High School Sports Injury Essay

“More than 3.5 million children ages 14 and younger get hurt annually playing sports or participating in recreational activities” (Sports Injury Statistics). Athletic injuries are, unfortunately, very common among teens, college athletes, and professional athletes. Most recreational, travel, or high school teams do not have a trained medical professional present at all of the games, and this can be costly if an injury were to occur. Most college sports teams have a trained medical professional on staff, however, some schools are not fortunate enough to be able to afford to have a medical professional at every game. Professional teams are almost always required to have a trained medical professional on staff, but it is important to make sure

the trainer is experienced and knowledgeable. All high school, college, and professional teams should be required to have a trained medical professional on staff to help prevent injuries, care for injuries, and help with the recovery from any injuries.
“The most common types of sports injuries are sprains and strains, knee injuries, swollen muscles, Achilles tendon injuries, pain along the shin bone, fractures, and dislocations” (What Are Sports Injuries). Almost all of these injuries are treatable at the time it occurs, and some are even preventable with proper stretching and exercise. Having a medical professional on staff to treat injuries such as sprains and strains, or fractures, can help the athlete from making the injury worse, and also make the recovery time shorter. It is important that the trainer on site is knowledgeable and experienced because most injuries require quick thinking. The trainer needs to be prepared for anything, thus proper education and training is very essential. Without an educated trainer, the severity of an athlete’s injury could increase, and the recovery time could be much longer.
“All sports have a risk of injury. In general, the more contact in a sport, the greater the risk of a traumatic injury. However, most injuries in young athletes are due to overuse” (2016 Sports). It is important that the trainer on staff is well educated on the matter of injury prevention. Education on things such as exercises, stretches, and how the body works is prevalent when dealing with athletes. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, “Take time off from your sport, doing something every day can take a toll on the body. Wear the right gear in order to protect your body, strengthen the muscles so they can withstand the stress your sport may put on your body, increase flexibility so muscles are not torn, use the proper technique when doing a physical activity, follow the rules, usually those who do not follow the rules of their sport tend to get injured, stop the activity you are doing if you experience pain, and drink plenty of fluids to stay hydrated and keep your body going” (2016 Sports). Every trainer involved in sports needs to be aware of these ways to prevent injury, and need to make sure he or she educates the athletes he or she is working with.
Athletic trainers not only need to be knowledgeable on how to care for injuries and help athletes prevent injuries, but the athletic trainer also needs to be knowledgeable on how to help the athlete recover. An injured athlete not only experiences physical trauma, but mental trauma as well. Getting an injury during sports can take a mental toll on an athlete, and may possibly make him or her feel worried or scared to return to his or her sport. This is where the athletic trainer would step in and help the athlete. “Because an athletic trainer often sees the athlete on a daily basis, athletes may be more comfortable reporting symptoms to them than to a physician who they do not see as regularly”, (Straus, Lisa Barton). As a result of feeling more comfortable with the trainer, an athlete may confide in the trainer, discuss his or her physical pain or discomfort, and even discuss the mental aspect of the recovery with the trainer. Because the athlete and the trainer will most likely have developed some sort of relationship through working together, the trainer will know what motivates the athlete, how hard he or she is willing to work, and what level of pain he or she can endure before it is too much. As a result, the athlete’s recovery time may be shortened if he or she feels there is someone there to help him or her throughout the entire recovery process. Athletic trainers are also important for sports teams because they can help with rehabilitation. An athletic trainer is someone who works with the athletes on a daily basis and one who is familiar with any injuries the athletes may have. As a result, the athletic trainer will be up to date on the athlete’s recovery process, instead of the athlete working with someone who has to read his or her chart to remember who the athlete is and what his or her injury is.
Athletic trainers are necessary for all little league teams, travel teams, high school teams, and college teams, not just the professional teams.

A study conducted in 2012was done by a man named Todd Neale to evaluate the importance of athletic trainer involvement in high school sports. “Compared with high schools that did not have access to a trainer, those that did had significantly lower overall rates of injury in girls' soccer and girls' basketball, primarily driven by relative reductions in recurrent injuries of 83% and 66% for the two sports”, (Neale, Todd). Neale discovered through his study that athletic trainers were able to identify injuries early on, treat the injuries properly, and help the athlete return to his or her sport at a quicker rate. Through his study, Neale discovered the percent of injuries that occurred at schools without athletic trainers was about 20% higher than those with an athletic trainer. In his study, Neale’s results showed “The concussion rate was significantly higher at schools with access to an athletic trainer -- 8.05 times higher for soccer and 4.5 times higher for basketball -- probably because trainers are better at identifying signs and symptoms of concussion than coaches and athletes themselves”, (Neale, Todd). Neale, and many others involved in the study, concluded that athletic trainers are essential in high school sports in order to lower the risk of injury for athletes, and help those who are injured recover

quicker.