By Jordan Hum | Copy Editor

   Every morning when I get ready for school, I have to pack my backpack. I make sure I have all my notebooks and put them in my bag. Then, I slip my Chromebook in. Finally, I cram my size 11 basketball shoes, a pair of basketball shorts, and an extra shirt into the remaining space, resulting in a heavy mess of a backpack.

   As I go to each class, I cannot help but notice all the extra, stocky bags that people have. I see my basketball teammates bumping into their surroundings because of the duffle bag on their side. I see people with no free hands because they are carrying their extra equipment.

   Worst yet, I walk past the girls volleyball players, and they are always carrying a volleyball backpack bigger than their actual backpack. Football players are holding their clunky helmets and bulky pads through the hallways.

    Students at Gabrielino High School have the ability to pay for a locker, but for some strange reason, the lockers are tiny and don’t have enough capacity to hold anything but PE clothes. This is not only annoying to us athletes, but it is also damaging our health which directly affects our performance in our sports.

   According to John Hopkins All Children’s Hospital website,  “Doctors and physical therapists recommend that kids carry no more than 10 percent to 15 percent of their body weight in their packs.” It has become common for me to crash on my bed after school because my back hurts so much from carrying it all day. It makes me wonder if I would experience the same pain if I didn’t have to carry my things around with me.

   In order to compensate for this extra weight, many kids bring bags that they carry on their side, like duffle bags. This, however, leads to its own share of problems. Kidshealth.org says that extra weight on one shoulder can lead to the development of lower and upper back pain and strains on your shoulders and neck.

   It is strange how the school wants their athletes to perform at the peak of their ability, yet continues to put them at risk of back pain by not giving them a place to put their belongings. From the athlete’s perspective, not only is it troublesome to have our health at risk, but it is irritating to have to lug our things around until sixth period. 

   Many people would make the point that there isn’t any room for bigger lockers, but I think I have a solution. There is a large closet in the small gym that used to house wrestling equipment, but now that wrestling has its own building, why not put new lockers in there. It may be out of the way, but I think students will be willing to make that walk so they don’t have to carry their equipment around.

   As the year unfolds and more sports go into season, I hope it is apparent that this problem needs to be addressed. Yes, it is frustrating to have to hold our sports gear all day, but the fact that our health and thus performance is at risk should be concerning enough to fix this problem.