It is very clear that the competition amongst student athletes has increased over the years, but unfortunately the numbers of sports injuries have increased as well. Today some high school athletes are suffering from career ending injuries before they even graduate high school.
Football, being one of America’s most recognized sports, is also the sport with a high number of injuries happening on the field. Downey High School’s very own CIF football team champions have had their fair share of players hurt during games and practices. Team captain of varsity football, Jeremy Villa, 12, suffered from an 80% fracture in his tibia during a play off game against Norwalk.
“I’ve learned to take my coaches words more literal; play every play like it’s your last,” Villa said “… I didn’t know it was going to be my last and it sucked because I didn’t get to finish off the season with my team.”
Almost every sport has had to come to terms with knee injuries. Young women are two to eight times more likely to suffer from a torn anterior cruciate ligament than young males according to wakemedphysicians.com. Taking up to a year and a half to recover, most athletes are forced to take a break from their sport. All around student athlete, Makayla Taylor, senior, tore her ACL last December playing varsity soccer against La Serna. Although it finished her soccer season, she continued to pursue her spot on Downey’s CIF winning varsity volleyball team. After only nine months of intense physical therapy and determination to get back on the court, Taylor began volleyball season beside her team.
“My injury makes me not want to take volleyball for granted,” Taylor said, “and to push myself to try harder.”
The athletes’ passion for their sport is the foundation for worthy competitors, but being in the wrong place at the wrong time will evidently have an inconvenient outcome. Senior Nicholas Farina tore his tricep and bruised his bicep while playing in a lacrosse tournament.
“It’s unfortunate that I’m injured and that I can’t play, but I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time,” Farina said, “but I know that when I get back on the field, I’m going to go better, faster and harder to make up for the time I was out.”
3.5 million children under the age of 16 suffer from sport related injuries annually, and every year the number increases sportssafety.org reported.
“It is insane to see the number of high school students suffering with all these injuries at such a young age,” volleyball coach Mrs. Sims said.
Evidently, the pressure is very well set for most athletes, but how far they will push themselves before it is too late is what athletes and coaches for generations to come will need to address.
