Blue Valley’s freshman football team has practiced nearly every day after school for approximately two and a half hours. “I think that’s too long,” said Jay Justmann, a father of a manager. “The players need a break every now and then, and they need a rest, both from a mental and a physical standpoint.” Other freshmen who were surveyed shared this same opinion. “The reason for so many practices is for the kids to constantly be in the state of mind about the sport,” manager freshman Julia Goff said. Freshmen Peyton Anderson agreed with Goff, but she also said injuries are preventable with less practicing. “I don’t think there is ever a good enough reason to put players at risk for injury,” freshman Riley Fisher said. There have been three concussions on the freshman team so far, as well as a torn ACL. “Shorter practices wouldn’t benefit the players,” Goff said. “Three hour practices are just the right amount of time. If the players keep their bodies warmed up, and if they stretch properly, three-hour practices should not put them at risk for injury.” Fisher said warm-ups would help but not prevent concussions. “Something should change before anymore injuries happen,” Fisher said. “Concussions are serious and shouldn’t be happening this much.”