High school athletes have so much pressure to be the best, some often forget just how human they really are. 

      “The most important thing as an athlete is to be yourself and to go hard for the person next to you,” varsity football junior Michael Barrow said. 

       The competition of these sports has intensified so much in the previous years, the overall need for training has escalated. 

      “I practice soccer Monday through Saturday every single week,” varsity soccer senior Grace Reddic said. 

       These workouts are perfectly designed for these athletes and the program itself. 

     “Our football workouts are a variety of eccentric body workouts to hypertrophic workouts meant to work on a specific muscle group day today,” varsity football senior Ernest “R.J,” Cooper IV said. 

     However, all the time spent in training may be the cause of injury. Overworking your body can occur when you spend too much time working out but do not give yourself enough recovery. 

     “The number one thing for recovery is rest, aka sleep,” athletic trainer Johne’ Booty said. “Trying to get as much sleep as possible, foam rolling, stretching, eating healthy, and drinking plenty of water can help your body recover faster.”

     Overworking puts a strain on your body and the continuation can result in injury. 

     “My coach has had to talk with me because I hate taking off,” Reddic said. “During the summer I load myself up on workouts and my coach has pulled me aside and told me to not go as hard to prevent burnout.”

     It is an athlete’s responsibility to take care of their body and take the steps to recover. 

     “More often than not you will see me in the training room trying to recover my body by either ice or Normatec compression sleeves,” Cooper IV said. 

     Booty said she treats anywhere from 30 to 50 student-athletes a day all ranging from different sports and injuries. 

     “We provide treatments before school, during all four class periods, lunch, as well as after school,” Booty said. 

   Constantly overworking your body can also affect your mentality. It can cause people to fall behind in academics. 

     “I know that If I can make straight As it won’t interfere with football,” Barrow said. “I just need to stay on top of my school and not get behind.”

     Some student-athletes said they have trouble balancing their time between school and athletics. 

     “Thinking ahead is the most important thing to help me stay on top of my assignments,” Reddic said. “I know that If I have a game at night I need to get my homework done before the game because I will be tired and can’t trust myself to finish it after.”

     Booty said some of the sports at Martin may be overworking their athletes. She said a great way to reduce some of these injuries is by adding a few recovery days into a program. 

     “If I feel like my body is being put in a bad situation, I’m able to converse with the coaches and see what’s best to ensure my body stays healthy,” Cooper IV said. 

     One of the biggest problems student-athletes face is trying to produce more than they are putting into their bodies. Athletes are depending on their skills but are not taking the proper steps to keep their bodies healthy and remain injury-free. 

     “Your body signals to you when you are hurting,” Booty said. “So if you come in and get treatment when you feel a little pain, you can get it worked out before it gets too bad and hopefully be back to competing.”