Athletes at every level know that they risk getting injured every time they put on their jersey.

Sports at Cosumnes River College are no different. Athletes on campus play knowing that they could get hurt at any point during their games or practice.

“It’ll have to be our soccer programs [that causes the most injuries],” said Athletic Trainer Michael Deutsch. “Not having football is great, and of course if we did have football hands down it’s the killer, but we see that most in soccer and a lot of that is because it’s a collision sport.”

Derrick Chu, a 20-year-old former soccer player majoring in nursing is just one student at CRC dealing with a sports injury.

“About six [sport injuries],” Chu said. The most painful one being his shoulder injury that required surgery.

The most common injury found at CRC is sprained ankles Deutsch said.

“Especially the outside of the ankle,” Deutsch said. “Step on a hole or step on someone else’s foot and over your foot goes, and you pull those ligaments.”

Deutsch said that the best recommendation for a sport injury is “ice, ice, and more ice.”

“When we see those injuries it’s called the acute stage, right after they’ve happened,” Deutsch said. “So you have to cut down on the swelling, any bleeding that is occurring, cut down the pain, slow down the metabolic activity so that the body can start to heal.”

Deutsch also said that pain occurs as a first warning sign of injury, then the injury swells to act as a splint so that the joint can’t move as easily.

Since athletes only have a short window every year to play their sport, they use many methods to try and heal their injuries quickly.

“We try and slow those down with the ice and other treatments,” Deutsch said. “Then is a matter of reducing pain, reducing swelling, increasing range of motion, increasing function, increasing strength, and anything we can then we get them back onto the field.”

When there’s a major injury involve Deutsch said if need be he absolutely does rest the athlete because it gives the body a chance to heal.

The best way to prevent injuries during a game or practice is with a lot of stretching to keep the muscles engaged, Deutsch said.

William White, a freshman guard on the men’s basketball team who is currently playing with a strained back.

“I make sure to stretch properly before and after games and practice,” White said.

Chu, who is also currently suffering from an injury, said that he treats it before each game.

“Before games and practices I’ll go to the trainers and I’ll heat for about 20 minutes just to loosen my muscles out and then I’ll foam roll to loosen them even more and then I get stretched,” Chu said. “Usually if something is bothering me I’ll get it wrapped or taped and I’ll put icy-hot or atomic bomb on it just to keep it warm while I play.”

Athletes like Chu do not let their pain overpower their love for their sport.

“Well, I’ve played since I was about three or four so it’s basically all I know besides school,” Chu said. “If I didn’t play sport I don’t know what I’d even be doing right now. I couldn’t even imagine life without sports.”