High School Sports Injuries

Are sports too dangerous?

Malesa Naovarath, Editor in Chief

In a matter of seconds the dream that you worked so hard to turn into reality can be jeopardized by something you had no control over. Everyday athletes are getting sidelined by injuries caused by playing the sport they love. It can vary from a minor injury to needing an emergency surgery. Every time these athletes take the stage there is always a possibility that it could be the last time they do. Here at East High two athletes share their story of how it felt to be sidelined due to their injury.

Justice Ross may have played basketball her entire but this year she’s a rookie to the game. Being a true freshman she was expected to start for the Lady Scarlets. The sixth game into the season she tore her ACL in her right knee. This was a major setback for Ross, she was having a successful season and this would be the second time she tore her ACL. This season was her first season back because the year before she tore her ACL in her left knee while playing basketball for her eighth grade travel team. Ross has a long road of recovery ahead of her. The expected time of full recovery is six months and  afterwards depending on the patient, or surgeon, a brace will be needed to be worn when playing. The brace is not permanent it is purely dependent on the patient. Luckily for Ross she is a freshman who still has a few more years to try to acquire an athletic scholarship. “Knowing that I’m young and that my teammates need me is what motivates me to keep playing,” Ross said. Ross is hoping to receive a scholarship from a division one college to further her career.

Another student who also wants to further their career is junior Case Tillotson. Tillotson is involved in three sports here at East High, those sports include football, wrestling and rugby. This past wrestling season Tillotson suffered from a concussion and had to sit out for three weeks. That may not sound like a very long time but those who have dealt with a concussion can say that it is a very miserable and long recovery. An injury to the head is taken very seriously especially in young adults due to their brains still developing.  After those three weeks Tillotson could not return to wrestling immediately as he had to follow the “return to play” protocol, this consist of a full week of practice without contact with each day slowly increasing the intensity. “The hardest thing for me to do with my injury was to follow the return to play because I just wanted to practice,” Tillotson said. An athlete cannot start the “return to play” protocol unless he or she has went through a full 24 hours without any concussion symptoms. Tillotson struggled with memory loss and seemed to be confused easily while having a concussion. The love he has for the sport and competition is what motivates him to continue playing even after this serious injury.