IU’s home opener, in which the Hoosiers were victorious, 30-20, against Ball State signified both the start of the college football season in Bloomington and the start of tailgating, a hallowed tradition at IU.
However, with tailgating comes injuries.
Last season, IU saw a rise in home game attendance by an average of more than 2,600 fans per game. This was good enough for the 21st-best home attendance increase in the country as IU finished up with more than 44,000 home fans per game for the 2015 season, according to ncaa.com.
Steve Sapoznik, facility manager of the Bloomington branch of Athletico Physical Therapy, said dehydration, knee and ankle tendinitis, and lower back injuries are the most common during tailgating.
However, they are preventable.
Lower back injuries are common at tailgates for various reasons, ranging from lunging during games of cornhole to simply lifting a cooler. In order to prevent these injuries, Sapoznik suggests focusing on basic exercises throughout the day.
“We like to focus on simple tasks,” Sapoznik said. “Squat over the water cooler. Lift by bending your knees, not your back.”
Dehydration can also be prevented. Sapoznik said fans should drink an 8-ounce cup of water every hour to stay cool and hydrated, one of the best ways to avoid injury while tailgating.
Sunscreen and sunglasses are also a must, as most game days early in the season will have the sun beating down for hours on end.
Daniel Evans, 19, is an IU sophomore and Hoosier football fan since birth. Evans said he can remember attending IU football games with his parents, both IU alumni, since he was in the third grade. They tailgated before every home game until Daniel enrolled at IU and started going to tailgates of his own.
Evans said he can remember one instance when he was younger and suffered severe sunburn on his nose during a tailgate. It was during the 2009 home game against Illinois, and Evans has been cautious ever since.
“Sunscreen is a must because sunburns are painful for many days after and everybody looks at you strange,” Evans said.
The burn was severe, as Evans didn’t take note of any of Sapoznik’s tailgate precautions.
“I was young and underestimated the powerful effects of the sun,” Evans said.
Evans also had an encounter during the first tailgate of the year. He was grilling during the Ball State tailgate and got multiple blisters on his knuckles without even physically touching the grill. His hands were so close to grill constantly throughout the day, they eventually got burned after Evans grilled more than 200 hot dogs.
“Tailgates are a lot of fun, you just have to make sure you’re safe about it,” Evans said.
Sapoznik said one of the most important but often forgotten things to remember during tailgating is to wear appropriate walking shoes with adequate support because fans are going to be on their feet most of the day.
Sapoznik warned danger is real during tailgates, and fans should be careful this season.
