Dealing with sports injuries can be hard. Ask any athlete who’s been injured before. It can be even harder if it happens before the season starts.

Some of the first emotions an athlete feels when they injure themselves can include fear, anger, and sadness. It happens every time an athlete’s season is cut short, which is why it is hard to emotionally recover from an athletic injury.

“I just try and focus on supporting my teammates and staying positive,” injured junior Isaiah Poston said. “Being there for them and showing them I still care about the team’s outcome is important.”

To keep their mind off their own injury and on the positive attributes happening with their team, athletes say they pour themselves into showing support for fellow teammates.

“I always encourage my brothers and show enthusiasm for them, even though I can’t be on the field,” senior Ryan Black said. “It’s just as important for me, as it is for them.”

It is important for athletes to recognize their injury as a temporary setback, and even though they look forward to getting healthy to compete again, they should not to return before their body is physically ready.

“I can’t wait to get back out on the field, but I need to make sure I’m completely healed,” Poston said. “I don’t want to have to go through this again anytime soon.”

Still, other athletes find a positive spin to their injury and refuse to let it keep them down.

“Everything happens for a reason, and I think my injury will only help me learn to deal with overwhelming adversity,” senior Sarra Regimand said. “Even though I’m not competing, I go to every track meet to support my teammates, just like I would if I was there to participate with them.”