Sports are always fun..until you get hurt.
Many high school students play a sport either for the competitiveness of their school team, or for their club team just for fun. Through this they improve their fitness level, make new friends and with any luck develop an enjoyment for the sport that will last all their life.
However, most students never really think about the chances of them getting seriously injured.
Senior Lindsey-Ann Miskovic, defensive players for the Lady Spartans soccer team, was chasing down a player to the corner of the field, when the player cut the ball back, then Miskovic’s knee just gave out and she collapsed on the field.
“I knew it was a serious injury because it hurt really bad. It felt like someone threw my knee across the field,” said Miskovic.
Now Miskovic has to deal with a torn ACL, a partially torn mcl, and two bone bruises in till she is able to get surgery in late April.
The most common high school injuries are pulled muscles, shin splints, and sprained/twisted muscles.
The trainers room after school is frequently packed with athletes who are trying to do rehab for these minor injuries in which the trainers will normally enforce “RICE” meaning, Rest, Ice, Compress and Elevate. But sometimes RICE just doesn’t cut it for everything. For some injuries trainers will have to use different treatments.
Senior Wes Stonelake, who plays for the Spartan baseball team got kneed in the head while diving for a ball at practice, which resulted in a concussion. The bad part about it is that he had to miss one game so far because of it, and can’t play until he gets cleared by the trainers.
“I got out of some homework which was nice, but for the first day or two I couldn’t really concentrate on anything, I was just kind of out of it,” said Stonelake.
Some sports injuries can be easily prevented just by warming up before games and cooling down after games, understanding the rules of the game, watching out for others, not playing when injured. In sophomore Lindsey Mares’ case, wearing the protective gear such as googles, protective pads, and cleats.
“I was passing the ball before my lacrosse game and I wasn’t wearing my googles and the ball hit me in the eye,” said Mares.
Getting hurt while playing a sport in high school is not fun, because the pain can become a distraction during and before classes. Simple tasks such as opening a door or carrying books becomes difficult. Also, trying to get make it through the intersection of Hollywood and Vine during break, with crutches to the elevator can be a struggle.
Senior lacrosse player Emily Esposito who has a torn acl, a torn meniscus, a severally sprained mcl and pcl and bone bruising in her tibia and femur said, “It’s a pain getting around. I hate crutches. But I believe that everything happens for a reason.”
