Not Just a Game Anymore

They are seen all over the high school grounds after school hours practicing, preparing, and competing. They are the many student-athletes of the world. There are almost seven million high school athletes in the United States according to varsityedge.com. Many athletes do whatever it takes to achieve what they set out to do: win. This is the cynosure for many athletes and why many they sacrifice multiple things such as time and education to get to that point. Athletics teaches students many valuable lessons that they may carry with them for the rest of their lives, but what is often overlooked are the downsides of sports. Although high school athletics present many benefits, they can also negatively affect students because of the controversies the athletes face.

Being in a sport involves someone giving his or her greatest effort. This can bring athletes rewards, but it can also put an athlete’s health at stake. Some of these injuries are temporary. In William Cottrell’s article “Sports Injuries and Arthritis,” he states, “Most sports injuries are mild and temporary…. Minor sprains and bruises or overuse injuries treated properly may be nuisances but do not necessarily cause any permanent problems.” Temporary injuries may heal anywhere from a week to several months. There are athletes who view injuries as foibles and who agree that being in a sport is worth all of the pain and injuries that they endure, but what many athletes do not take into consideration is how these injuries can manifest and effect them later in life, whether this be a few months or even a few decades down the road. Just as there are temporary injuries, there are also injuries which can be long-term or even permanent. In Cottrell’s article “Sports Injuries and...

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