The captain of the Womens Soccer Team, Maggie Kirchhoff, played her last three games of the season with her left shoulder broken and a loose surgical screw floating in her right shoulder. But she’s not the only DU woman athlete to play hurt this year.

One only has to visit the physical therapy room at Ritchie Center, or talk with the coaches and trainers, to realize that many DU woman athletes play “hurt” on a regular basis.

I’d like to suggest that your sports department consider doing an article about the injuries the DU women athletes play with, and why they keep playing when it hurts so much and there is a possibility of permanent damage. From my vantage point, these young women are every bit as tough and gritty as their male athlete counterparts.

Why are these young ladies willing to play with such painful injuries? Is it pride? Are they Old School tough? Is it a certain dedication to the sport they play? Committment to their teammates? Fear of failure? A desire to prove they are equal to male athletes? I think their answers would by interesting and insightful.

Thank you for considering this suggestion.

Bill Kirchhoff