By Erin Flom, Guest Writer
Athletics are an important part of college, and student-athletes can really find a passion for their sports. But what if an athlete injures themselves and can’t play anymore? This experience is explored in the student-made documentary “INjured and Out.”
“INjured and OUT” premiered at 8 p.m. Feb. 6 to a full crowd in Ingram 100. The documentary focuses on five Pacific Lutheran University student-athletes who were injured and can no longer play their sport.
Samantha Lund, a junior, produced the film and was inspired by her friend and fellow filmmaker, senior Austin Hilliker. Hilliker, a football player, became interested in athletic injuries after seeing his teammates experience many concussions.
After discussing it, Lund quickly became passionate about the stories behind sports injuries as well.
The most impactful story was that of former football player, junior Craig Crooms. Crooms always wanted to play college football, but went into the military straight out of high school. When he made it to PLU, Crooms tore his ACL for the third time and could no longer play.
This was Lund’s first experience with documentary filmmaking. She thought “INjured and OUT” would be about injuries and the healing process, but soon found it was about identity.
Many of the athletes, like Crooms, featured in the film struggle to find what life with their injury and without their sport is like.
Lund said it was important to have athletes tell their stories “because they never get to — their focus is on recovery.”
Lund put together the team that also included senior Allie Reynolds and first-year Matthew Salzano. The documentary was filmed and edited over J-Term.
