With the start of the new Year, athletes wonder what the new season will bring and if it will be the best season that they have ever had.

But the one thing that they don’t ponder is that they could get seriously injured during the course of the season.

They also don’t realize that if they do get injured, it could be minor, major, or even career ending and can affect others around them.

So far, during the start of the year, some would say that there seems to be more injuries this year than any other year.

According to Blake Van Dyke, a freshman soccer player on the junior varsity team, there have been many short term injuries, such as sprained ankles, and not as many long term injuries, but still many that have occurred.

Being a freshman and having only played a handful of games, it’s tough sitting on the sidelines injured during the first high school season.

“You want to go out there and train, and just sitting there watching makes you want to be out there even more,” stated Van Dyke.

Having an injury as early as freshman year, luckily gives an athlete more knowledge of what they can do differently to avoid getting hurt.

Luckily, it isn’t the worst injury he’s ever endured, and such is the case for many other injured athletes.

But, not only does an injury affect an athlete physically, but it can also affect the athlete and the team mentally.

“It makes you sad a lot,” said Van Dyke.

“Nobody wants to see their friends get injured. Students develop strong bonds with the other people on their team, and when an injury occurs, it has an effect on those relationships,” said Mike Sabins, a parent and former football coach.

What’s more is that the injuries affect the coaches as well.

“From a coaching point of view, you feel really bad for the kid. You know how much they work they put in lifting, running and training and you just really feel for them,” said Sabins.

Injuries also affect the game plan, and other players have to take the athlete’s place for a certain period of time.

“It throws a twist into things as far as planning for personnel. If a starter gets injured, you have to adjust and plug someone else into that spot,” expressed Sabins.

As the athlete goes through the healing process, they learn that it’s just an obstacle that comes along in the participation of sports.

“One of the most important lessons that students learn through participation in sports is the ability overcome adversity. Injuries are a part of this. Those who are injured learn the importance of perseverance and being mentally tough to work through injury to get back on the field,” noted Sabins.

Many injuries occur during the course of an athletic season and athletes learn to overcome the obstacle of a sports related injury.