On Sept. 8, Max Engle, a student and a football player at Jersey Shore High School, collapsed during a football game against Selinsgrove High School. Tragically, he passed away on Sept. 15. His death has impacted schools and players in Pennsylvania.
Many football players experience an injury at some point in their career, so when a player goes down on the field, spectators expect a quick recovery.
“I go to every single game, so I’ve seen a lot of players get injured. Usually, they get up after a minute or two. We all thought he would just get up after a few minutes, so when he didn’t, we knew something was wrong,” Abi Schaefer, a junior at Jersey Shore High School, said. “I wasn’t close with him, and he still left an impact on me.”
Since this tragic loss, the Jersey Shore community and the Engle family have received an outpour of support.
Schaefer noted that the loss of a young athlete is something the community will never be fully over, and it will sting a little every time they think about him.
This sentiment is felt at State High as well. To show support for the Engle family, the football team wore orange shirts with “4Max” on the back during a pregame warm-up.
Michael Gaul, a wide receiver/linebacker for State High’s football team, spoke about just how devastating Engle’s loss is.
“It is a tragic situation, so it has had some impact knowing that there is always something worse that could happen,” Gaul said.
The tragedy led State High’s football team to reexamine its safety precautions. “Our team will always continue to put our players in the best situations and will take all precautions necessary,” Gaul said.
Football is a contact sport that requires the right safety equipment. There are all sorts of equipment that players wear to help keep them safe. They have equipment from basic shoulder pads to technologically safe helmets.
Equipment is not the only safety measure the team utilizes to prevent injuries. The athletic trainers at State High are specifically trained to treat immediate sports injuries.
Gaul believes a major safety concern affecting football injuries involves a lack of education surrounding head injuries. “The main thing that I believe that does not keep players safe is the lack of understanding and significance of concussions,” Gaul said.
Though this lack of understanding extends to the professional level with the NFL, more information has become available to the public to help shed light on the severe impact these injuries can have on an individual’s life beyond their athletic performance.
