By Ximena Alaniz
From tackles to tumbles, high school sports are the perfect opportunities for injury. According to high school statistics ninety percent of student athletes report an injury during their season. Perry Meridian does not stray far from the statistic every individual sport sees at least ten injuries during season.
Senior Connor Cross had his high school football career cut short during a game early into his freshman year. Cross played football throughout middle school and had planned on playing for the full four years of high school. However, in middle school, Cross suffered two concussions, which put him at a high risk for brain damage.
Freshman year, Cross played football but unfortunately suffered a concussion during a game in September. This marked his fourth concussion.
After being transported to the hospital, Cross was diagnosed with PCS (Post Concussion Syndrome), which occurs when a person’s head has been through several traumatic impacts. This syndrome comes with a risk of feeling the symptoms of being concussed, lasting a few months to years on end.
The diagnosis of his condition was so severe, Cross was prohibited by his neurologist from playing any form of contact sport. The intense head trauma also put a strain on his education. After being diagnosed with PCS, Cross was only able to attend school for half of the day each day due to the damage done by the concussion. Being in fluorescent lighting for extended hours was prohibited by doctors, so he had to find a way to earn his school credits without actually attending schools.
Cross now focuses mainly on running track and playing indoor soccer, which has helped him recover and allowed him to maintain his healthy lifestyle. However, Cross recently suffered from a stress fracture in his right foot, which made it difficult for him to participate in track season.
Contact sport is only one of many other sports where injury occurs. Senior Dayanna Moreno participates in girls cross country. Toward the end of her season junior year, she took a tumble over a tree root during a hill workout resulting in a knee injury. At first Moreno had no idea what was to come from this fall, as she believed it to be a minor bruise.
“Little did I know this fall would cause me to go to therapy twice and get an x- ray along with an MRI,” Moreno says.
After receiving her results, fluid was found in Moreno’s knee. She was appointed to a physical therapist, who soon told her if therapy was not successful, she would have to undergo minor surgery to scrape off cartilage from her knee. This procedure is commonly done to help heal the bone at a faster pace.
However, Moreno did not heal through physical therapy and expects to go through with the surgery after this season of cross country.
“Everyone knows I love running and working out more than anything else,” says senior Hallie Mills when beginning to discuss her leg injury.
On December 8 of last year, Mills ripped her plantar fascia, which is the bone located directly at the heel of the foot, while training for the upcoming season. This injury put a halt to all physical activity, including swimming, which is another sport Mills in involved in.
After visiting numerous doctors and foot specialists, no clear answers were found. Mills wore a boot for eight months and walked in crutches for two months. However, although she had a severe injury, Mills found ways to keep up with her workouts even while wearing the boot and crutches.
“It was a complete challenge but I would still go every day and lift and swim, “I worked around everything I could to avoid being set back,” says Mills
Mills was able to participate in running again after her heel healed, but it took time to readjust into her normal practice routine. Fortunately, she was able to completely recover and once again claim victories for the team.