Sports medicine is very important to any student-athlete. Going to the trainer when there is a problem is a must. Taking sports medicine courses at LSHS will give the student-athlete the best way to get back to fully being able to help prevent or help an injury for themselves or a teammate. Knowledge gained from this course can help prevent injuries or make the injuries heal faster while still being actively playing a sport.

“Sports Medicine can prevent injuries, not all the way but you know, to a certain extent, like cramps; I have had to deal with my fair share of those. So, you know, just staying hydrated during the game – they help you…if you can’t, they rub it out and you’re good to go,” junior football athlete Micah Avery said.

Sports medicine content is also useful to student-athletes who are tight and cramp very easily. Trainers can use tools such as cupping, icing or massage before games or practices to prevent the muscle from cramping while the trainer makes the student athlete hydrate.

Trainers in a high school for student athletes is a helpful form for maintaining athletic health and dealing with injuries so the athlete can be ready for games coming up. Courtany Gray is Lake Stevens High School’s trainer. She helps out with every sport that is going on in Lake Stevens. Gray makes sure that every athlete with an injury is accounted for and will do whatever she can that is in her power.

“Sports Medicine is important because it encompasses a lot of different aspects anywhere between emergency medicine on the sidelines, and also rehab and preventative stuff post injury or pre injury to try to prevent them in the first place,” Gray said.

Sometimes student-athletes don’t go to the trainer enough, especially when there is something wrong. It is recommended to everyone to go see a professional when they have a feeling when something is wrong with their body. It could cause the injury to get worse and not being able to hear, and the student-athlete not being able to play at their full potential.

“Sports medicine, to me, is important to athletes because injuries are like a big deal in sports like this. It is really crucial that you stay healthy,” junior track player Ashten Hendrickson said.

There are a lot of joint injuries especially in the ankles, knees, and hands, so it is recommended for student-athletes to focus on their joints to prevent an injury. Seeing the trainer before and after practice, wrapping and icing also help.

“I see a lot of ankle sprains on the ankles knees. Kind of depends on the sport, the more contact you get a lot of fingers, hands, wrists, but across the board I probably say ankles are the biggest one,” Gray said.

Viking athletes can check in with Gray if anything doesn’t feel right, so they can either prevent an injury or not make an injury worse.