In today’s sports world, many young athletes suffer the same injuries as pro and college athletes. In almost every case, though, high school athletes are not given the same treatment as their older, more serious counterparts. Most high schools cannot afford team physicians, and usually, barely have on to a sports trainer. This forces young athletes to take on almost complete responsibility for their injuries. When high school athletes, serious about competing at the college level suffer injuries, it is up to them to get proper treatment.
For example, if a high school football player is being considered by recruiters, the worst thing for him is to be inactive. If he is trying to live out his dream of winning a college scholarship and some doctor tells him to sit out four weeks with a broken finger, will he? Yeah, right.
When an athlete is injured, the pressure to continue to play comes:
From the coach. This is a position glorified on television and in movies. The typical scenario is that the coach has a “winning is everything” attitude and won’t accept that his star player is unable to play in the “big game.” From my experience of nine years, not once has this scenario played out. That stereotype is false. It is true that coaches can have the wrong attitude and may overlook their players’ best interests, but I can’t imagine it being that extreme. A very respectable coach (who wishes to remain anonymous) once told his team, “If you tell a coach you’re hurt, 99% of the time he won’t think you’re that hurt.
And if you tell a coach you’re sick, 99% of the time he won’t think you’re that sick.” I think this is telling his players to play hard 100% of the time. Any coach who knows what he’s doing would rather be told of a player’s sickness or injury than see that player not play well. This is a harsh way of getting the point across, but it definitely lets you know what a coach expects of his players. A coach who demands this attitude will usually get it from the kids he coaches.
It also comes from the parents. The preconceived notion is that perfectionist parents have unreasonably high standards. The athlete feels so much pressure to succeed at home that he or she feels there is no other option than to play with an injury. Again, in my years of being around kids and sports, I have never had a friend in this situation. The problem may exist behind closed doors, but most kids would complain to friends or coaches. Most parents want what’s best for their children, and if this means pushing them, so be it. I have faith that most parents know not to cross the line. The pressure is not enough of a threat to make an athlete ignore an injury.
And finally, pressure comes from the young athlete. They are the ones who push physical strength and mental thresholds of pain to their limits. Maybe these characteristics have been passed down from parents, and maybe their coach has instilled a certain mentality, but I don’t think expectations from parents or intimidation from coaches is what determines if a player is going to seek treatment for an injury. I believe athletes develop characteristics that make them decide whether their injury should be checked or not. They will be the ones living with that decision for the rest of their lives, not their coaches or parents