Injury happens easily in sports if an athlete does not know how to protect themselves. At school their coaches and trainers are there to educate them on protection and safety. Lacrosse and football are some of the harder sports that cause more injuries than sports like swimming.
“Helmets, gloves, shoulder pads, elbow pads and shin pads are used for hockey,” Deqwan Philips, sophomore criminology and sociology major, said.
Most sports require equipment that helps keep people protected in most areas. In college football, helmets were not considered a “mandatory” piece of equipment until as late as 1939, according to an article by bleacherreport.com. Even in sports as aggressive and physical as ice hockey, helmets were put to use in the 1930s, even though they were just made of leather and didn’t offer much protection. Some injuries can still happen with equipment like concussions. Sports like swimming do not have any equipment that you need.
“I personally do not personally get worried but I know it’s always a concern when you sign up to play,” Phillips said.
Being in any sport can be worrisome for most people. If one worries too much they will be scared to even play. If a student-athlete keeps it in the back of their mind that things can happen if they do not wear protection, they are able to be safe. Playing with caution can be a good thing at the end of the day. The people who get the most concerned are parents.
“I don’t worry about injury with swimming except for hurting joints, and we juts stretch and lift to be stronger and prevent injury,” Nicholas Vivian, a sophomore special education major, said.
There are so many ways to protect oneself but having coaches and medical staffs on campus are more helpful. They are here for the players to help prevent injuries and to help them recover from an injury. Having a knowledge of how to prevent an injury can go a long way.
“We do injury prevention exercises with our trainer so the chances of injury are further prevented,” Sabrini Hackendorn, sophomore biology and health sciences major, said. “Our coach encourages us to push through the game but if we are in pain she wants us to sit out so we don’t get seriously injured.”
“It’s something that can be avoided but it does happen, take all precautions but know that it is a part of playing the game,” Phillips said.
Injuries can be prevented easily. Sports are hard on all parts of the body and every part of the body is not always protected by padding or protection. Stretching and keeping the body muscles loose can prevent injuries.
“I stretch every day to keep my muscles loose and my ankle braces help prevent ankle sprains as I have gotten them in the past,” Hackendorn said. “We also do a lot to prevent concussions, taking head injuries very seriously.”