Sidelined, But Still in the Game by Caleb

Sidelined, But Still in the Game by Caleb - December 2016 Scholarship Essay

During my time in high school, I am most proud of the work I did as a volunteer intern within the Athletic Training Department. I first became interested in Athletic Training while rehabbing a lacrosse injury in my sophomore year. During this time, I became aware of several sports-related health risks, many of which are preventable through education and informed precautionary measures. These risks range from strained or torn ligaments, to chronic joint pain, to head trauma that could eventually lead to CTE. As an athlete myself, I'm empathic to student athletes who get injured due to improper conditioning practices, or lack of understanding about the seriousness of probable long-term affects resulting from repeated injuries during youth. So, I volunteered for an internship in the high school's Athletic Training Department for both my junior and senior years, with a goal to educate our community of student athletes and put preventative measures into place.

The bodies of most teen athletes are still growing, with developing joints and muscles, as well as the most important developing muscle of all, the human brain. Imbalanced sports conditioning practices can affect the development of joints and muscles, and can result in repeated injuries. For example, focusing entirely on strength training to build muscle may, over time, put continued stress on ligaments and tendons. Therefore, it is important to develop muscle pliability through sufficient hydration and appropriate stretching. An athlete's strengthening regime should not be at the expense of pliability. With that in mind, I worked closely with my mentor, the school's certified Athletic Trainer, to develop balanced strength conditioning programs and stretching protocols for some of the school's winter sports teams, including the basketball team and the competitive cheerleading team. An athlete's understanding and education is the best preventative measure in avoiding injury. We also ensured that the student athletes kept hydrated throughout practices and game competitions. Over the course of the season, we eventually saw a reduction in the number of stress-related injuries. However, on occasions when an athlete did experience an injury, I worked to keep muscle inflammation rates down, tape up joints, and lead the athlete through rehabilitative stretching.

Athletes are competitive by nature, and don't want to be sidelined by an injury. I encountered a few students who tried to downplay their injuries, so they could get back in the game before they were physically ready. But, playing while hurt will only make the injury worse, and can have long-term negative effects. With these athletes, we appealed to their desire to be good teammates. We explained that their team needs them to be productive on the field, and that requires healing time and conditioning. Playing while injured would hinder the rest of the team.

During the A.T. internship, I also learned a lot about concussions caused by athletic head injuries, and their potential to lead to the progressive degenerative brain disease Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) later in life. CTE is a debilitating condition that can shorten a person's life, while subjecting them to several chronic symptoms including severe headaches, disorientation, vertigo, memory loss, dementia, and even suicidal tendencies. Again, educating student athletes about the dangers of concussions and their long-term affects was vital to our goals. We talked regularly with teams and coaches about how to avoid head injuries, and the proper use of protective equipment. In the event of a head impact during practice, I was one of the first responders on the scene to immediately evaluate the athlete for possible concussion symptoms. Because of the level of education throughout the school's community, most student athletes were understanding and cooperative when the Athletic Trainer removed them from all sports-related activities for a lengthy period, while they healed. I worked with these concussion victims through the prescribed protocols, and conducted regular evaluations of progress.

Because of their youth, many student athletes feel indestructible, and don't typically look 20 years into the future when they may suffer from chronic knee injuries, or even something as devastating as CTE. It can be difficult to get them to listen to reason, but by providing real case-study examples, they recognized that the short-term reward in a game today should not compromise their long-term future.

Inspired by the successes of our work, and encouraged by my dynamic A.T. mentor, I am completely focused on my goals to pursue a college degree in Health Sciences and become a certified Athletic Trainer. I am determined to help young athletes achieve their goals in school sports, without compromising their long-term health. The key is to educate them about safe and healthy conditioning, hydration, and nutrition, as well as proper use of equipment and in-game techniques that help prevent injuries.