Many athletes get injured while playing their sport. Unfortunately, most injuries make for a long recovery time or even having to give up the sport due to how bad the injury was. Being injured while being an athlete is a physical and mental battle. 

While playing a soccer game against Impact City, freshman Kennedy Hicks was running and a girl stepped on her foot. “I felt the pain in my foot almost instantly,” Hicks said. She then stayed on the bench for the rest of the game. Hicks didn’t even go to a hospital right away. After the game she went home and wrapped her foot with bandages.

“My foot hurt so bad that we had to go to the hospital,” Hicks said. “When the doctor told me I broke my foot, I was so upset.” The recovery time was at least eight weeks. After getting the devastating news, the doctors put a cast on her foot and gave her crutches. 

Having a broken foot and having to use crutches was a hard thing to get used to for Hicks. “It was so frustrating constantly having to use the crutches,” Hicks said. “I would have to ask people to hold my stuff for me, it was so annoying. ”

While it was physically painful and difficult having a broken foot, Hicks also struggled with knowing she couldn’t play soccer for a while. “It was so frustrating not being able to play and only getting to watch,” Hicks said. She eventually got her cast off but her recovery wasn’t over. She was told she had to do physical therapy a few times a week. “I was so upset I just wanted to start playing soccer again and to get back to normal,” Hicks said. 

Hicks recovered and was able to return to soccer. “At first it felt weird playing (soccer) again, but I was just happy to play again,” Hicks said. Now she is back and happy to be  playing soccer with a healed foot.