10th-grade volleyball player, Salome Beyer, is dealing with a sprained elbow and a torn ligament as the aftermath of the High School Binational Games, held at The Columbus School last month.

Post binational injuries are really common among athletes due to the intensity of the tournament. In this case, the trauma happened during the second to last game, one of the most challenging matches with a highly skilled opponent. It occurred during the third set of the game while the school’s team was losing.

“I threw myself on the floor trying to save a ball from hitting the ground. Another one of my teammates also threw herself into the floor and landed on top of my arm, and her body pushed my elbow inward,” Beyer said.

While dealing with the swelling and the pain of the torn ligament, Beyer has to start thinking of her future. She has to recover from this trauma in time to play Copa Columbus and other major tournaments.

“Looking into the future, I don’t think the sprain will affect my spot on the team. It is not a severe injury; nevertheless, it really hurt a lot and it still does,” Beyer said.

School athletes are pursuing their passion, and when they are in court they will give it all for the victory; getting injured is not an option. At the end of the day, every little act will define if the team has a spot on the final.

“It is common to be injured after Binationals everyone gives it all on game day, whatever it takes to win. As a player, you don’t care if there are bumps on the ground because you’ll do the impossible to save a ball,” Susana Arcila, volleyball player, said.

Even though Binationals is a great experience, it is also an intense and fatiguing event. Students spend a week not only playing the sport they love but also meeting new people. Each day becomes more tiring than the next, but the athletes endure.

“It is a really tiring and exhausting experience, not only mentally but also physically. At the end of the week you feel like you just have to sleep for an entire week,” Beyer said