The Pearl Post
High school sports injuries recently increaseFriday, February 11, 2011 By London Gagnier
Junior wrestler Jordan James suffered from a slipped knee muscle injury in 9th grade during a tournament and was out for the entire season. Then a few years later, he suffered from a concussion in October. “I didn’t remember being hit the next day and I didn’t know I had a concussion until I went to the doctor because I was feeling very dizzy earlier that day,” James said. Many students enjoy various high school sports such as football, basketball, soccer, volleyball, baseball and lacrosse. Since the season has started, many teenagers have been getting injured or hurt and many aren’t sure whether it’s the fault of the coaches or the players. Senior varsity football player Chris Mitchell recently fractured his leg when an opposing player tackled him during a game at Granada Hills Charter High School on Nov. 5. “I don’t blame my coach because I should have let my leg heal longer. I just wanted to be there for the team,” Mitchell said. Senior varsity volleyball player Danetta Boykin also injured herself this season. While playing against Granada Hills, she pulled a muscle in her leg and was not able to play for about a week and a half. “I blame myself for my injury because I should have taken the stretching exercises more serious,” Boykin said. Senior ex-football player Alan Borbon was out for the entire season last year due to a broken leg from a football accident before pre-season started. “I don’t blame my coach because I was at risk by going out on the field. Football is a physical sport and you will get injured whether it’s minor or major,” Borbon said. There has also been a noticeable increase in deaths among teenagers who participate in high school competitive sports. On maxpreps.com, it was reported that Douglas Morales, a 17-year-old football player in New Jersey, died after being in a coma caused by a collision during a football game. Some parents blame the coaches, saying they are overworking the players. Others blame the physical conditions that their players suffer from. According to an article in the Feb. 3 issue of Time magazine, a concussion can blow an immature brain off the course of development. “The immature brain is still developing. That makes it more susceptible to damage and more likely to suffer repetitive injury,” Julian Bailes, a neurologist at West Virginia University, said in the Time article. An article published Nov. 2, 2010, in the Los Angeles Times states there is a new law out to prevent concussions in high school sports. This law says that if an athlete is feeling light headed, they must sit out of the sporting event or practice, drink a lot of water and cool down. The American Academy of Neurology also recommended that if a student athlete is suspected of having a concussion, they cannot return to play until they have been cleared by a specialist. Injuries and deaths can be caused by many things, like harsh drills and work outs, bad warm-up plans, not drinking enough water or fluids, not eating healthy food or the physical needs and conditions of the player. “In order to prevent injuries from happening, you should eat healthy and drink water. Before a game, get serious about the warm ups because if you don’t, it will show in your performance,” Boykin said. Coaches say that you should take at least 30 minutes to stretch, work out and drink a lot of water before practice. “You can’t prevent injuries. Just take care of yourself,” Borbon said. “If you’re sore, get some ice to ease the pain and also tell your coach you’re unable to play in whatever sporting event you’re doing.” High school coaches do their best to keep their student athletes safe and healthy. “If one of my players has a knee injury, I make them work out and jog on the grass and do drills in the sand pit to take pressure off of the injury,” said Birmingham Community Charter High School sprinting track coach Credrick Corruth. “After practice they need to ice the injury.” |