With the impact some students face on the field during their sports games, some students have suffered from multiple injuries. 

During junior Chandler Brendel’s eighth grade year, he had suffered from two injuries to his right knee during his football season. Brendel played two sports at the time, football and track.

“I remember I was running the football in practice and when I got tackled I landed on my right leg wrong. My right leg got bent under my body, and I knew something was wrong. I went to the doctor, and he told me that I had torn my meniscus and my ACL,” Brendel said. 

Brendel remembers a lot of the specifics on how he was feeling when he was injured and during his journey to recovery.

“I was confused. I didn’t know what was happening; I just got a weird pain in my right knee, and I thought I was going to be out for maybe a week or two. When I learned I was out for the whole season, I was upset but I had to stay positive. I knew it would make me a better athlete to be able to come back from a bad injury and go through that adversity,” Brendel said.

During his recovery, Brendel explained that it was difficult to watch his teammates play without him. 

“I mean, it did hurt having to watch them play without me, but  it also made me feel like I was still playing because they made me feel a part of the team. I was happy to watch my friends play too and advance as the season progressed,” Brendel said.

Junior Maura Kiser also is currently suffering from a torn ACL and LCL

“I was injured on Sept 4, during a soccer game in Indiana, Pa,” Kiser said. “I was trying to stop a girl on the opposing team from scoring by sticking my leg in front of her, but as I did that, our keeper, the girl from the other team, and I collided. I hyperextended my left knee outwards.”

After being told about her injury, Kiser was crushed. 

“My recovery time is eight to 12 months. The moment it happened I remember not being able to get up and walk it off like I usually do when I get hurt,” Kiser said. “Honestly, I thought that I just tweaked something in my knee; the thought of tearing a ligament didn’t cross my mind until I got the results from my MRI back. I’m bummed about missing this season, especially because it was my last year playing with my sister. It is really upsetting knowing you can’t do the things you love and you’re missing important games because of an injury.”

Kiser’s teammates are doing their best to keep her feeling that she’s a part of the team even if she isn’t out on the field. 

“Maura helped our team out a lot, and it’s sad she can’t play this year. We made her cards after practice one day and gave them to her before her surgery; she was extremely grateful. I’ll never forget the smile on her face,” junior Abigail Herncane said.