High school sports are one of the favorite extracurricular activities of American students. High school sports provide a sense of school pride and dedication to the athlete's school. Many students play in hopes of earning a college scholarship in their sport of choice. Despite the dreams that come with playing sports, the sad truth is that many sports careers end with injury. Injuries in high school sports vary in a variety of ways. High school athletes suffer injuries to their brains, spines, bones, ligaments and tendons. Sport also has a mental impact on the athlete, putting them at risk of cardiac arrest. Student-athletes are also pressured to take harmful performance-enhancing products and adopt harmful eating habits in an attempt to gain an advantage. Sport has many beneficial qualities but can be harmful to the body if done in an unhealthy way. The truth is that any time an athlete engages in physical activity, they are at risk. Concussions are one of the most serious injuries among student-athletes. “A concussion is the result of a blow to the head hard enough to cause the brain to swell.” - (youthsportssafetystatistics.org). Concussions can cause memory loss and interfere with daily functions. When an athlete suffers a concussion, they lose consciousness or are impaired when conscious. This injury can also be tragic because if the trauma to the head is strong enough, it could cause a brain hemorrhage. Internal bleeding is a serious injury and difficult to treat because it is inside the skull. If an athlete suffers multiple concussions, it can damage their brain to the point of losing intelligence. The human brain is the vault of all memories, knowledge and unconscious actions. If this vault is constantly beaten, it can... middle of paper...... one unlucky blow to the head could change a person forever. Physical activity-related injuries aren't the only threat an athlete needs to be wary of. Performance-enhancing substances and stress can also take a toll on the body. Substances containing poorly studied ingredients are allowed in drinks, powders and pills intended to help athletes. This can be more dangerous than potential injury. Stress is also a key factor for health. Too much stress can exhaust the body and mind. Therefore, any time an athlete engages in physical activity, there is a risk of injury. http://youthsportssafetyalliance.org http://newsinfo.iu.edu/webpagenormal/u727.htm http://orthoinfo.org http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19691361