With over 600 players playing at least one sport, injuries are likely to happen. Any athlete could possibly suffer an injury while playing a sport.

According to the athletic trainers, they see more than 600 injuries every single year, and those are the ones that are reported. That means the average student will have at least one injury while playing their sport.

According to head athletic trainers Dawn Allen and Wayne Lauritzen, the most common injury is if a person sprains a muscle or breaks a bone. Depending on the injury, athletes can be out anywhere from days to weeks or months. The player could also possibly need surgery.

Concussions are also a very common injury, according to the trainers, with a total 1 out of 10 people coming in with a concussion. 

“We usually see an athlete and then we would assess the injury,” Lauritzen said. “From that point on we would see if you would need to go to the doctor or not. We’re basically like a referral service. We refer them to the right doctor. If it is orthopedic related, which is bones or joints, we would send them to an orthopedic surgeon.”

Some of the injuries can be fixed and be cared for at the training room. The trainer offers stretches, workouts and machines that will help athletes heal faster and be back playing their sport quickly. They suggest staying hyrdrated and eating right to help avoid injury and speed healing time. Another good way to keep healthy is making sure the athlete stretches before a game.

“Keeping healthy the entire year means eating right and plenty of fluids,” Allen said. “Cross training [and] playing more than one sport is also a great way to stay in shape.”