Using physics can help athletes avoid sports injuries 

anatomy: (adj. anatomical) The study of the organs and tissues of animals. Or the characterization of the body or parts of the body on the basis of structure and tissues. Scientists who work in this field are known as anatomists. 

athletic trainer: A health care professional who work with people who participate in sports. They provide exercises and guidance on how to move strengthen, stretch and train muscles and improve stamina so that people can limit the risk of injury in sports. Trainers may also work with physicians to assist in the treatment and rehabilitation of injured athletes. 

biomechanist: Someone who studies how living things move, especially the forces exerted by muscles and gravity on the skeletal structure. 

data: Facts and/or statistics collected together for analysis but not necessarily organized in a way that gives them meaning. For digital information (the type stored by computers), those data typically are numbers stored in a binary code, portrayed as strings of zeros and ones. 

field: An area of study, as in: Her field of research is biology.  

force: Some outside influence that can change the motion of an object, hold objects close to one another, or produce motion or stress in a stationary object. 

grad school: Short for graduate school. A university program that offers advanced degrees, such as a Master’s or PhD degree. It’s called graduate school because it is started only after someone has already graduated from college (usually with a four-year degree). 

high school: A designation for grades nine through 12 in the U.S. system of compulsory public education. High-school graduates may apply to colleges for further, advanced education. 

literally: An adjective indicating that the phrase it modifies is precisely true. For instance, to say: “It’s so cold that I’m literally dying,” means that this person actually expects to soon be dead, the result of getting too cold. 

major: (in education) A subject that a student chooses as their area of focus in college, such as: chemistry, English literature, German, journalism, pre-medicine, electrical engineering or elementary education. 

physical: (adj.) A term for things that exist in the real world, as opposed to in memories or the imagination. It can also refer to properties of materials that are due to their size and non-chemical interactions (such as when one block slams with force into another). (in biology and medicine) The term can refer to the body, as in a physical exam or physical activity. 

physical therapist: A person trained in the treatment of physical disability through the use of exercise, massage or other non-medical treatments. 

physics: The scientific study of the nature and properties of matter and energy. Classical physics is an explanation of the nature and properties of matter and energy that relies on descriptions such as Newton’s laws of motion. Quantum physics, a field of study that emerged later, is a more accurate way of explaining the motions and behavior of matter. A scientist who works in such areas is known as a physicist. 

physiology: The branch of biology that deals with the everyday functions of living organisms and how their parts function. Scientists who work in this field are known as physiologists. 

range: The full extent or distribution of something. For instance, a plant or animal’s range is the area over which it naturally exists. (in math or for measurements) The extent to which values can vary (such as the highest to lowest temperatures). Also, the distance within which something can be reached or perceived. 

sports medicine: The branch of medicine that focuses on the treatment and prevention of sports injuries. 

undergraduate: A student who is attending college but has not yet graduated.