From torn ACLs to sprained ankles and shattered tailbones, athletes push their bodies to the limit every day—and injuries are an unavoidable part of the game. With over 3.5 million sports-related injuries annually, many athletes don’t truly understand how fragile their bodies are until they’re sidelined themselves. In the world of high-intensity sports, injuries aren’t just possible, they’re inevitable.
Whether it’s a career-altering injury or a temporary setback, no athlete is immune to the toll their sport can take on their body.
Freshman Gaba Gomez was eager to jump into the soccer season. As a serious athlete herself, engaged in high level club soccer outside of school, Gomez was optimistic during varsity tryouts.
“I was really confident during tryouts because I trained a lot during the off season and had a lot of experience from club soccer,” Gomez said. “Within 10 minutes of tryouts, I ended up stepping too hard on an uneven surface and I sprained my ankle really badly. It was so unexpected, and now I can’t even jog. Worst of all I’m missing a significant part of my season, which is really frustrating.”
Physical pain is only part of the story. The emotional toll of missing out on games, especially after months of preparation, can be just as overwhelming. For Gomez, it wasn’t just about the injury; it was about the fear of falling behind, not being there for her teammates, and the doubt that creeps in when you can’t perform at your best.
Similar to Gomez, junior Adam Applehans experienced an unexpected ankle injury.
“Recently, I was playing basketball at the park with my friends,” Applehans said. “It was pretty light, until suddenly I got my ankles broken. I rolled my ankle and it hurt so bad. To make the pain worse, all my friends started laughing which hurt me emotionally and destroyed my ego.”
Applehans injury caused him vast amounts of physical and emotional pain. Luckily, many athletes have comforting coping mechanisms.
“The only thing that took away the pain was the thought of crumbl cookie,” Applehans said.
Fortunately, many injuries aren’t as severe as the ones experienced by Gomez and Applehans.
Junior Rameil Pithyou also experienced a painful injury. As luck would have it, it was an extremely minor injury.
“One time I was playing football at the park, and the football was too overinflated so I broke my pinky,” Pithyou said. “I cried so much and had to wear a splint, but I stopped crying when my mom bought me ice cream.”
Pithyou’s injury highlights how accidents can strike at the most unexpected moments, even during seemingly harmless activities like a recreational football game. His experience, along with those of countless other athletes, serves as a reminder that injuries can happen when least expected—and underscores the importance of remaining cautious at all times.
