Personal Experience

 I have personal experience in injuries. I am going to share my story, so people can learn from it.

I am 16 years old and I play at the IMG soccer academy. This is my first year here, however, I only got to play one tournament. I am a sports addict, which means that I play every day and every hour. During September and beginning of November we were getting ready for our first showcase on November 17, 18 and 19. Nevertheless, to evaluate the team my coach did a friendly game the weekend before the tournament. That was November 13; that day I started the game and 15 minutes after a girl kicked my ankle and it twisted and I sprained it like on a level 2. However, I thought I was fine and I told my coach I could still play and I did that two other times during the same game. I would shoot the ball and it would hurt a lot, but I would always just fake smile and pretended I was all right. At a point of the game another girls kicked the same ankle and I couldn’t even step on it that time. 

The next day my ankle was very swelled up and my trainer said I had to go see a doctor. At that point I was already imagining the worse and frustrated. That same week I go to the doctor and I had an MRI done on both ankle; it turned out my ankles case was very severe because I had chronic sprains also, so I had many stretched and even tore ligaments that I almost had to get surgery, but I didn’t because my doctor said it would be fixed with 4 MONTHS of physical therapy. I was devastated because I didn’t only miss that showcase I also missed another showcase during winter break. However, I did my physical therapy the best I could. I was trying to be positive the whole time I have to admit that it was hard I cried and I thought would always say “why me?”. Four months after I have my doctor’s appointment to get cleared. February 141h I get cleared. I was the happiest person. I was not allowed to do a whole practice but at least I could do half of practice. I was determined to get better, stronger, much better and mentally stronger. I practices 15^th, 16^th, and 17^th, on the 18^th we had a showcase and I was only allowed to play for 10 minutes each half. I didn’t start, but he put me in the last 10 minutes of the first half and I when I went out second half I feel that I accomplished my goal. I played and nothing happened. Same thing the second half the last ten minutes and everything was fine. On the 19^th we were playing against a tough team. My coach put me in the last ten minutes of the first half and again everything was fine. However and started the second half, which I was not supposed to but I was so anxious and my coach put me in that I kept playing. I was very determined to do very good that game and I did but only while it lasted. 11 minutes after the second half I am going to step to a ball and I twist my knee and I immediately fell on the field. I heard a “crack” but I thought I just overstretched my knee and that was it. I learned the lesson of the other game and I didn’t deny the pain I went out and sat in the bench. The pain went down for a little bit and I tried jogging on it but I couldn’t. After the game is over I could barely walk. The pain started growing and my knee got swelled up. All my teammates were freaking out, but no one would tell me what was going on. I started crying in our two hours drive back home and I was icing the whole time. I couldn’t sleep because of the pain and the next day I went to my trainer and as soon as she saw me her face was like looking at a ghost. She couldn’t believe it she knew what was going in on the first test that she did to my knee. She even asked me if I would get surgery here or somewhere else. She told me that I needed to see a doctor and that there was no way I was playing again in the showcase. When I went to the doctor he said it was more than only my ACL. He was 95% sure I tore my ACL, MCL and meniscus. I was devastated. I can’t even put in words everything I felt and I feel even today that I am in the recovery process.

 I ended up having surgery on March 8^th and it was my worse experience and also my first surgery. I couldn’t even be on crutches there was something special with I case that I had to be on a wheel chair for a week. I have to admit that this has been my biggest challenge and today is when I really understand how I am supposed to react to it. I have only gone once to practice since it happened and all I did was get depressed. I have to say that it has been really frustrated and it still is. The beginning is the hardest part. Learning how to walk all over again and also the long that the recovery is, from 6 to 8 months. I have cried so many times I cant even count them. It has been seven weeks and I still have a hard time getting through it, but I have to say that between my friends, family and coaches I have received a lot of support and they have encouraged me to keep my head up. I have learned a lot. I feel that I have gotten mentally strong and I know that I will go back to playing and that I will get stronger and better. I am doing my best to be positive.