Whether it’s the adrenaline pumping through their veins or just the pure enjoyment of doing something they love, students at PLHS involve themselves in sports all throughout the school. Besides the pleasure and amusement, there can be some down sides to the sports we all know and love, like injuries. Injuries are a common experience among players and this can affect them in multiple ways 

Sports can be an important part of an athlete’s life and when they get injured it affects more than just their athletic life, it can affect their day to day life, how they act and what they can do.

“I was playing volleyball and I jumped and landed on somebody else’s foot and twisted it,” Junior Morgan Glaser said.

When a player gets injured, it can mess with their mind. They might feel behind or left out, and It could affect more than just one player. The injury itself might not be terrible but the effects it has on a person can be.

“ I was out for months and had to get surgery and needed crutches for a month,”  Sophomore Lillian Vitera said. “It was really hard mentally not to be able to play and do the things that I love for so long.”

Not only is their sports time getting disturbed but their daily life is also being disrupted, sports might be an important part in someone’s life but it doesn’t mean it’s the only thing, student athletes have responsibilities along with their extra curricular activities.

“I had to wear crutches to school which was kinda embarrassing,” Glaser said. “ I also had to wear a boot, and sit out of weights.”

There is a lot to think about while an athlete is on bed rest and one of them is “how much am i missing out,” or, “what will it be like when i come back?” Missing a couple of weeks of an activity could be detrimental to the team and for the player that got injured. 

“When I got to come back I felt really blessed and I appreciated playing so much more.” Vitera said, “I remembered what it was like to not be able to play and now I don’t take it for granted.”

Injuries for student athletes can take a big toll on their minds and bodies. They might feel left behind, lonely and overwhelmed. The healing process can be stressful with surgeries, and physical therapy along with just trying to go through your daily life with a boot or brace. The feeling of being left behind or out of place when you come back is replaced by relief and appreciation for the sport that the player loves.