After several games, our most important game was finally coming up. We would be playing our biggest rival, Perry High School. I was nervous. The term “butterflies in my stomach” didn’t quite do my nervousness justice. I had a constant dizzying worry that I would screw this game up and not be able to play again. The day of the game, I feared the worst, which only made the metaphorical butterflies fluttering in my stomach flutter faster throughout my entire body. This feeling lasted all the way to Perry. When the team finally got out of the luxurious, top 1% looking bus, my nervousness had manifested itself so deep into my subconscious that even blinking brought on images of embarrassment and failure. As we walked into the gym, I was immediately startled by how bright it was. The walls were entirely white, which when combined with the excessively bright overhead lights and light hardwood floor, gave me a great pregame headache. It looked like a run down version of what people expect heaven to look like. I was shaking like an arthritic chihuahua, making it excessively difficult to put my shoes on. I continued to walk around and attempt to tame the wild feeling of anxiety working in my mind.But as we were doing our hitting warm ups, the worst happened. I had jumped with the set and right as I landed, my ankle decided that twisting 180 degrees to the left would be more effective than staying upright. So far in fact that my math teacher wouldn’t be able to measure it using a
A quick turn on a soccer field led me to the worst experience in my life. A while back in my sophomore year I tore my ACL while I was practicing for my first soccer game of the school year. I made a quick turn without positioning my feet correctly on the ground. I thought that I broke my knee, but I never knew that after that day I would have experienced the worst day a month after on February 15th. The day I had knee surgery.
My freshman year of high school, during basketball season, I injured my knee while playing in a home game versus Paola. I ended up tearing my acl and meniscus in my right knee, resulting in a surgery and a lot of therapy. I loved playing basketball and it was my favorite sport, but ever since I injured myself I haven’t felt the same way about the sport.
Just like in the ambulance there were people all around me. I felt a stabbing pain in my hand and jerk it away. The pricks seem to just keep coming. My instincts were to jerk away each time. I got to the point where I was kicking and screaming. All I wanted was for the pricks to stop. Finally that inescapable darkness feeling overtook me. This time I welcomed it like a warm blanket that would keep me safe from all the pain. As I lay there in the hospital bed inert and mute, my mom stayed by my side. My grandma had to pry her hands from the side of my bed just to get her to go check on Kaden. Kaden ended up coming out with not even a mark on him and was safe in the waiting room with other family members who had arrived. My dad also came out okay physically, but was emotionally damaged. Eventually the doctor came out to talk to my mom. He explained to my mom that I had a contusion behind my eye, my skull had a hairline fracture, and my brain was swelling. Upon hearing this news my mom fell to the floor crying. To even make it worse the doctor told my mom there was nothing they could do and I would have to be airlifted to the children’s hospital in Grand
Adrenaline pulsing through my body and anxiety filling up in my stomach, I quickly throw on my football gear and head out to the practice field. It’s a nice hot day in Ocala, Florida, with the sun beating down on our necks, we stand side by side in line waiting to be picked to play second, third, or fourth string in a play. Waiting in anticipation, each of us grinding our teeth, watching first string pure athletes colliding against each other like gladiators to have possession of a ball made at one-time of “pig’s skin”. To some people, the game of American football makes no sense, whether it’s the idea of trying to protect a ball or running and passing it to make a goal for your team. People like this, see the concept of football and understand why millions of people love it; but to them the sport is pointless and causes way too many casualties. Coming from the most us who love the sport, it’s not the worry of getting hurt that you mainly
A failure can be a downward spiral or a setback turning into a benefit. When athletes experience head trauma, they only recover a little, which might end their career early or other times people never recover. In the case of my four month concussion, there are residual mental and physical problems. For me, this challenge helped me develop as a person than will work harder and strive for the best in my academics.
My teammates and I finally reached the Atlanta stadium, the head coach told us all the formations,plays,strategies,and who will be starting. When I heard "Eric Marshall will be one of the primary and starting receivers," I almost jumped in joy, because it had been a dream to play in the super bowl. As we walked into the stadium to practice, I could hear fans screaming, many of which were cheering for us. I felt as if we could not lose or we would let many, many people down. While Marcus and I were doing some practice plays, I felt great When our rivals, the Patriots came in, they looked as if they have been training for this moment for their lives. They did many drills and each of them either looked perfect or the closest to perfect.
At 4:00 p.m., the ref was going to start the game and at first, it was 7 vs. 11 for the first three minutes until more players from our team showed up. I could tell by looking at the coach that he was disappointed with the team. It was close to halftime and they were winning 2-0. Throughout the last ten minutes of the half, I was pressuring the other team. I sprinted for the ball that was bouncing towards the middle of the field. I jumped with the ball to make a header. Crack! I was on the ground and I remember feeling a sharp pain on my forehead. I felt like someone threw a rock at my face. My forehead was numb at first, but then the pain was coming fast. According to people around me, a knee went to my face. I was getting back up because I thought the ref would continue the game, but the ref told me to stay down. As I was lying back down, I looked all around me and the players were kneeling down and crowd had their mouths open while they were standing up. The coach came and said, “Are you
One thing I am thankful for had to be my concussion, sounds strange right? Well we all have our stories but mine started during my freshman year basketball game. Going into the game, I thought we were walking out with an easy win because we played this team before and won. First lesson, don’t ever be cocky in a sport because it will bite you back. Of course, my team decided we were not going to take the game too serious since we won before and karma caught up with us really fast. Somehow, two quarters in and we were losing terribly but I had to let my team with a horrible fall to my head. In the beginning, I was unaware of injury to my head so I kept on playing till I felt dizzy and knew something was wrong. Even after my terrible fall, I wanted
My freshman year I went out for football even though there was a high percentage I wasn't going to play due to my last year traumatic brain injury. I went to practice and helped with everything and it was fine, less fun than I remember from years past. I got cleared and played and it still didn't seem like it used to due to me be scared at every hit against my head I was going to get another concussion. The year ended and I decided it was going to be my last year playing football. I thought to myself that I was going to need find another sport. I have always been interested in wrestling so i decided to go out for it. I meet my coach on the first day and his name was Teague Fenwick. I didn't really know what I was getting myself into on entering
Before the game we had to do a roster check to make sure that we were all on the team. The players on the opponent 's team were huge they looked like monsters about to crush us. After the coaches were done doing the roster check we shook hands with the other team and headed onto the field. The coaches got the teams hype and everyone got set for kickoff I am there (corner and kick returner). The team kicked the ball off and oh no I dropped the open kick off and it costed us 10 yards, it was not a good start for but I shook it off and still believing my goal.
I was watching the Marlins Baseball team play while I was sitting in a Hospital.
Almost a second later I thought to myself my friend could be dead.When the paramedics get hear they put him on a stretcher and they say your friend is badly injured. That saying made me burst into tears and I ran home to tell my mom, I said “we need to go to the hospital immediately”. She asked why, I said there is no time for questions grab the keys and get into the car. As we are in the car I said lane is dead. My mom screams “WHAT” I said yes he hit his head on a bolder. When we walk into the hospital I asked the doctor is he fine. The doctor said who you looking for buddy, lane woods. The doctor says oh ok let me check and see if you can go and see him, I said ok. As the doctor is walking out of the room I sat down on a chair as worried as anyone could ever be. when the
I walked out into the hallway and could hardly breathe. I was pulled from the competition but still traveled with the team. It was sad to see them perform without me, but I knew my health was more important.
I was nine years old when this occurred and it significantly influenced my decision of pursuing medicine. But I didn’t have time to dwell on the minutia, because the majority of my adolescence was spent working at my parents’ restaurant after school. I would bus tables, take to-go orders, roll silverware in napkins, and drop off catering orders near and far. After mastering these lost art forms I decided my talents were needed elsewhere, so I began volunteering at my local ER. Not as glamourous as my day job, but it had its moments. Every hour was different with patients coming in with ailments ranging from headaches to heartaches to the dreaded common cold. As it turns out, working at my parents’ restaurant and volunteering at the ER were not all that different. I had to treat patients the same way I would a paying customer; service with a smile.