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 practic ...