Although it may seem hard to believe, some humans actually enjoy the sport of running. Yes, really. I was not always one of those humans. If someone had asked me a handful of years ago to go for a run just for the heck of it, I would have most likely questioned their motives and inquired about what food they would be willing to offer me as incentive, that is, if I made the courageous decision to run just because. Since then, my relationship with running has most definitely changed. Somehow, I grew to love it.
What makes me not love it so much from time to time is the toll it takes on my body, just as every sport has an impact on the athletes it entertains. With skill, I gain shin splints. Hardcore contact is not an issue in a running sport, so I can’t blame my injury on some sick flip-kick from a soccer game, unfortunately.
Overuse injuries are responsible for nearly half of all sports injuries in high school students. An overuse injury occurs in the muscle or joint and is caused by repetitive trauma. This can be in the form of improper training, but it can also be due to an athlete enthusiastically taking on their sport at the beginning of the season. While Nike’s slogan states, “Just Do It,” some eager beavers tend to just overdo it. The result produces a plethora of extra water boys on the football team, cheerleaders for cross country, ball girls for soccer, and caddies for the golf team.
High school athletes account for an estimated two million injuries, 500,000 doctors visits, and 30,000 hospitalizations a year. As the fall sports season slides into its midpoint, injuries become more of a commonality in athletes than a ruin. At least on the cross country team, it becomes less of a question of who is injured, and more of who is not. There are those who suffer from the immediate affects of concussions or broken bones, which can tackle a dedicated athlete for the rest of the season, but there are also those who have more “minor” injuries in the form of rolled ankles, shin splints, knee pain, you name it. These are small tweaks in the body that make major marks in the mind of any runner, swimmer, golfer, football, volleyball, or soccer player.
These seemingly insignificant tweaks alter more than just the muscle or bone the injury toys with. What is greater than the discomfort felt in physical activity is the limited mindset an injured athlete procures. Many athletes with these types of limitations should consider themselves lucky. They can still be out on the field or the course and take part in the sport in ways someone with a more serious injury could not. Yet still, watching other healthy, thriving athletes you can’t join is devastating, even with running.
At such a competitive age in such a competitive environment, it is easy for kids to push the limits, even encouraged. Seek the magis, right? In actuality, this should not always be the case. At some point, the athlete has to decide what is worth the effort, considering the strain it takes on their body. As frustrating as this is, it does make that athlete realize the importance of their sport. Which is technically seeking the magis out of that situation. In any limited circumstance, such as that of an injured athlete, it involves taking a step back and looking at the bigger picture. Is it really worth it to pout, or can you take on another role in your sport you haven’t experienced before?