Sports have been around for a long, long time. Most date all the way back to ancient Greece. Sports have proven to be a test of skill, perseverance, grit, and most importantly, courage. It takes skill to excel at your activity. It takes perseverance to get back up when you get knocked down, literally. It takes grit to fight back and do the little things that will ultimately help you win when your team may be down. It takes courage to put your body on the line and run the
risk of injury to partake in a game that is meant to be fun.
Our sports culture has become so big and flashy that people often forget to look at the simplest things: injury prevention. People view sports as something that you do for fun. Yes, there are a certain amount of assumed risk every time you step onto the field, mat, court, ice or track. Yes, tragedies can happen, but you never think that you are putting your life on the line when you go out to do something you love.
Unfortunately, people have been forced to reevaluate the way they view sports. A young athlete named Adam Johnson recently lost his life during a hockey game. He was cut across the throat in a freak accident by another player’s skate. Johnson was rushed to a hospital but unfortunately couldn’t be saved. You always hear now and then about some athlete suffering a shoulder injury, or their knee blowing out, but only a few incidents make us stop and think like the situation with Johnson. Few incidents make us assess how dangerous sports are to our lives. Few incidents make
us stop and think how dangerous some of the things are that we do for fun.
Bumps and bruises are gathered along the way, but the thought of dying during the game isn’t a common thought. Sports are something we look at as a fun activity to keep us in shape and sometimes a nuisance that stops us from seeing our friends on Saturday, or ruins our sleep schedule from staying up late to finish our homework.
They are never looked at as something that could end our life. The physical consequences of sports are something that aren’t talked about enough. Even the day-to-day injuries, like an ankle sprain or strained muscle can lead to permanent and life-altering physical conditions that athletes will have to live with for the rest of their lives.
There has been a surge in sports safety persuasions due to this recent tragedy. The English Hockey Association has already enacted new precautions for hockey players, requiring them to wear neck guards in the upcoming year. Hopefully, this is only the first step in ensuring the safety of all future players in any sport. If anything should come of this, it is the raised awareness for safety, so we can protect the athletes in their sports — not only the ones who do it for a living, but the children who do compete for fun.
