When Colette Ramirez wakes up in the morning, she can feel the pain dart up and down her back like tiny arrows piercing her skin. Agonizing back spasms sometimes cause her muscles to twist into a pretzel shape. There are times when she wants to break down and cry.
Ramirez, a senior on The University of Memphis volleyball team, has a slipped disk in her lower back.
"Sometimes I can't even bend, and my back turns into a brick wall," Ramirez said.
While the pain may cause her to cringe, it hasn't kept her off the court.
Ramirez played in all 16 of Memphis' Conference USA matches this fall and notched 94 kills, fifth-best on the team. She also helped the Tigers to a 27-7 overall record and a second place finish in the league tournament.
"I wanted to be in," Ramirez said. "So I just kept my mouth shut and took the pain."
Doctors have told Ramirez that her condition will get worse if she continues to play. She is slated to graduate in May and must leave her Tiger teammates behind, but that won't keep her away from the game.
"I'll stick to beach volleyball," Ramirez said. "I can't give it up. I love it too much to quit."
As soon as an athlete such as Ramirez walks onto the court or steps out on a field, he or she is at risk of getting hurt. Some injuries, including sprains and muscle pulls, may seem minor. Others can be far more serious, resulting in paralysis and even death.
Javan Camon, 25, was killed after a helmet-to-helmet collision during a football game in the World Indoor Football League in February. Camon, who played college football at the University of South Florida, went into cardiac arrest after the hit and was pronounced dead shortly afterward at a local hospital.
High school baseball player Jack Noyes died in March, almost one year after he suffered a neck injury during a Texas Class-4A state playoff game. The Harker Heights senior dove head first into third base to avoid a tag. He smashed his fifth vertebra beyond repair and was paralyzed from the chest down. He died of complications resulting from the injury 10 months later.
According to a report in The Physician and Sports Medicine, 476 sports-related deaths occurred from 1982 to 1996 among high school and collegiate athletes.
Fatalities in sports may be rare, but other injuries are not.
The National Federation of State High School Associations conducted a study of nine different high school sports and found an estimated participation of 4.2 million students. Of these participants, 1.4 million experienced injuries suffered while playing their respective sports.
Injury is a reality that many athletes face at one point or another.
Terrence Payne, a senior at the University of Tennessee, said he is more than willing to take his chances.
"You can get hurt walking across the street," he said.
Payne played basketball for Brighton High school from 1998 to 2002. During that time, he sprained both ankles, chipped two of his teeth and tore his ACL and MCL. The latter, the most serious of the injuries, occurred during a pick-up game before his senior year. Payne did not have surgery to repair the damaged knee ligaments until after he finished his last season at Brighton.
"I played my entire senior year with a torn ACL," Payne said.
He wears a brace when he plays these days. When he walks into the gym, it takes him at least 10 minutes to strap the bulky plastic piece around his knee. He knows he may re-injure his knee or his ankles. That doesn't bother him.
"It's one of those things I ain't never really been able to explain," Payne said. "I just like playing. It's fun. I like beating people. I'm probably going to have surgery on my knee again because I play on it so much. The doctor told me last time it's like wheels on a car. To me, though, it will be worth it."
A competitive spirit burns deep inside Payne. He's not alone. Millions of Americans participate in sports every year to compete against others and themselves, despite the risk of injury. Some people test their will and endurance while running in marathons. Others try to hone their concentration and form while playing golf. Payne gets his kicks on the basketball court.
"For some people, life can seem empty when something they love is suddenly gone," said Mary Fry, a psychology professor at The U of M. "Some people have such strong identities as an athlete. They have a hard time identifying themselves as anything else. Those things we have a passion for, we aren't willing to give them up."
Sometimes, as in Payne's case, an athlete's passion for a certain sport can last a lifetime. In other cases, one's focus can shift to something new.
"Michael Jordan was a world class athlete in basketball," said Jim Whelan, a U of M psychology professor. "He left the Bulls at the top of his game to play baseball. He wanted a new challenge. He was a good baseball player, but certainly nowhere near the level he was at in basketball. That's what sparked the desire in him."
Mike Rutter, 49, changed sports for a different reason than Jordan. He played basketball at Lamar University from 1978 to 1980. He was devoted to the game, so much so that in high school he would run up and down the bleachers while wearing a weight jacket to build up the spring in his legs. His knees took a pounding on the concrete steps each day he practiced. By the time he enrolled at Lamar, he had been diagnosed with tendonitis. Rutter eventually had an MRI when the pain got to be too much.
"The doctor said, 'You have a lot of bone on bone. You might want to reconsider playing high impact sports,'" Rutter said.
He gave up basketball in his late 20s because he couldn't physically do it anymore.
Nearly 25 years later, Rutter can be found slicing cross-court shots or smacking forehands down the baseline.
"I picked up tennis a few years back," Rutter said. "It's manageable."
His knees will swell up on occasion, but he deals with it. Giving up sports is out of the question.
"It's hard to completely give up any form of competitive exercise," he said. "It's not impossible, but it's certainly one of those things that brings a measure of enjoyment to life. I would miss that."
Injury is not the only risk involved in sports. The online gambling industry generated $12 billion in revenue in 2005 via sports betting, according to About.com. Las Vegas takes in $2 billion annually in the racing and sports betting department.
Basketball Hall of Famer Charles Barkley is one of the best known gamblers in the country. In a May 2006 interview, the former player turned TNT analyst estimated that he had lost more than $10 million gambling over the years. He also said he once lost $2.5 million in a six-hour span.
Pete Rose, the all-time major league leader in hits, was banned from baseball and Hall of Fame consideration in 1989 amidst allegations that he had bet on baseball while playing and managing the Cincinnati Reds. In 2004 Rose admitted to betting on the Reds but not against them. His ban from baseball is still in effect.
For some people, betting on sports carries a similar competitive thrill to playing sports.
"The thrill of winning a lot of money is the motivation," Whelan said. "People who gamble like to be involved in the action and have a stake in the outcome."
Whelan said that an average fan may not care about a regular season football game between the Carolina Panthers and Pittsburgh Steelers. However, if the fan decided to place a wager, the excitement the game brings to that person greatly increases.
Although gambling can be fun for some, it can also become an addiction.
Whelan said that nearly one-half of all gamblers have a problem in which their betting habits affect their work or personal relationships.
About 3 percent of the adult population will experience a serious problem with gambling that will result in significant debt, family disruption, job losses, criminal activity or suicide, according to a study conducted by Proctor Hospital in Illinois.
Some gambling addicts, however, will not stop until it is too late.
Barkley said he would gamble until he had spent his last dollar.
