It was the first game of the season. Strong safety senior Nate Fisher went for the tackle and felt the sting of an awkward hit.

Not one to give up, he stayed in the game for one more play and then limped off the field.

“It only felt like a stinger,” he said, “but when Dustin (the athletic trainer) put pressure on one spot, it felt like a knife driving into my leg.”

He was surprised to find out as a result of the hit, his tibia, which is located just below the femur in the leg, was fractured. The doctor told him, if he had been hit again in the right place, his tibia could have broken in two.

Now, sidelined for the four to six weeks with his injury, he is itching to get back in the game.

“ It feels like I’m letting the team down, every time I’m not on the field,” he said.

Other sports teams have felt the sting of injuries as well. Last baseball season, senior pitcher,  Kyle Johnson was brought down by a Scapular Sprain.

“The doctor told me that my body was growing at a normal rate, but my shoulder muscles were not,” said Johnson.

His injury left him benched, cheering on the team for the whole season. Now fully recovered after hours of physical therapy, he is ready to help out the team this spring.

Athletic trainer Dustin Eslinger says that injuries will always occur, no matter the severity.

“The key is to stretch before and after, to get your muscles as loose as possible before you push them to the max,” Dustin said.

Eslinger also recommends being in good physical condition to play any sport. Finally, he says dehydration can lead to injuries, so he suggests keeping some source of hydration near by.

“It proves that you can do everything right,” said Fisher, “but you can’t fight fate.”