High School Athletic Injuries are no Joke

High School Athletic Injuries are no Joke

Getting injured can be devastating for a student athlete. School sports seasons are not long to begin with, so a bad injury can make or break a student’s season.

Injuries can also be hard for the whole team. Jennifer Payne, who coaches girls basketball, lacrosse, and field hockey at FCHS, said “A team’s success depends on the health of its players. When a player is injured it can sometimes hinder the success of the team. Losing key players to injuries forces coaches to rethink their line-ups and game strategies.” Teams need every player to do their best during every practice and game. If someone gets hurt, it can affect how well the team plays.

In the fall, football traditionally has the most athletic injuries, primarily due to tackling. Since many players on the team get hurt, teams require a number of players to act as substitutes. However, injuries can happen in any sport, and shouldn’t be ignored. “Athletes in all sports have to differentiate between being hurt and being injured,” said FCHS Athletic Trainer Tyler Golden. “Sports are physically demanding and uncomfortable at times and our bodies may feel tired, sore, or hurt. But if pain isn’t going away, you’re not recovering, or it starts affecting your ability to play, then you should get it checked out,” he said.

Injuries can affect an athlete both physically and mentally. Physically, your body is in pain, but according to Boston’s Children’s Hospital, “being injured and getting taken out of [a] sport can trigger significant mental health issues–anxiety, depression, and eating disorders, to name a few.” So the impact of an injury can go far beyond the playing field as it can also impact a student’s ability to focus on their work and thereby, affect their grades.

Sometimes, student athletes can get caught up in the sport and forget to take care of their bodies, which can also lead to injuries. So if your body is feeling hurt, you should listen to it and take some time off to heal. Stress can also lead to injuries. Putting school first so you don’t get behind, as well as getting enough sleep, are all things students can do to minimize their chances of getting injured.

Concussions are a particularly common injury seen in athletes, and are caused by a direct hit that causes injury to the brain. FCHS sophomore Morgan Donnelly once got a concussion during a softball game. “I was a runner on second base and my teammate was up to bat. She hit the ball, and I turned to look to see where she was hitting the ball when I was coming off the base. I turned and looked, and the ball was at my face. It hit me on the side of my helmet, and I blacked out for a little bit,” she said. Concussions can become a very serious issue if you don’t take care of them properly afterward, so if you get a concussion, be sure to limit your screen time and get enough rest to aid in your recovery.

Another common injury among students is shin splints. These are caused by overuse and strain on the muscle, causing it to become inflamed. One way to limit, or even prevent, such injuries is to make sure you stretch and properly warm up your body before games or practices. If you don’t warm-up, you can strain muscles, or injure other parts of your body. Being out of shape at the start of a season can also lead to injury. To prevent this, start training and getting back into shape months before the season starts.

For tips on how you can prevent high school athletic injuries, as well as information on the seven most common tips of high school injuries and how to avoid them, go to oip.com.

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