Hurt Herd: The impact of sport injuries

Bella Byus, Staff WriterApril 24, 2017Leave a Comment

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Playing sports like football will frequently lead to injury. These injuries not only impact the player but also the team and its season.

Every​ ​year​ ​and​ ​every​ ​season,​ ​student​ ​athletes​ ​are​ ​get​ ​hurt​, ​whether​ ​it​ ​is​ ​at​ ​a​ ​game​ ​or​ ​during practice.​ ​The​ ​effects​ ​of​ ​these​ ​injuries​ ​can​ ​impact ​the​ ​athlete​ ​more​ ​than​ ​they​ ​know. 
 
The​ ​athlete​ ​can​ ​respond​ ​to​ ​their​ ​injury​ ​in​ ​many​ ​ways​ ​such​ ​as​ ​seeking​ ​help​ ​or​ ​playing​ ​hurt.​ ​Results in​ ​playing​ ​hurt​ ​can​ ​lead​ ​to​ ​the​ ​injury​ ​getting​ ​worse​ ​and​ ​the​ ​health​ ​of​ ​the​ ​athlete​ ​can​ ​be​ ​at​ ​risk. The factors that athletes are forced to deal with can have an impact on the whole team.
 
“Since​ ​we’re​ ​low​ ​on​ ​numbers​ ​this​ ​year,​ ​if​ ​a​ ​girl​ ​were​ ​to​ ​go​ ​down​ ​or​ ​two​ ​girls​, ​it​ ​makes​ ​someone have​ ​to​ ​step​ ​up​ ​to​ ​play​ ​more​ ​than​ ​their​ ​usual​ ​position​ ​like​ ​an​ ​attack/​ ​defense​ ​player​ ​have​ ​to​ ​play midfield​ ​or​ ​even​ ​have​ ​time​ ​playing​ ​in​ ​both​ ​the​ ​Jv/​ ​Varsity​ ​games​ ​which​ ​makes​ ​everything​ ​crazy,” said​ ​Vivian​ ​Matallana,​ ​a​ freshman​ ​lacrosse​ ​player​ ​at​ ​CHS.  
 
Injuries​ ​happen​ ​often​ ​and​ ​they​ ​serve​ ​as​ ​a​ ​barrier​ ​when​ ​it​ ​comes​ ​to​ ​the​ ​team.​ ​The​ ​injury​ ​can​ ​set​ ​a team​ ​back​ ​by​ forcing them to ​cancel​ ​games​ ​and​ ​postpone​ ​tournaments due to an insufficient number of players.​ ​
 
“We​ ​have​ ​short​ ​numbers​ ​on​ ​lines​ ​so​ ​everyone​ ​gets​ ​really​ ​tired​ ​when​ ​there’s​ ​no​ ​one​ ​to​ ​sub​ ​in​ ​for them,” said​ ​Rojen​ ​Porcopio,​ ​a​ ​CHS​ ​junior​ ​class​ ​lacrosse​ ​player. ​ “Someone​ ​that’s​ ​injured​ ​could​ ​be​ ​a​ ​teammate​ ​we​ ​rely​ ​on​ ​most​ ​of​ ​the​ ​time​ ​whether​ ​they​ ​are our​ ​best​ ​defender​ ​or​ ​our​ ​best​ ​scorer.”​ ​ 
 
The​ ​injuries​ ​that​ ​athletes​ ​get​ ​can​ ​affect​ ​the​ ​coaches​ ​too.​ ​The​ ​practices​ ​and​ ​game​ ​formations​ ​are planned​ ​out​ ​and​ ​if​ ​an​ ​athlete​ ​is​ ​missing,​ ​they​ ​have​ ​to​ ​change​ ​the​ ​formation​ ​due​ ​to​ ​the​ ​athlete​ ​being out​ ​for​ ​an​ ​injury.​ ​This​ ​means​ ​the​ ​coach​ ​has​ ​to​ ​change​ ​plans​ ​and​ ​try​ ​to​ ​make​ ​something​ ​work.  
 
“I’ve​ ​coached​ ​many​ ​athletes​ ​on​ ​many​ ​teams,” said​ ​by ​Goeff Honeysett​, ​a​ ​high​ ​school​ ​soccer trainer.  “​I​ ​remember​ ​this​ ​one​ ​time​ ​we​ ​were​ ​in​ ​a​ ​state​ ​final​ ​at a​ ​tournament​ ​and​ ​our​ ​strongest​ ​forward​ ​tore​ ​her​ ​ACL.​ ​It​ ​hurt​ ​the​ ​team​ ​because​ ​she​ ​was​ ​one​ ​of our​ ​main​ ​scorers​ ​and​ ​every​ ​player​ ​was​ ​so​ ​used​ ​to​ ​her​ ​getting​ ​the​ ​ball​ ​and​ ​being​ ​at​ ​the​ ​right​ ​place at​ ​the​ ​right​ ​time.​ ​It​ ​also​ ​hurt​ ​me​ ​because​ ​I​ ​didn’t​ ​know​ ​who​ ​else​ ​could​ ​fill​ ​her​ ​spot.”​ ​
Injuries​ ​will​ ​obviously​ ​always​ ​be​ ​a part of playing sports ​and​ ​they​ ​can’t​ ​be​ ​controlled.​ ​Every​ ​time​ ​an​ ​athlete​ ​steps​ ​on 
the​ ​field,​ ​court,​ ​pool,​ ​or​ ​track,​ ​they​ ​are​ ​taking​ ​a​ ​risk​ ​at​ ​getting​ ​hurt.​ Sports need to take the possibility of injury into their planning and preparation for the season.