Sports are, and will always be, a major part of the world we live in. Kids live their whole childhood dreaming of playing their sport under the big lights and reaping all the rewards that sports can offer. Sports can change a persons life in a drastic way, not just physically, but socially and mentally as well. In many sports, injuries can be not only likely, but inevitable. Many people may even argue that the cons in sports outweigh the pros.

Kids and teens have been actively participating in sports for decades even with the knowledge of possible injuries. Trace Dunn and KO Fisher were both members of the Davis High Football team for all three years of high school. Trace suffered 11 shoulder dislocations in his last year of Wrestling and Football, and KO tore both ACLs in his time with the Football and Basketball team. Both players were asked, “If you knew about all the injuries you’d have in high school beforehand, would you still play?”

Trace Dunn answered, “Of course. The doctor told me that I had a 100% chance of dislocating my shoulder again going into my senior year of football. I decided to not tell my parents because I knew they would make me quit and that’s not what I wanted. I wouldn’t have traded the season I had for anything.”

Ko Fisher answered the same question, “Yes I would still play. Sports have been a huge part of my life and has shaped who I am. Even with injuries I have learned things I couldn’t have learned anywhere else.”

These players would both argue that the positives that come from sports outweighs the negative by a lot. KO went on to miss his senior year of football, but recover in time to play his senior basketball season and help the Darts to the State Semifinal game. Injuries can be extremely difficult both physically and mentally, but the players who have to go through it learn so much that helps set them up to go onto life after high school.