Due to severe injuries, several student athletes are unable to compete
Athletic careers are put on hold before athletes are ready
September 30, 2016
Many athletes consider not playing their sport to be a negative thing. Imagine being permanently benched and it’s not because of lack of skill or effort.
For some student athletes, his or her last game comes before they are ready due to an injury. Some are just out for a season, such as sophomore Henry Lopez, but others have to quit the sport for good.
Last season, Lopez underwent anterior cruciate ligament repair surgery. He hoped to be back on the field this season, but the discovery of another injury prevented his return.
“After a little more kinks and not feeling 100 percent, we went back to check and found out I had a torn meniscus, which brought me out for this season,” Lopez said.
Although he currently has a recovery time of three to six months, Lopez anticipates returning next year. Due to this, he has lessened the amount of time he spends at practice this season.
“I went to the practices and [managed], so I helped out … I didn’t completely stop going,” Lopez said. ”I just stopped going as often because I’m going to wait until next year.”
In contrast, not all athletes are able to return to their sport after an injury.
After his fifth total concussion last October, three of which were during his high school football career, senior Tristan Milne’s neurologist told him it was “not a good idea to play anymore.”
According to Milne, the hardest part of the process was coping with the disappointing news in the beginning.
“[I did not handle it] very well at first,” Milne said. “I was mad, but as time went on, it kind of faded away.”
Similarly, multiple concussions took sophomore Makayla King out of her sport. Her doctor advised her to stop playing soccer after her fourth concussion. The information devastated her.
“Mainly, [I miss] my friends that I played with and just the sport in general,” King said.
Although athletic trainer Clint McAlister rarely sees injuries that permanently take athletes out, he does see the hardship that students face when this does happen. His best advice is to find a new activity to devote time to.
“Stay passionate about things you do. Find something that you can do and can be involved in, even if it’s not contact sports,” McAlister said. “Look into coaching … just something where you can still stay involved. It helps ease the blow.”
Fortunately for King, her inability to play soccer led to a newly discovered passion.
“I researched a lot of things to see if I could actually go back and play. After I figured out that I couldn’t play anymore, I tried a new sport … Now, I like track,” King said.
Although the experience of not being able to play a sport after years of dedication is disheartening, McAlister hopes the affected athletes cope in a practical manner.
“I just hope they all realize that there is more to life than just sports. I know it is a life changing event when you’ve been playing sports all your life and you no longer can play,” Clint said. “Everyone reaches that point, some just reach it earlier than others.”