Review of Capstone Class

Here are some important skills that students must have in order to be successful in this capstone course.
1. Use your time well.
2. Stay focused.
3. Pick a topic that truly interests you.
4. Find more sources for your paper than needed.
5. Revise over and over again.
6. Be a strong speaker.
7. Take control of your own work.
8. Be organized.
9. Use all the personal connections you have, you never know where it will take you.
10. Use different aspects of your life and see how it can help you in your research or project itself.

Some highlights of this class was that I got to research a topic I loved.  I really enjoyed learning about the psychology of recovery and learning more about PT.  I liked that I got to work on my own and it was a slightly more independent class than previous classes I have had.  Also, during capstone night, it was very intriguing to listen to other people's topics.  Oh, and I thought this blog was kinda fun to keep up throughout the semester.

Some negatives about this class was that personally for me, the class was a little slow.  I used to take Accelerated English since seventh grade, and this year I dropped down to 21st Century Texts and Capstone.  This was quite a jump from accelerated to a standards class.  I think it was still a valuable course to take, but I felt a little restricted with the pace I had to follow.  Also, I did not like the little assignments we had every other day that had very little to do with what our project was and kept us from immersing ourselves in our topic.  Finally, I was not a big fan of this being considered an independent class, when I believe it is not.  We had check points on each of our sections; if it was truly independent, we would be told when the final due and be expected to have it done.  But hey, I'm done with this class now, and I am happy with my final product.

Capstone Debriefing

I thought my capstone presentation went very well last night.  It was interesting to listen to the other topics.  I was in a room with other people with a topic related to psychology.  It was cool to hear new information about birth order and psychology, and the effects of loneliness.  Overall, it was a cool night of listening.  

One critique about the night was the timing of the program.  I thought that we were required to be at school much longer than needed.  My group took about 30-45 minutes to present, but we were at the high school for about an hour and a half. 

I thought presenting to strangers was no different than presenting in class.  Though, I don't know many people well in my capstone class.  My community reviewer was very enthusiastic and made it easy to present as well.  I thought my in class presentation was slightly better because I used a smart board to show my PowerPoint.  It was alright on a smaller screen (my laptop) and was just a little weird clicking the slides.  Also, it was less awkward because I was in front of an audience during class verses of in front of two of my peers and an adult.  I find this more awkward because I would rather speak in front of a large group than a smaller one, where I am talking more to a collective group than a few specific people.  My parents used to make me do all the presentations for school in front of them the night before, and that was always more nerve racking than the real thing.   But overall it was a nice night, and I learned a lot. 

Capstone Presentation

How do you show to a class the affect the mind has on the recovery process?  That is the biggest hurdle I am trying to overcome right now.  I know there are some aspects that I could find images of, but there is nothing that will be able to encompass all that I have learned.  I think the best way I can engage the audience is through a PowerPoint presentation and include anecdotes.  Personally, I find anecdotes most interesting and those work well with my topic.  Last semester I took public speaking.  I have found a good way to practice my speech as well as how to make a good outline for myself so I remember what I want to say.  Both with public speaking and capstone, the class is not the most responsive class, so I will work around that and still engage the class.  I will be able to do this by showing examples from videos, tell anecdotes, and only asking rhetorical questions.  Maybe I am being a little harsh on my class, but if my paid teacher who is really good at being engaging and has had lots of experience can't get us to respond in the morning, how am i?

Reflection on My Capstone

With my capstone paper complete I would like to say that I can stop now.  But really I cannot.  I am not going to get off of this topic for a while because I like it and I want to continue doing this the rest of my life.  I will still be going to volunteer at Children's even though my official research is done.  I will still be learning about all of the ins and outs of physical therapy and psychology.  I will still attend my psychology class and continue to learn and apply what I learn.  I will still be interested in this topic because I truly enjoy it.  I hope to be a physical therapist someday and this project has just been my launch pad not my entire flight.

Though this is still a process, it was also the beginning of the end.  This is the big paper that says "I am a senior and I am done!"  We still have a few more weeks, but it is all wrapping up.  I still have AP exams and lots of tests and other work.  But I also have about 20 days left!  It is exciting to have this chapter close and have another open.  Even though I still don't know where my next chapter is (which is really annoying- I want to know where I am going to college) it is still exciting to move on from high school and become more independent.

When looking back on this project, I realize how this project is not like a college paper.  There was very little independence in the writing process.  We had to have mandatory checks and blog posts and meetings with our teacher.  We could not just use our time for our project, we had to do class assignments and has to pause way more than I needed to "reflect" on what we did.  Though the stuff we had to "reflect" on was nothing because we did not have time in class to be able to be immersed in our research.  To me there were more road blocks than helpful avenues.  I think that this paper should be more independent and treat us like the 18-year-olds we are, not the little children we are treated like.

Useful Websites

TED Blog has updated their list of "100 Websites You Should Know and Use."  They originally made a list in 2007, but decided it was time to update the list six years later.  Though many of the websites from the first  list are still used.  There are 100 websites and it is a little overwhelming.  But they have the websites listed by category:

• Business & E-commerce
• Audio & Visual
• Literature, Media, & Culture
• Politics, News & Global Issues
• Education
• Science & Technology

I have browsed a few of the websites and I have found two that were very interesting to me.

1. The Billfold- This is a blog about different money topics.  I thought these blogs were well written and relevant to a variety of people.  You can easily browse what blog you want to read and they have subtitles by category to easily look at one specific topic.  I do not really enjoy business things, I have a friend that enjoys it, so I hear about it a lot, but I have never had an interest.  Though, I thought this blog was still interesting, and I think everyone will be able to find something interesting to them.  
2. Khan Academy- This is a helpful website that has videos and animations about math, science and economics, computer science, humanities and test prep.  They have a wide range of subjects under each category and are geared toward high school and first year college students.  I have looked at some of these animations and they would be very helpful for the classes I am taking now and for some of the classes I know I'll need to take next year.  This also provides SAT math help.  This is very useful to have another resource to reference if a student does not understand a concept or wants more help with something.  

Family Connections

Last week I got my wisdom teeth and a few other out, and I was in pain pretty much the whole week.  What a great senior year spring break!  So beginning this week was a rough transisition, trying to deal with the pain that I still feel and get back into the swing of school.  But this week I received an email from my second aunt (I think that is the relation- she's my mom's cousin) about some of the PT questions I had.  She is a PT in Tennessee and has really enjoys her work.  On our family reunions in the summer, I have been able to talk with her about her work, but I didn't have a focus of any of my questions, I was just able to hear general information really.  I knew she would be a great resource for my paper, because she said she would love to help me anytime and that I could come observe in her clinic anytime.  She was able to answer some of the more practical questions I wanted to know because she works with people and knows more than just observers who try to research it.  She was able to specifically answer my questions about how family and friends help in the recovery process and how the outlook of the patient affects how a patient gets better.  All very interesting information and some great insight that I have not been able to find in other forms of research I've done.  Because of the great feedback from her, I am going to also ask my supervisor PT at Children's.  I think getting information from actual PT's is most valuable because it is most practical.   Beginning this project, I never thought it would lead to my second aunt, but hey, it works and is one of my best sources.

This is a picture from my family reunion a few years back.
It is my mom's side of the family and this particular year
we all made tie dye :)

With my capstone paper, I feel like I am on the downhill ride now.  I have 11 pages written and I feel like they are well developed ideas that just need polishing.  I have all the research I think I need done, but I will keep my eyes open to what I still need and any wholes I need to fill.  My main goal now is to wrap it up and polish my writing.  I am happy with what I have done and all the information I have learned.  I hope others who read my paper will find this information as interesting as I.    

Let's Get Down To Business

...to defeat the Huns!

This Mulan quote explains exactly what I must do now.  Well, besides defeating the Huns part.  I am now feeling pretty confident with where I am with my researching and organizing the 4th section of my capstone paper.  I have not begun actually writing but I have a clear plan the research to accompany it.  It is time for me to get down to business and actually write this thing.  This weekend I plan to get a large chunk of my paper written.  This topic is very interesting to me so I will enjoy writing this paper.  I have talked with my supervisor at Children's and I have contacted my aunt and friend who are both physical therapists.  I am excited to get the opinions of the people actually in the field because I think that will be some of the best information I can get, because it will be very practical.  I have about 5 books from the library that I am referencing for this paper.  They are about an array of topics and I will choose some of the more pertinent sections of each book to read in depth.

This research is a lot of fun and very interesting still and I am learning so much.  Though because it is psychology and physical therapy, there are some claims from people that to me are hard to believe.  Here is a quote from a woman who did a Psycho-Physical Therapy workshop.

"This workshop I took on Saturday February 18th changed my life!! I became embodied in a different way during an exercise there and it has affected my body in how I walk! The physical therapist can’t explain the range of motion I now have in my injured hip since I have started relaxing my spine!! He doesn't think I need to see the orthopedist now!! Thanks Bill!!"

This sounds cool and everything, but I find it hard to believe completely.  This woman is saying one day of therapy has completely changed her life.  Maybe it is true and I am being too skeptical, but I want to find real practical solutions for everyone.  This the type of thing I am trying to sift through, to find the realistic options for psychology and physical therapy.   So I will now go get immersed in my paper and more research.  This should be fun!

Maturity

In Gerad Egan's book, The Skilled Helper, there are some outlined tasks that must be completed to become a mature adult.  Tasks such as become an active role in life, become independent, diversify yourself, develop enduring interests, have some leadership positions, and control your destiny.  I agree with most of his thoughts about how to become a mature adult.   

But I also think another piece that wasn't addressed is the skill to have an on off switch.  Let me explain myself.  I am in marching band and we have to get a lot of work done, but we also have a lot of fun.  A major skill that separates the mature people from everyone else is the ability to easily switch the fun switch with the hard-working switch.  When we are working for 12 hours a day, we need to be able to have some fun and relax, but we also have to get things done.  The people who can work hard but also have fun, I think are the best people to have in band.  The people that only have work and not have any fun are usually uptight and stressing a lot and more critical of others.  The people who only have fun get obnoxious and disregard all focus and do not get any work done.  There has to be a middle ground.  The ability to have an on off switch, to know when it is time to work and when it is time to have fun.

I think that my high school has allowed me to grow into a mature adult, but I don't think they have pushed me to do so either.  I think I have been influenced more by my church and my family to become the person I am today.  My high school did not hinder me, but they did not help me along the way.  But I think the steps to adulthood cannot be forced upon anyone, otherwise it proves they are truly not an adult.  It has to come partially from within.  No one can just hand it to you, it is becoming more of yourself.  The person you want to become, not the one someone else is telling you to be. 

YOU have to be the one to seek out the activities you are interested or YOU need to start that club.  YOU need to take responsibilities for your actions.  YOU need to be in charge of your learning and not expect to be spoon fed everything.  YOU need to do what you love and love what you do.  YOU need to experiment and fail and learn for yourself.  YOU need to realize that you are an example to others even if you aren't in an official leadership position.  YOU need to realize that you control a great extent of your future.  YOU need to do the necessary things to get to where you want to be.  What are other characteristics of a mature adult?  Do you possess them?  What can you do to make you into the person you wish to be? 

Volunteering :)

Today was my first day volunteering at Cincinnati Children's Hospital at the Mason branch in the Physical Therapy department.  I thought it was awesome! 

I love to volunteer and this is the kind of volunteering where it is not a tedious job, but where you see a need and fill that need.  I see the tables that need cleaning and clean them or see someone needs an ice pack so I go get it or make it.  I love these kind of jobs because I am directly helping someone. 

I spent a little over two hours there today and I loved every minute of it!  I was able to observe a lot of exactly what physical therapists do as well because it is a small room with a lot going on.  I think this is going to be a great experience and I can't wait to get as involved as I can.  It is one of those activites I cannot calm down afterwards, I am just too excited!  Even though I am not doing the same exact thing I hope to be doing for a job someday, I know this is where I want to be.  All my paperwork and medical records took about a month to complete because of the shots I needed.  Because it was taking so long, I started to get discouraged that I wouldn't be able to do this due to the fact that I am leaving for college in less that 5 months (wow).  But I am so glad I have this experience!  :)

If you are interested in this, here is the link to Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center.  It is ranked the third best children's hospital in the nation.  If you too are interested in volunteering somewhere there, all the information is in the volunteering section under the giving tab. 

Positive Psychology

Is the glass half full, or half empty?

The most interesting thing I learned this week was actually in my psychology class.  We have been studying personality and part of personality is optimism vs. pessimism.  I found that there are some interesting correlations between optimists and health.  Optimists live longer and have fewer illnesses than their pessimist friends.  This is interesting because it shows that the way you think about things affects you biological health. 

Knowing this information makes me wonder how the perspective someone has affects the recovery process. Is the the perspective someone has very important to their physical health and recovery?  Before, I was only finding information about people who thought they could heal themselves through solely thinking they are better.  Now, I am finding some practical mental perspectives that can help someone stay healthier or get better quicker.  Finding positive psychology, specifically positive health for physical and mental wellbeing, is the main avenue I will stay in to see how this could affect the recovery process.  There is a lot of research done on the perspective of people by the founder of positive psychology Dr. Martin Seligman.  This is a cool link I found about positive health.

Through researching it more and kind of stumbling upon it, I have found a great psychological avenue to focus more of research on. This week's research has been focused on the psychological aspect and next week I plan to look more at the phyiscal aspect by interviewing some physical therapists. 

Mind and Body

I found out this week that my project may be a lot harder that I originally thought.  I am attempting to combine the sciences, biology and anatomy, with a soft science, psychology.  Psychology is a soft science because it is different for almost every person, though there are some universal themes.  Psychology also has a lot of confounding variables that are difficult to take all into account.  For example, some aspects of psychology that affect just the recovery process are the support of family and friends, the was you see yourself, your level of optimism, your financial situation, your goals, and many other things.  There are a lot of factors, and I am trying to see holistically how much they affect the physical recovery of someone.

But even with this challenge I am determined to find some kind of answer.  I truly think that psychology has a huge impact of how a person can recover physically.  I have found multiple sources that hint at this correlation, but most are either from solely physical or psychological perspective.

I find my whole project interesting because from everything I have seen and a lot of sources I have found there seems to be relatively no emphasis on the mind.  It is all physical.  But I guess that should be expected because we are in a physical world.  We enjoy watching sweaty guys tackle other sweaty guys for fun.  We've only recently begun to even care about their mental health and the diseases the players can get from playing football.

One of my friends got a really really severe concussion.  One of her first concerns with her concussion was whether she would be able to play lacrosse this season.  She came back to school after about 4 weeks of staying at home in a dark room doing nothing.  She also began to go to lacrosse practice and games.  She has missed school since because it still hurts her to think sometimes.  But there is so much pressure to be well enough to play, that she sometimes ignores warning signs.  She wants to be back to normal and is persistent on getting fully recovered.  But is she physically ready to begin again?  Where is the balance between the mental and physical?

It is the balance of the mind and body.  And spirit.  We need to be able to balance these and not emphasize one more than another because that does not make a healthy person.  Is it harder to balance these than some people think?  Should there be more programs that make sure all these aspects are met and not just one?  How much does one truly help or hurt the other?  I hope to answer some of these questions and I am excited to continue my research.

Perspective

There are two general perspectives when you get in a rough place.

I’m Tired I’m worn
My heart is heavy
From the work it takes
To keep on breathing
I’ve made mistakes
I’ve let my hope fail
My soul feels crushed
By the weight of this world

Lose our way,
We get back up again,
So get up, get up,
You gonna shine again,
Never too late to get back up again,
You may be knocked down,
But not out forever

I thought these two songs captured the two perspectives we can have when we face struggles.  We can see them as wearing and beating us down or we can see them as a place where we can begin again stronger.  When someone has a  physical injury, does perspective matter that much?  I want to find that out with my project.

Successful Researcher

What does a successful researcher do?
Successful researchers have a true interest in the topic and they really want to seek out information.  I think a good researcher doesn't stop until they are able to find the answer and are always coming up with new questions to research.  Successful researchers are smart about how they get information and they are productive with their time.
 
Attributes necessary for productivity:

1. Organized- I need to keep everything in a logical order and keep my Diigo and Google docs on the same page and neat so I can use them both effectively.  Also I need to keep my annotated bibliography current so it is easier to cite everything in the end. 
2. Good Time Management Skills- I need to use my class time effectively and also set aside a little time each week at home to complete my project and to stay on top of things.   
3. Truly Questioning- I need to stay engaged in this topic, because if I am not engaged, then this will be more of a burden then a learning experience.  
4. Meet with Variety of People- I need to find time to meet with a variety of people, especially physical therapist and/or psychologists.  I have a realistic list of 5 people right now.  I think that first hand experience with the topic will be vital to make this applicable.  
5. Listen to Music- I need to listen to music while I work.  It helps me focus and block out the world.  I always have on my music when I do homework and will continue this to be productive with this project.  
6. Be Awake- I need to make sure that whenever I do work on this project, that I am awake.  If I am tired, I am probably half as productive as I could be if I were awake.
7. Limited Distractions- I need to make sure I am focused, and the most distracting thing to me, is other people talking or doing other things.  So to be productive, I work best alone.  

Research Project

I am doing a research project for school and for it, I want to learn about the psychology of recovery because I want to find whether recovery is only biological, only psychological, or a combination of both.  I want to learn about the physical aspects of PT as well as the mental ones and see how they affect each other.  

My research is a topic that I really want to dive into and see what I can find.  I am in the place in my college search where I really just want to know for sure what I want to do for my future career.  As of right now it is PT for sure, but I want to know as much as I can and see where I can go with it.  I don't want to be just another person, I want to make a difference.  I know I will probably fail at times, but if this is something that I am truly passionate about, I will keep going.  

Yesterday at church, I was talking to a parent that helps teach a class of 3 and 4 year olds with me, and she told me about her experience with a physical therapist.  Her daughter, who is about 6 now, was born with most of her right side not working.  The doctors said it was very unlikely that she would be able to ever walk on her own.  But she went to PT to try to work on it and her physical therapist was always very supportive through it all.  The daughter's physical therapist got married this past summer and this woman's daughter got to walk down the isle as a flower girl.  It was so cool for this mother to be able to see her daughter who they said would never be able to walk, walk down the isle unassisted.  Now her daughter can practically run.  The mother told me she was so thankful for her physical therapist and the power of prayer.  After we has finished talking about this, there was tear in this mother's eye from how much this has truly impacted her.  

I am about to begin volunteering at a local hospital in their PT department and I am so excited!  I love to serve others, and I think it will be good to get actual experience in the field I hope to be in and research.  I think this will be a great source of knowledge for the field I am so fascinated with.  I think it will be interesting to find how the mental and physical aspects of recovery affect the recovery process.  How does a supportive family affect the recovery?  How does having a goal help?  Should there be a mental recovery plan alongside a physical recovery plan?  These are just a few questions I hope to answer.  But in the end, I hope I can find something I am passionate about and be able to pursue fully.  I know my journey to become a physical therapist will be hard, but with the drive, I know can get through it.  This is the main thing I hope to get out of my research, a passion for PT.

The Success of Failing

Failing is good.

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. 

Failing shows a process, it shows that not just anyone can do it.  It makes the journey difficult but worth it.  Do you feel better about an A in a class that you slept through or one that you tried and tried and finally made it through?  I would choose the ladder.  

I have definitely felt failure before.  I took AP Chemistry which is said to be one of the hardest classes in my school.  Our teacher told us in the beginning of the year that we WILL fail at least one assignment, and it will be okay.  This freaked me out because I am not used to failing things and I have always tried hard at school to make the grades I do.

As it turned out, the class was the most difficult class I have ever taken and was very very frustrating at times.  I did fail in that class.  A LOT.  I don't think I ever got an A on a quiz or test the whole year and I got some of the lowest grades I've ever gotten in high school.  It did get discouraging at times, but I kept going.   I kept working and I did a lot of work outside of class and I stayed after school many days to get help from my teacher.  I was probably one of the people that struggled the most, but I do not regret taking that class at all.  I learned so much about myself and the subject as well. 

I learned about time management for a specific class, because we did not have homework most nights, but it was recommended to study on your own and review notes and read the text book.  I learned that I can ask a teacher for help and they are ususally more than willing to help.  I set up study groups with my friends and reached out to outside resources such as AP reveiw books.  I learned that I was able handle the rigor of the class.  I found some ways that helped me deal with the pressure and stress from the class and school in general. 

But this class also taught me I can fail.  And it will be ok.  It is more about the journey than the destination.  It also showed me my full potential and that I need to take responsibility for my learning. 

Because of this experience and a few others, I think that a good dose of failure is beneficial, especially in the long run.  I agree with an article that I read encouraging parents to let their child fail.  I think that it is good for parents to encourage their child, but I don't think they should do their work or make excuses for them.  Especially with kids and teenagers, I think it is best to fail from their mistakes and to learn from that.  Some day those kids will be kicked out of the house and they won't be able to call mommy about every problem or concern they have.  They will have to make decisions on their own and experience any consequences of those decisions.  I think the best way for parents to prepare and protect their children is to give them as much advice and encouragement as they can, but in the end have them live and learn on their own. 

Everyone fails, for example our 16th president failed a lot.  Though, he used his failures to make him stronger and he never gave up. 

What's next?

I'm a senior this year and I get asked the same questions by almost everyone I talk to:  Where are you going to school?  What are you gonna major in? 

I find these questions very annoying because I still have no idea what college I want to go to.  All I know is that I want to be a physical therapist.  My dream job is to be a physical therapist.  But this doesn't much answer the questions people ask about for college, because I don't know what my undergraduate degree will be.  I'll be in college for seven years and I might go to a different school for my doctorate degree verses my undergraduate.  So I have no idea really where I will end up in the future.  All I know is I want to be a physical therapist. 

I can't say I was one of those kids who always knew what they wanted to be. Like my sister knew she wanted to be a teacher since the 2nd grade and my brother has wanted to be an engineer since he was in 4th grade.  No, I came to this conculusion more recently, but I still don't have a specific degree.  Physical therapists can major in anything for their undergraduate degree, so I can study Exercise Pysiology, Psychology, Exercise Science, Biology or anything else.  But I guess I am not alone with my major undecided because this article I read said that 80% of freshmen at Penn State are not sure of their major. 

You may ask why I want to be a physical therapist.  I have a few reasons. 

I can definetly say that I am a math/science person and not a history or language person.  I took anatomy last year and I loved it.  It was one of the coolest classes I have ever taken because I got to learn about how the body works.  

I also love to help others, I know it might sound wierd, but I truly do.  I love to be able to serve others and make anything easier for them.  I would love to be able to help people physically when they have an injury.  I want to give them support through a recovery because I know it can be very difficult and also help them get back to normal life or a sport.  I want to make an impact on others lives.

2nd grade with my siblings

I still remember my physical therapist from second grade when I broke my arm.  I  had fallen off a swing, requiring a cast and physical therapy.  I needed physical therapy because I couldn't extend my arm all the way or bend it normally.  My physical therapist pushed my limits to make me better but was very nice.  We got my arm to straighten correctly, but a bone in my elbow was not allowing it to bend all the way, so I ended up needing more surgury for that.  But she was very supportive through the whole processes and definetly helped my recovery.  I want to be someone like that. 

Theater of Pain

"'It goes back to pee-wee ball,' Ryan Clark says.  'When I was six, I was a punt returner on my dad's team.  I got hurt.  I went up and told him, 'Dad, I can't straighten my neck.' But I made sure I told him that after I returned a punt for a touchdown."

This is a quote from the article Theater of Pain.  Personally I think that this is ridiculous that a six year old feels obligated to continue playing a game although he was obviously seriously injured. It is one thing when when a NFL player gets injured, their average salary is $1.9 million, but a six year old?  What kind of pressure is on this kid that makes him feel obligated to continue to play through injury?

Do we too much emphasis on the saying, "no pain, no gain?"  So much so that pain is expected to be endured to be the best?  Arguably the biggest sport in the USA is centered around hitting other people as hard as possible.  But this somehow brings people together.  This sport is made for entertainment and it brings family and friends together.  Anyone watching a game, whether you have a fantasy team and know everything about the sport or know the teams solely by the uniform color, everyone understands a big tackle.  Most people get the "ouch that hurt" but also the "that looked awesome" feeling.  You have to admit, it can look pretty cool, but can also cause serious injury.  Though, have we put too much pressure on the players, whether six years old or NFL players, to endure the pain of the sport? 

When is it too much?

I read an article, "The Impending Death of Pro Football" (found at http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2013/01/the-impending-death-of-pro-football/267412/), and it talks about how NFL players are getting diagnosed with a disease called Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy or CTE.  Because of this danger, will we stop playing football?  Or is it such a big part of our lives that this is just one of the things you must give up to play this sport?

This got me thinking about what athletes will do to play a sport.  I've heard of many athletes getting seriously injured during a game but they continue to play the rest of the game with the injury.  For example, I have a friend that tore her ACL playing soccer her freshman year, she was in a brace for a month and couldn't walk on it, and then she had a few months of recovery so it worked like a normal knee and then soccer conditioning for it.  Then the following year on almost the exact same date, she tore her other ACL.  When will an injury be too big that you need to quit a sport?  Is quitting even an option when you are a high school, college or pro athlete?

I found another article about the pressure that society puts on student athletes called "Pushing Kids to the Limit: Are Student Athletes Being Pushed Too Far?"(found at http://www.kjrh.com/dpp/news/segment_2/Pushing-kids-to-the-limit-Are-student-athletes-being-pushed-too-far).  It suggests that parents, coaches, and money are pushing student athletes so far that they injure themselves.  Going to college on a basketball scholarship or lacrosse scholarship is very appealing to students who know the cost of tuition.  Or trying to make it pro and getting paid to play the sport is like a dream and most athletes will do almost anything to get to the next step of the ladder.  But is getting injured really worth it?  Only about 5% of high schools athletes go on to play division one sports and less than 1% go on to be a pro athlete.  So does the possible benefit out weight possible damage for life? Is playing a sport worth getting an injury or a disease?  Will parents sign up their child for sports knowing that there is such a big risk?  Or has society already pushed us so far that we NEED the next thing and every activity has to be an all in or not at all?  Or can we still play sports for fun?  That we can only play ball in high school if we think it could get us to the college level?  Are there any limits to how far you will go to reach your dream?