my professional tennis playing career and was in limbo.
This is where having a good group of people around you is essential. The support system I had around me — my family, boyfriend and friends — absolutely got me through those months of injury. I regained my love and passion for the sport in different ways, like watching matches and getting a job as a social media manager for two tennis academies (something I will continue to do now in the future, whilst playing). The simplest things, like
checking in with how I was feeling made such a difference. Prioritizing activities that made me happy like getting coffee or going on walks, helped me open up to my family and friends about feeling down, and ultimately made the difference in starting to feel more positive about being injured. The people you can open up to in a time when you feel down, along with allowing yourself to be vulnerable and being honest with how you’re feeling, are vital in making steps forward for yourself, not just for your sport but outside of your sport too.
At the start of this year, after the rehab phase, and getting back to full fitness, I played my first tournament. I rolled my ankle halfway through the match. Again, I rehabbed, got back to fitness, and played a tournament in February where my back flared up and the pain was so bad I had to withdraw from the match. I found out I was playing with the same injury I had sustained the previous year. I was beyond devastated. It seemed like a cycle of injury, play, injury, play.
I had to take a month off without hitting a tennis ball, something very alien to me — but this time was different — I didn’t want to rush back and knew that rest was the best thing for my back to heal. Mentally I had been through too many ups and downs since graduating, and I realized that there was no need to rush the start of my pro career — when I was ready to play, it would happen. Looking at my injuries as more of a postponement rather than a drawback helped change my mindset, and I am now finally ready to compete again.
I know that the possibility of injury is always there, and I know my professional journey — whatever that ends up being, will be full of obstacles. I can say I am at peace with whatever happens next. I love playing this sport, and it has given me so much in my life. I hope that if taking away anything from this piece, you see that it is never straightforward (mentally or physically) for any athlete. Don’t be afraid to talk with people who care about your best interests. Continue to be excited about what’s next.
