While basketball is supposed to be a relatively low-contact sport, the AHS girls basketball team game often has injuries. In fact, girls basketball has one of the highest amounts of injuries reported each season at AHS. Some of the injuries from this season include; whiplash, shin splints, and concussions.
Receiving an injury can seriously affect a student-athletes season, making them often stop playing for a portion of their season.
One of the most common ways the girls get injured is when two players of opposing teams both have hold of the ball and are fighting for control. Often it gets called a jump ball, but the referee has to wait a few seconds before calling it. This often leaves a perfect window for injury.
Zuleika Hanson, a freshman at AHS and varsity player recently received an intense neck injury. While fighting over a jump ball with an opposing player, she was thrown to the floor and she suffered severe whiplash. The strain caused her neck to swell to the point she was struggling to breathe.
“Because people like to play really aggressive they don’t realize they are putting themselves, their teammates, and the opponents at risk,” Hanson said.
Getting injured can seriously impact the season for a player. Unfortunately, with severe injuries, a student-athlete might have to miss part of their season because of doctors orders, but most of the time they just have to miss one game or a couple practices. When student-athletes get an injury they often do not want to miss any of the seasons, and therefore disregard doctors’ recommendations and play anyway. This can lead to exacerbating the injury and potentially leaving permanent damage. Celty Fitterer, the Athletic Trainer at AHS, has a lot of experience with student-athlete injuries and how much they can affect a season and a high school career, and student athletes physical condition in the future.
“One of the hardest things about treating these injuries is having the athletes take time to heal. With the demands of a busy athletic, school, and social schedules, it’s tough to sit out and rest,” Fitterer said. “Each game in the season is important, therefore, the time preparing for the game is equally valuable. Finding a balance between recovery and participation can be the difference between having a successful season and ending feeling like you weren’t able to give it your all.”