Volleyball Injuries

How often is it that people are injured playing volleyball? For me, it's almost every day. It all began during my sophomore year when i first chose to play for the girls' volleyball team at my high school. We were taught how to serve, pass, set, and dive properly. I have no idea how, but I seemed to have injured my left knee probably by diving. Since I was injured, my coaches advised me not to continue playing for a bit, that I should allow another person on my team to take my spot. However, there was no one else to play my position. The only person left was a middle blocker. I guess I should have listened to my coaches on this one.

Junior year, I somehow got hurt on the same knee. I have no idea how, but it did hurt whenever I played hard. I don't know what I did to it this time, but I was probably landing on my knees again. After the junior year season, I stuck around and helped out with the Boys' Frosh/Soph team. I knew most of the guys there so it wouldn't be too difficult to communicate with them. Every time a ball would hit the ground, none of them would run for it or even dive after it. They all just watched it drop. One day, the coach asked if I wanted to play with them. Being in jeans, I thought it would be alright for me to dive and whatnot. So that's what I did. I dove for every ball that they didn't want to go for. Since I thought that I would be okay without knee pads, I continued playing. Near the end, I could feel the same pain in my knee that I felt in my sophomore year. I limped home and around school for the next few days. I talked to the trainer at my school and asked him what was happening to my knee. He said that I had inflamed my bursae sac. I had no idea what that meant other than it hurt a lot. He said that if the pain persisted, then it would be wise to go and see and doctor. I went to see my doctor and he told me to get an X-Ray. I got that X-Ray and the lab doctors said that if the pain continued, then to go and get an MRI. I never got that MRI. I was supposed to get it back in April.

After a long time of rest, my knee began to hurt less and less. I would have to wear a knee brace though. That summer, I played for the varsity team of my high school. Everyday during the summer, I played great. After my volleyball games, I would go and play badminton with my best friend and some people from my church. Since I was barely formally introduced to badminton, I didn't completely know the rules, the footwork, or even how to grip the handle on the racket properly. Since I didn't know my footwork, every shuttle ball that hit the floor, I dove for. I guess I did the same thing to my right knee as my left because it started receiving the same exact pain I got when I injured my left one in tenth grade. Instead of buying another brace, I just switched the on I was using on my left to my right because the left didn't hurt as much anymore. Pre-Season began on the first day of school and we played Buena Park. As I landed from getting a kill, I suppose I landed on my leg hard. My left started to hurt again and I didn't really know what to do. I hobbled around the court with pain everywhere I took a step. My coaches saw the pain in me, but didn't really want to take me out. I didn't want to be taken out either. Finally, I had enough. She finally took me out, but only for about five points. Then she put me back in. While I was in the game, she kept saying to me, "Only a few more points until you get your ice." I then became motivated to speed up the game and in the end, we won. I got my bag of ice and went home. Since both knees were still injured, I thought it might be wise to purchase another knee brace. So I went out and bought another knee brace. I then owned two braces in which I was to wear while participating in any difficult physical activity. I now wear both knee braces whenever I play. It's a good thing I do too, otherwise, my knees would be gone for sure.

What about you guys? Any injuries playing sports on your part?