KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — It’s Friday Frenzy time in East Tennessee, but before we can talk about the games, we want to take a look at how the doctors covering the games prepare for the season.

Physicians with the Knoxville Orthopedic Clinic are on the field for every game that takes place in Knox County and get that first hand look at some of the injuries.

With the physical nature of sports and the heat experienced during summer camps, the athletes must hydrate and train properly or they could be at greater risk for injury.

“Most important for athletes and coaches to understand is that hydration starts way before you even step foot on the football field,” said Dr. Amber Luhn with the Knoxville Orthopedic Clinic. “You need to think about hydrating every single day, hydration starts the whole week prior to the competition.”

Luhn said that athletes should avoid energy drinks, anything with caffeine, soft drinks and even sweet tea. Hydration can help keep you healthy from even the most common football injuries.

“We can see concussions, a lot of lower extremity injuries or upper extremity injuries. Knees, ankles, wrist. elbows, shoulders and head to name a few,” she said.

With the number of concussions rising over the years, so have the amount of safety precautions taken including the use of Guardian Caps at practice. Those numbers, however, aren’t expected to go down.

“I think the number of concussions we see are going to stay pretty steady,” Luhn said. “The most important thing for athletes to look out for are the symptoms that we’ve been taught to look out for in concussions.”

Some of those symptoms include headaches, dizziness, blurry vision, and not remembering plays after taking a hit. Luhn said that dehydration can even add to the risk for concussions. Those doctors will be on the sidelines watching over the athletes for the next three months.