Our 13 year old is one of the most talented youth players in our State. He moves the ball with such finesse it looks so simple and easy. He makes those beautiful long ball passes the ones that catch defenders off guard and it looks like the players are moving even slower than his perfect direct to feet pass.
Well he is missing this whole season as a U14 player. I was more devasted than him – cried on and off for 2 days! As a parent, there is of course the well being of the physical parts of your child long term, and then the mental aspects as we all know 12 months off from an activity is a tall mental fortitude order!
The same day my son’s injury occurred, was the same day the Lord provided perspective. A week day league game was happening next to our practice – very rare – and a family came to support their loved one, and one of their children was blind. I prayed a silent prayer of gratefulness that our kids are all healthy for the most part. Not more than 30 min later our 3rd son ran over to the parents and said “Mom! Hi knee popped!” I knew in that moment it would be bad and he would be out more than the 6 weeks he was just out from a foot fracture. I ran to him. He was crying, not much of a crier and an extremely high pain tolerance (that fractured foot was the pointy outer bone on the outside of the foot unattached- he played on it for 2 weeks) . We left and went to the ER. Within an hour I knew season done – his knee had swollen to almost triple the sz and the pop noise, and the ER Physician saying – well no broken bones (no MRI yet) – but I am so sorry – I have a kid who plays – I am so sorry…yup must be a torn ACL but he won’t say without the imaging…
Well – a couple of weeks in and yup, he fully tore his ACL and there is a slight vertical tear of his meniscus. And now like all decisions, we are doing our research on what is the best method for repair, who is the best surgeon. In this case surgery is complicated due to his age and growth plates still being open, traditional ACL surgery performed on adult athletes cannot be done on pediatric patients.
Physically and mentally he will grow so much this year off from what he LOVES!!! Like got his boot off and immediately went and did over 1000 juggles….
Physically he needs to stay strong and ‘in shape’ and mentally he needs to know this is a temporary setback. He is sad to not be with the team – they reach out etc, but he isn’t with them on the field – it’s different. He is one of those fantastic humans who is the lynch pin – he is with our family and with his team. He is calm and fun to be around. Praying for our guy as we select who will perform the best surgery (so many options to repair – and which is best?!)
I hope to stay on top of blogging about this journey of top level athlete, to major injury – going and growing through it, and returning to a high level.