The popular motto “all the sports all the time” has little meaning to the multitude of injured AHS athletes this year.

Injuries have had a huge impact on many of the sports teams at AHS. There have been approximately 20 kids with injuries that have stopped them from participating in sports this fall season. According to the AHS athletic trainer, Celty Fitterer, the most common injuries she has seen this year are knee and head injuries, with a few ACLs. There have been very few teams left unaffected by it, and Fitterer has begun to take notice.

“The severity of the injuries has increased but not necessarily the volume,” Fitterer said. “Each sport is different, some less and some more. It definitely puts some pressure on me when the teams have lower numbers. It’s hard to keep everyone healthy.”

Having many players injured is certainly hard on a team, especially when the older and more experienced players are injured.

“It definitely affects (the sports teams),” Fitterer said. “It’s tough when you have certain people you rely on.”

One of the key players for the varsity volleyball team, senior Claire Boronski, recently tore her ACL hitting in a volleyball game. As of right now, she is out for the volleyball season but may be able to play basketball and lacrosse, depending on when she gets surgery.  

“The worst part of being injured is not being able to participate in sports, especially since it is my senior year and one of the last chances I will get to play,” Boronski said.

The football team has also been heavily affected by injuries. This year they have had eleven injuries including Phineas Henry and Henry Gillum, two athletes with season ending injuries that required surgery. Coach Chris Peshek has been working hard to keep up with all the injuries on his team.

“It has been difficult because a lot of (the injuries) are not season ending so it is hard to plan and try to get kids ready to play again, and when you have such a small team it becomes even harder,” Peshek said.

He also mentioned how this year the team has sustained more injuries than in years past.

“It just seems to be random bad luck,” Peshek said. “We usually do a good job of preparing them for the rigors of football but this year we have just had a lot of bad luck.”

One of the players who is part of this unfortunate group of injured students is sophomore Matthew Popish, who broke a bone in his wrist playing football in the JV game this year. He is still playing football but with much difficulty and hopes to play baseball in the spring.

The dance team has seen its share of injuries too, including Hannah Small with a torn tendon in her tibia, and Olivia Bond with a pulled gluteal muscle.

“It’s been tough on our team to have some of our dancers out. We’ve had to re choreograph dances and change many of our formations. Aside from that, it’s just sad to see so many of us sitting out at practices and games,” dance team member and Skier Scribbler editor Olivia Oksenhorn said.

Students have also been injured while playing sports that aren’t in season. Sophomore Chelsea Moore plays soccer with a club team during the fall and summer and with the AHS team in the spring. She recently sustained a small meniscus tear, and a small MCL tear while warming up for a game. After mostly recovering from this injury she has begun to play again but not without some fears.

“With soccer now I’m way more careful and I don’t play as hard as I used to, and with cross country on the downhills I go way slower because I’m scared of twisting it again,” Moore said.

Although it has started out as a bit of a difficult year for student athletes, there is hope that our athletes will be able to get healthy again and finish the fall sports season strong.