Wednesday, January 21, 2015
This is the first year in soccer that I have ever struggled with any sort of injury. Growing up and playing every day, I never was hurt. Maybe I would get a little cut up or bruised, but never a real injury. Then this year, my first year of college soccer, came about. I was excited to play at the next level, but nervous about how I would compare to the other players. Would I be good enough to be considered in the same league as them? Would I be able to start immediately and play all season? I have never had to ask myself these things, as my natural ability had generally gotten me where I wanted to be. These questions plagued my mind for months leading up to the start of the season. Unfortunately though, I still have not found out the answer to any of these questions. The second day of preseason, August 2, I went to the trainer complaining about my foot. Unsure of what exactly was wrong, he sent me to a doctor to get X-Rays and MRIs. I soon found out that I had a severe bone bruise and torn tendons in my foot, and I would be out of commission for at least another two months, leaving me with about three weeks of the season to train, most of which I would use to slowly get back into the swing of things. Finally healthy again, the offseason started. So in order to make up for lost time, I decided to train with the professional team in my city. However, in the first session I broke my finger. Fingers seem pretty insignificant, but I am a goalkeeper so I tend to use them a lot. As a precaution, I went to the doctor and the next day I was getting surgery to pin back the broken bone. This brings me to today, a time where those questions still loom over my head. They will have to wait another two months to be answered
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That is really unfortunate that all of those injuries occurred within your first few months of college but it also could have been a great opportunity for you. Depending on how you look at it, it gave you a great opportunity to get integrated into the school and but some focus on your school work. I imagine you had to go to all the practices and the home games but not all of the away games. This is a perfect opportunity to make the adjustment get the grades up when the pressure isn't on you to put in all the effort outside of practice. I can only imagine how frustrating it was for you but injuries happen to everyone and I hope you took it for its advantages.
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear about all the injuries! One of the difficult aspects of college is that it often challenges our identity. Many of us in high school were at the top of our game for a particular talent--whether that be music, academics, or sports. When we get to college, we generally find a much greater field of people who are at our level, and sometimes, as in our case, we are unable to participate in such an activity at all. There's no easy answers to such difficulties, unfortunately, but I have found that in the long run having to deal with losing a cherished activity and what it had contributed to one's identity, even if it is just for awhile, does at least provide perspective.
ReplyDeleteI know exactly where you are coming from. Softball is now gearing up to be in season and here I am, with some sort of shoulder problem, and softball and shoulder problems don't tend to mix. I've dealt with tendonitis for years, and our trainer here believes that may still be the issue, but this time around it's a completely different pain which worries me that it'll end my season, or even my career before it has even started. It's hard to sit on the sidelines and watch your teammates work away while you can't, and it seems that athletes who are injured have semi-existentialist crises as the one thing they know and love is taken away from them. When it comes to injuries, i know as an athlete, it is incredibly hard to step back from your sport, but the only way to come back just as good as ever is to take a break. If not, then you risk further injury (maybe to the point where you are no longer able to play) and possibly a long period of time where you have no idea sense of your own identity.
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear that man, sounds pretty rough. Hopefully you'll be all healed by next season. This blog reminds me of some advice that I was told by many coaches as I looked at colleges to possibly play ball at. The advice was something like the following: "Never pick a school because of a sports team. Pick the school first, then pick the team." The reasoning behind this is that with sports, nothing can be for certain. You're a perfect examples; you've never even really thought about having an impacting injury that would put you on the sidelines. Fortunately, your injury isn't too long term so you can get back, but for the players who suffer a more longterm injury and can no longer play are in a very bad decision if they're at a school they only chose for their sports. I know this isn't your case, and I know you've probably heard this advice, but your blog just made me think about it.
ReplyDeleteHang tough brother! It all works out how it is suppose to. Injuries are the perfect time to not only heal but come back stronger! Embrace the tough times man, as they will inevitably pass. I would tell you how I can relate, and about personal setbacks similar to your own, but the truth is every one handles adversity in different ways and you don't need to hear that now. In the wise and somewhat unrelated words of Joe Dirt, "Life is a garden, Dig it". It will all work out soon my friend, so just keep on keeping on,
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