SPORTS

Students hide injuries despite trainer benefits

Emily Goldstein ’23

Broadcast Director

Ella Shi ’23

Web Arts Editor

Almost every athlete has heard “Push through the pain” and “no pain, no gain” from a coach, parent or teammate. Athletes are conditioned to deal with minor injuries, soreness and discomfort, but there’s always a chance that the pain won’t just go away. These seemingly small injuries can result in bigger athletic consequences without receiving the proper treatment. That throbbing hip or aching knee means a dreaded trip to the athletic trainers and unfortunately, an almost guaranteed spot on the bench during practice and games. As much as athletes try to avoid your injury is serious,” Geller the trainers to prevent miss- said. “I know a few friends ing their seasons, listening to who have done this as well.” the trainers can be essential But ultimantley, she to chronic-injury prevention. learned to accept the trainFor Cailen Geller ’22, an ers recommendations. achilles injury her freshman “In the long run, I realized and sophomore year took her out of multiple cross country, track and lacrosse seasons. When the injury first arose, “If you have a serious problem, it is hard to avoid protocol and still perform at a high level.” - Zach Brody ’23 that hiding my injury from the trainer was harmful,” Geller said. “The trainers could have helped my injuthe trainers were able to provide ry heal and could have premeaningful recommendations, vented it from getting worse.” but as the seasons went on Now she and others, such and her injury still didn’t heal, as Zach Brody ’23 on the she began hiding her injury. boys’ basketball team, wel“I have hid an injury from come the trainers’ advice. the trainers only because “If you have a serious sometimes it can be annoying problem, it is hard to avoid to have to get all the doctors protocol and still perform notes when you don’t think at a high level,” Brody said.

Staples athletic trainers, Gaetana Deiso and Corey Iamonico, have specific protocols put into place to ensure athlete safety in the case of an injury. “If an athlete has been out with an injury for a prolonged period of time or has gotten cleared from an injury,” Deiso said, “they would need a full contact practice prior to entering back into a game per our school policy.” They take injuries seriously, providing specialized treatment and recommendations regarding play time for each individual athlete. “Each injury is handled on a case by case basis and we determine the level of participation for that day. We, as the athletic trainers, will notify the coach and parents,” Deiso said. “We determine how an injury is handled based on the situation and severity.”

Photos by Jalen St. Fort ’22 (middle) Photo manipulation by Charley Guthartz ’22

ATHLETIC TRAINERS Gaetana Dieso (left) and Corey Iamonico (right) help students treat injuries, such as shoulder pain and shin splints.

22 | SPORTS Wreckers embark on spring sports

Maya Reiner ’21

Web Sports Editor Just a year ago, spring sports athletes were devastated, as they heard that their season was canceled. But the 2021 season is on, and the spring sports teams have already started to begin their training. This spring, the Wreckers will be able to compete in a normal amount of games.

GIRLS’ LACROSSE

The girls’ lacrosse team has already started their preparation for the upcoming spring season.

“It’s good for us to be playing together again since it’s been so long since we have,” co-captain Emma Ashe ’21 said. “Even in the last week, I think there’s been a lot of improvement. It’s just good to have a stick in our hands and be playing together again.”

The team is led by Ashe, Shira Parower ’21, Julia DiConza ’21 and Charlotte Barnes ’21, who all hope to have a successful season. “I feel very fortunate to have a senior season since last year’s seniors got their season taken away,” Parower said. “I can’t wait to get back on the field with my teammates.”

STAPLES LACROSSE

BEGINS (left)The boys’ lacrosse team has its first game on April 10 against New Canaan; (right) the girls’ lacrosse team plays on April 15 against Stamford. Photos by Eloise Ahl ’21

BOYS’ LACROSSE

The boys’ lacrosse team, led by Henry Beck ’21 and Kevin Lynch ’21, has been following a similar format to the girls’ team, as they have been conducting a pre-season that has been successful. “Everyone has been working hard in the weight room as well as getting our stick skills dialed in,” Beck said. The sadness of losing the 2020 season has turned into eagerness and energy. “We know that we can only control what we can control, and everyone is using missing last year as extra motivation to lock in and stay focused on winning the day every day,” Beck said. The team has been working hard in the offseason and is excited for what the season will hold. “Everyone is juiced up to go out and compete,” Beck said. “I am also looking forward to the memories we are going to make this year.”

Scan here for more information on COVID-19 regulations for spring sports.

GIRLS’ TRACK

The pre-season has looked different for the girls’ track team; they have not conducted an official pre-season.

“Indoor has been the equivalent of our pre-season, and it has been getting us ready for outdoor,” teammate Lauren Spheeris ’21 said. For this year’s tryouts, if a student did not do indoor track or was new to the team, they had to tryout. However, there were no cuts and the coaches just wanted to get a benchmark of new team members.

“Normally, we have time trials in the first or second weeks for the coach to get an idea of where the team is and the level of each athlete,” Spheeris said. The Wreckers have been working hard to prepare for this season since they were devastated last spring when the news hit that their season was canceled.

“We took the time to train really hard and put in a lot of hard work,” Spheeris said. “So when we do have a season, we would be excited and prepared.”

Photo by Tori Wilson ’22