Injury not taken seriously because of being an athlete: With Marissa Durrett
Softball can be a dangerous sport and not a lot of people understand that. Yes some injuries are caused by just getting hit with a ball or getting a finger jammed on a base, but there are some serious injuries that can be caused by this sport as well; some from pitching. There are so many mechanics that have to be perfect in order to keep from getting injured, and unfortunately according to the National Institute of Health 70-80% of softball pitchers end up having some sort of injury during their careers.
I personally am one of the lucky ones, I have never had a real injury from softball that was not simply getting hit by a ball. I was aware that there are multiple instances where pitchers had to get surgery because of how bad it got but I never had to go through it and I didn’t realize how detrimental it could be for the mental health of many athletes.
When I first met Marissa Durrett we were both trying out for the University of New England softball team. I was a recruit but she was trying to walk onto the team which is a lot harder. She eventually made the team and was a shortstop. I had noticed the scar on her arm a few times but I never asked about it because we weren’t that close. One time when we were making small talk when she explained to me that she used to be a pitcher for years and ended up needing surgery because of it, and never pitched again after that.
Me: What was the surgery you needed?
Marissa: Cubital tunnel release surgery. It’s basically where they had to do surgery to relieve the pressure that was being put on one of my nerves in my elbow.
Me: And this happened because of pitching? When did you find out you needed this surgery?
Marissa: I had this surgery two years ago (2023), but the pain probably started about five years ago (2020) but I just ignored it to be honest.
Me: Why did you ignore it for so long?
Marissa: I didn’t want to seem weak or that I was babying the pain. A lot of pitchers feel pain when they pitch. Mine just went on for so long that I could barely move my arm so my parents made me go get it looked at and it ended up being an actual problem.
Me: When you first got told you needed surgery what went through your head?
Marissa: Wow, that’s a deep question. But I was honestly in so much shock that like I had a wave of emotions happen. I was happy in a way because it meant that there was actually something wrong and they could do something to fix it and it meant I wasn’t being a baby about it. I then became really upset though because a lot of fear went through my head about the future. I had no idea if I would be able to still play softball.
Me: After you had the surgery did those feelings change at all?
Marissa: Some of them did. I still get nervous that I will never be at 100% for softball but I still play, but have constant anxiety that I should or could be doing better than I am if I never had surgery. I never pitched again after my surgery, which makes me sad sometimes because I used to really enjoy pitching and I do miss it sometimes but I am happier playing shortstop instead.
Me: Did the surgery make you feel better? I know sometimes you have trouble at practice because of it.
Marissa: The surgery helped for a while. While I was in recovery for about a year once I got back into it I realized that the surgery didn’t actually do much and instead my arm swells all the time and I am in a lot because of my arm. Sometimes it feels like I went through all of that for nothing which really sucks. I also try not to express pain when I am at practice because I don’t want to seem like I am babying it again or want people to think I am just being dramatic.
Me: So did the surgery get messed up?
Marissa: Yeah I think the doctors did something wrong during the surgery because I wouldn’t still be in pain while playing softball.
Me: Are you going to get it looked at again?
Marissa: I probably am going to have to. The AT is making me go back over the summer because of the pain. I don’t want to because I don’t want to have to go through this all again. It’s just a pain in my ass.
One of the most unfortunate parts of Marissa’s story is that this is a problem a lot of athletes struggle with. They have an injury but they are taught to “power through” or to “put some dirt on it” so that they can continue playing through the pain. In Marissa’s case she waited five years to get it looked at and the only reason she did was because her parents made her, but her waiting that long probably ended up making the problem worse.
Not only do a lot of athletes have to go through this physically but they also get put through it mentally. When being an athlete is something you pride yourself in it can be really difficult to understand that you have to be out of your sport for an entire year for recovery, or face the idea that you might never be able to play that sport again, which can be very detrimental to people.
Athletes should never be raised in a sense where their injuries should be pushed through instead of taken seriously. I never knew that this was such a big issue but now that I know it, I am more aware of what needs to change in the mindset of athletes.
