Cam High’s rapidly rising rate of injuries are posing a threat to “cripple” school athletic teams.

Over 27 of 2583 of Cam High’s student population is currently on crutches– injuries of various kinds have left a cacophony of clanking as crutches go cavorting down main hall.

“During the competitive seasons, in the fall and the spring, is when you’re going to have the most significant number of injuries,” said Mary Perez, Cam High’s athletic director, track, and cross country coach. “You have such a variety of 22 different sports, so every sport has different kinds of injuries. But the one commonality is that they all have some kind of contact.”

Most of the students’ injuries occurred while playing sports, with 90% of students hurt in Cam High athletics. The Stinger conducted a survey among injured pupils and results are as follows:

Kinds of injuries:

50%  broken/fractured bones

20% torn muscles/ligaments

20% sprains

10% dislocations

25% had surgery to repair injuries

Of injury-causing sports:

27% soccer

16% cross country

11% football

11% volleyball

Other injury-causing sports include: gymnastics, softball, cheer, basketball, field hockey, and wrestling.

“It seems like soccer, more than anything else has the most injuries,” says Ronald Wilson, Cam High head wresting coach. “Which is weird because they get hurt more than people get hurt in football, and there’s not as much contact.”

Of the injured, seven of 20 athletes were injured playing soccer, making it the most dangerous sport, despite misconceptions that football causes the most injuries.

Former head football coach at Cam High, Mr. Dennis Riedmiller said that soccer players are more prone to injuries because they are not protected. “Soccer players don’t have any pads except for shin guards, so when they do fall and hit the ground, they hit hard without protection.” Riedmiller said that soccer players are also more prone to leg, ankle, and foot injuries. “That game is all feet, all the time. It’s run, slide, kick, and that’s just the law of averages at work.”

“This girl slide tackled me and my knee went the wrong way,” says sophomore Monique Mondragon.”I tore my MCL.” Monique says she injured herself playing soccer. “Personally, I don’t believe there are any advantages to being injured, because you lose all your conditioning. You don’t get to play the sport you love.”

Cam High nurse Mrs. Mary Harris and varsity volleyball coach Mr. Rob Vandermay agree that ankle injuries are the most common. “We promote the girls wearing ankle supports to help prevent getting severe ankle injury,” said Vandermay. “Two of the three injuries we’ve had are not directly related to events happening druing practice or a match, it’s just more or less overuse.”

Ryan Muscarella, sophomore, dislocated his ankle playing football against Sagus. “I went up for a pass and came down on my ankle weird, and it just snapped,” he said. “I’m not able to play, but I still come to every game and practice. I feel terrible, like I’m letting the team down.”