You hear about injuries on the football field every week, but there is a way we can prevent them.

According to MomsTeam [A trusted source for sports parents], since 1960, football has remained the most popular sport at the high school level, with over a million players in the United States. This is no surprise; football is a game full of exhilaration and lifelong memories for people on the field and in the stand. We all have something to enjoy about the football games, from concession stands to miner cheers to watching a touchdown with your friends. The only downfall to a perfect game is seeing one of your classmates get an unfortunate injury during an intense game.

MomsTeam says that one way we could help prevent some of these injuries is to have proper fitting helmets and pads. Having proper fitting helmets can decrease the rate of concussions on the football field. Another serious precaution we should be taking is overhydration. Overhydration can be avoided by consciously controlling the amount of water players put into their body.

After interviewing some of the football players at our school, I found almost every single one had an injury from playing. Both Saleka Ataata [#22 Linebacker] and Cael Wightman [#42 Outside linebacker] got broken wrists, Lolani Langi [#43 Linebacker] gets aching pains from muscle tightening, Don Fairholm [#75 Left guard] sprained his knee by getting rolled over during a game, Simote Pepa [#77 Nose guard] sprained his MCL, and Landon Topham [#14 Linebacker] got a concussion.

Even players who had no injuries still experienced multiple minor injuries during football season.

Football players are at risk on the football field every week, but it doesn’t stop them from doing something they love.