This document discusses athletic injuries in softball and ways to prevent them. It notes that 60% of sports injuries occur during practice. It describes the three energy systems (speed, speed endurance, and endurance) and how strengthening each can improve agility and decrease injury risk. Common softball injuries like knee injuries and concussions are examined. The importance of proper warmups, nutrition, strength training, and rest in injury prevention is emphasized. Physical therapy methods for treating injuries like acupuncture and electric shocks are also outlined.

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Amber Herrington
Mrs. Lester
Adv. Comp
11 October 2011
Athletic Injuries
Researchers have found that 60 percent of injuries related to sports have occurred during
a practice (Sport’s Injury Statistics). All coaches cringe at the words “your player has been
injured.” An injury is never a good sign because a single player can be a huge fraction of a team.
Injures range in seriousness, but all injuries should be taken seriously. Healing an injury can be
the hardest part of the process and time will always play a crucial role. Players can be taken out
for a game or maybe even an entire season depending on the one moment that the coach decides
to bench a player or allow her to keep playing. However, coaches have taken extra precautions
to avoid the chance of an injury or for the injury to worsen. To be successful, an effective
softball coach must understand every aspect of injuries on the field.
For one thing; Specific energy systems constitute agility which determines how injury
prone an athlete is during the game. In fact, sports therapists have found that there are three basic
energy systems that each have to do with a specific part of an athlete’s agility for her specific
sport. The first system is the speed system (Softball Training- Stop Running, Start Sprinting).
The speed system is the first system to start working when a person is faced with “a quick and
strong cardio challenge” (Softball Training- Stop Running, Start Sprinting). It also gives ten to
twelve seconds of a large boost of energy to the athlete when faced with a sprinting type of

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cardio exercise (Softball Training- Stop Running, Start Sprinting). This quick boost of energy
can be explained by the moment a runner steals a base in softball and has a quick shot of
adrenalin flowing through her body. The adrenaline affects the speed system for the ten to
twelve seconds and allows the runner to have great energy and speed (Softball Training- Stop
Running, Start Sprinting). For softball players, the speed system is more commonly used
because softball is a sport of quick sprints (Softball Training- Stop Running, Start Sprinting). By
doing quick sprint exercises, such as 100 yard dash, the player can increase her speed while also
increasing her stamina so she is not tired after a running the bases or covering her position
(Softball Training- Stop Running, Start Sprinting). Most coaches believe it is best to run long
distances for softball, but really this does nothing for the athlete because there is no long distance
in softball. It only wastes time doing something that will not help a player when she would
much rather excel by doing sprints which will strengthen her agility as well as decrease the
chances of fatigue (Softball Training- Stop Running, Start Sprinting). Another system is the
speed endurance system also known as the anaerobic lactic system or lactic acid system (Softball
Training- Stop Running, Start Sprinting).
The speed endurance system is used for more of an endurance cardio exercise that will
last from ten seconds up to ten minutes (Softball Training- Stop Running, Start Sprinting). The
speed endurance system is better known for its stronger endurance than the speed system. It also
gives the muscles a burning sensation while running (Softball Training- Stop Running, Start
Sprinting). Of these basic energy systems, the last and also just as important is the endurance
system. This system gives energy for more than two minutes and is most commonly used for
long distance runners (Softball Training- Stop Running, Start Sprinting). The endurance system
does not give such a strong boost of energy like the speed system or speed endurance system

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(Softball Training- Stop Running, Start Sprinting). Instead, it is more of a weak energy source
that is spread into about a ten minute span that will not necessarily allow the runner to move
more quickly, but it will allow her to run a farther distance. In softball, this system is most
commonly used for pitchers and catchers due to the fact that they are two of the hardest working
positions on the team (Softball Training- Stop Running, Start Sprinting). By strengthening these
three energy systems, an athlete can increase her athleticism as well as her agility.
Coaches know that there can be serious injuries on the field if an athlete is not fit and able
to give 100% for the game. There are two types of sports injuries, one is traumatic and the other
is known as overuse. Examples of traumatic injuries would be knee injuries and fractures (Web
Md). These injuries occur mostly when an area of the body is worked and then hurt in the
process. For example, a player slides into second base, but she hits it the wrong way and
fractures her ankle. This injury could result in the athlete having to be in a sprain or cast for a
couple of days to two weeks. If the injury is more serious than thought to have been, then
surgery may have to be considered (Cunha and Davis). Overuse injuries are easily explained by
their name. An athlete that throws too much but does not warm up before throwing can easily
damage her rotator cuff (Web Md). By damaging the rotator cuff, an athlete can face months to
a year of physical therapy after a surgery that reconnects the rotator cuff tendon to the humeral
head (Rotator Cuff Tears: Surgical Treatment Options). Even the smallest injuries can progress
into some of the most severe injuries. One of the most common injuries for a softball player is
knee injuries. Knee injuries can determine time off from the sport or in worst case scenarios,
permanent retirement from the game. If worse comes to worse, an athlete will have to get her
whole knee replaced and undergo many physical therapy sessions and take the chance of not
being able to walk the same again. The most common and dreaded knee injury by athletes is an

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ACL tear. This ligament is used to connect the thigh bone to the shin bone and is one of the
major ligaments found in the knee (Web Md). Researchers found that 95,000 people in the
United States have suffered from this painful knee injury (Web Md). ACL tears are most
commonly found in female athletes than in males, due to the way a women’s body is built (Web
Md). To repair an ACL tear, a surgeon must go into the knee and drill incisions into it where the
new ACL will later be placed (Reconstruction of the Anterior Cruciate Ligament). PCL, LCL,
and MCL are also knee injuries that are not as common as the ACL, but should be taken just as
seriously if torn. Another common injury in softball players is head injuries. Athletic
researchers have found that 1.6 to 3.8 million people suffer from a sports related concussion a
year (Web Md). A concussion is a type of traumatic brain injury and is caused when the body or
head specifically, is impacted with such a powerful force that the brain crashes into the walls of
the skull (Web Md). Concussions should be taken very seriously as to the fact that they can be
mild or very severe (Web Md). When there is even the least bit of fear for a concussion, athletes
should be taken out of the game and checked by a nearby doctor (Web Md). A concussion is not
something to take lightly because if not taken seriously or ignored, it could cause permanent
brain damage or even death (Web Md). As stated, all injuries in softball, no matter how small
they are, should be taken care of in the proper way. However, if the body is taken care of
correctly in the first place, an athlete will not have to be scared of tearing an ACL or such.
Many athletes may believe that as long as they stretch before a game, they will be fine in
the long run, but there is more to keeping the body safe and healthy than just showing up to the
game. The first step to keeping the body healthy is partaking in a good, stable diet that is meant
to keep a softball player strong and smart (Melone). It is very important to get the right amount
of calories in the body especially for a softball player considering they play outside during the

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hottest part of the year. Rebecca Scritchfield explains, “Many young women athletes don't take
in enough calories, you need to nourish yourself both for growth and development as well as for
long-term health and wellness and fueling your body for your sport" (Melone). By not eating
properly and not receiving enough nutrients, an athlete is more likely to cause an injury as well
as developing any eating disorders (Melone). Lifting weights and running before the season
begins can also prevent the chance of injury (Melone). As stated in Sports Training and Injury
Prevention for Teen girls, Geier anticipates that "A well-rounded, year-round program should
contain strength-training and cardiovascular training, as well as stretching and good nutrition”
(Melone). By doing cardio exercises and weight lifting, an athlete slowly rids the risks of
injuries during pre-season or in-season work outs as well as giving the athlete a higher advantage
of being in better shape than other team mates (Melone). It is crucial to warm up correctly
before any practice or game. Just like softball players throw to warm up their arms before a
game, it is important to do exercises that will get the blood flowing through the body to prevent
the chances of pulling muscles or any further injuries. William Levine has found seven easy
steps to properly getting the player warmed up and ready to play the game. The first step begins
with a slow jog, for most softball players this means a lap or two around the field (Bain).
Following the light jog is a serious of dynamic stretches which means stretches that involve
movement rather than just holding your arm in place (Bain). Yoga classes are recommended as
the third step because the stretches used in yoga can help with dynamic stretches in softball
(Bain). The next step is static stretching which consists of holding a certain position for about
thirty seconds (Bain). Levine then recommends that it is best to learn stretches that incorporate
your specific sport. For example, softball players would do sprint drills as part of their warm
ups. Keeping the body healthy is key to keeping athletes’ safe and injury free. Although it may

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seem as though there is a lot to do for a warm up, these stretches all have a purpose to keeping
the body tough and fit.
It is interesting to note the widespread use of physical therapy such as acupuncture,
medicines, and even electrical shocks. These cures were used by very few doctors at one point,
but are now making a mark in many therapist practices. According to Acupuncture for Athletes,
“acupuncture is the insertion of needles into specific points on the body in order to prevent and
treat disease and improve overall health” (Common Questions). Acupuncture was always
understood by dealing with Chinese medicines such as Ying and Yang, or Qi and Blood flow
(Common Questions). Today acupuncture is used to cure muscle groups before they have time
to affect any other part of the body (Hogan). If a muscle goes without being treated, then
sometimes it can cause a pain in another part of the body that was never injured in the first place
(Hogan). Acupuncture can be explained as the ability of the body to heal itself (Common
Questions). The next and most important, types of physical therapy being studied today are
medicines and vitamins. As an athlete, it is very important to consume the correct foods and
precise amounts of the food to create energy needed for the sport. One important vitamin
athletes should take is Thiamine or B1 (Li). It is said that adults should take 1.1 mg to 1.2 mg of
this a day to gain the correct amount of energy for the day’s exercise (Li). Thiamine can also be
found in whole wheat foods such as bread and cereals proving that this can also be eaten and not
only taken as a vitamin (Li). The third physical therapy method is static shocks to the muscles.
This type of therapy is most commonly used for contracting muscles and making them stronger
(Electric Shock Treatment- A healing force). Professionals use this to strengthen muscles that
surround particular arthritic joints for patients, as well as increase the strength of muscles during
a therapy session (Electric Shock Treatment- A healing force). Dedicated softball player Audrie

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Pryor says, “I have received the electric shock treatment for tendonitis in my knee. I have heard
people say that it does not hurt, but when I received the treatment it hurt a little bit. Nothing
horrible, but I could feel the shock.” As shown the shock may hurt worse depending on the
injury and how severe it is. The outlook for medicines and physical therapy are still being
further explored by researchers; there is still a large amount of research to conduct in these
medical areas.
Being a softball player can mean a lot of hard work and dedication. For an athlete who
enjoys the sport, she will fight to the finish to keep her position on that team and to do her best
on the field. I would greatly recommend playing this sport for the girls who believe that they
have the intensity and dedication to be the next all-star of the team. Athletes have a chance of
getting injured in every sport in the world; whether it be football, soccer, volleyball, even
cheerleading, there will always be a large margin of chance that an athlete will get injured. It is
just part of the role in being an athlete and those who have what it takes to tough through these
chances, have the capability of throwing themselves for a ball and diving into home plate to
score the winning run. As for girls that fear a scab or a bruise, I would not recommend this
intense sport. The reason being is that softball is a “play by play” sport. This means that every
play counts toward getting a run, out, or strike. If someone is unwilling to dive because of fear
of injury, then softball is not meant for them. After all, softball is a team sport where pride
stands out high after a great game and an athlete leaving with blood on her jersey is considered
the MVP of the game.

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Works Cited
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<http://acupunctureforathletes.com/questions/>.
Cunha, John P., and Charles P. Davis, eds. "Broken Ankle (Ankle Fracture)."
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Hogan, Rhonda B. "Acupuncture for Sports Injuries." Trigger Point Acupuncture.
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Li, Piper. "What Vitamins Should an Athlete Take?" Livestrong. Demand Media,
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