One of the biggest worries of being an athlete is the potential of facing injuries and missing out on the sport you love. No athlete ever wants to miss out, and I can relate. A few weeks ago my foot was hurting and I ignored the pain, as most athletes do. It ended up getting to the point where I couldn’t walk after playing. I soon found out that I have a stress fracture in my foot, and I am likely to be out for the rest of this season. I look forward to basketball season every year, and getting hurt was the last thing on my mind. As saddening as it is to sit the games out, I also have to deal with the consequences of using crutches daily. Many think that crutches would be fun. You get to leave class early and move around in a fun new way.   I thought this before I got them; after not even a week, I want them gone, forever! They are a hassle to use around school and make walking so much harder and slower. 

There are many people, not just athletes, who use crutches in the halls. I decided to ask a few of them about their experiences. I asked junior Lily Torjussen, who tore her ACL during her soccer season about her crutches experience. She was on crutches for three weeks and said her experience wasn’t all too bad. Other than the usual crutches annoyance, she was able to leave class a few minutes early to avoid the between-class traffic. This saved a lot of time and made it a lot easier to get from class to class.

 I also asked another junior, Mya Rivera, who also tore her ACL during the girls’ soccer team sectional quarterfinals. She got her surgery on January 3rd and has been on crutches ever since. She told me, “While on crutches I have to say our tiny school feels a lot larger than expected.” This I can agree with. She continued, saying, “With that being said, it has been a total arm workout getting to all my class. Also, [that fact] in combination [with] the awkward feeling I get as students peek their heads into the hallway while I pass gives crutches a 5/10 for me personally.” I do not think she could have worded it any better. 

I also talked to the nurse, Ms. Ciccaglione, asking her if she had ever been on crutches herself. She told me that she had crutches in her 20’s and they were not like the ones today. Today, crutches are made of metal and soft material for where you rest your armpit and hold onto with your hands. However, the ones she used to use were made of wood. How uncomfortable would that be! She even showed me a pair of crutches she has in her office. If I think the ones I have are a nightmare, I can’t even imagine those! 

I think it’s safe to say that no one wants crutches. So next time you think how cool it would be, like my sister said to me the other night, remember that it is the total opposite!