Sports have always been a big part of Delta High School, especially for the athletes themselves. Lately, more and more student-athletes have been injured either during their training or on the fields, which can be a major setback for the team. 

According to John Hopkins Medical, more than 3.5 million student athletes are injured per year, with the most common injuries being strains or sprains to body parts. This can ultimately result in both a loss of a teammate as well as less participation happening on the field.

“The most frustrating part is that you can’t practice and play games,” said freshman Tony Maigatter.

Not only have student athletes suffered from being unable to play, but coaches have also seen that sports teams have overworked athletes into sustaining injuries, which occasionally returned during their high school years.

“A lot of youth programs overdo it, and a lot of [other] coaches only care about winning, so it doesn’t take a lot for those young bodies to snap,” said Paul Shean, DHS’s baseball coach.

Past injuries have played a major part in some athlete’s sports lives, which is why their bodies can potentially worsen as they continue to play. However, Delta High School’s new addition to sports medicine and athletic training — Shane Phillips — has been a great help to student athletes who have had those problems affect their lives.

“If the injuries are severe enough, it takes them out of practice or limits their ability [to play],” said Phillips. “[but] we’re trying to create interventions to prevent the athlete from getting injured in the first place,”

While student athletes are continuously having accidents in sports, Phillips is also working hard to treat them so that something that can be just as bad happens the next time they play.

“It’s a lot of making sure of what it is; just treat it day by day and don’t test your limit too much. But I wish I could be back playing,” said freshman Mason Riegel.