Football, Soccer, Softball
Posted by Admin on October 19, 2009 in Training
Now that it’s a definite that I need to have knee surgery, albeit a likely minor arthroscopic procedure, I have to figure out exactly when. I’m putting it off as best I can but for the wrong reasons. I play on several sports teams and on a couple, I’m kind of in a principal position and need to be there. Here’s a breakdown:
1) I’ve been on a two-hand-touch, co-ed football team called Sacks In The City for something like a dozen seasons or more (we play two seasons a year in Spring and Autumn). For a while, we were dominant with 7 championships including a four-peat and a couple of 23 game unbeaten streaks. We’ve never missed the playoffs but in recent years, haven’t been able to win another title. This year looks very good for us though.
With my friend John (our QB), I’m a holdover from the original squad. We are likely the oldest team in the league in terms of average age, but we are still very effective. I have had my great moments and not so great moments in this and past seasons, but with so many talented players, it’s not a big deal for me to miss games.
2) Last Fall and again this season, I also played on a different two-hand-touch, co-ed football league but this features less players on the field, includes blocking, and plays on a true grass field in Central Park. It is tremendous fun, mostly because I get to play QB. I’m definitely not a natural in that position from an athletic perspective, but I get the job done decently enough and have good situation-management skills (or so I allow my ego to believe). We have had a great season so far and I believe that we can make it to the playoffs if we continue along this tract. One of our best players recently stepped in for me as QB when I had to miss the first half, and he led us to a big half-time lead, so I suppose I could sit out and the team wouldn’t suffer too much… but my ego would!
3) In July, my friend Sandie asked if I would play goalkeeper for her soccer team at a game played on Columbia University’s soccer fields. I agreed but I was terrible. Surprisingly, they asked me to play again (they were desperate since they never had a regular goalie on the team), and I played a lot better, so much so that when the new season began for the Fall, I was asked to join the team as a regular. I played goalkeeper throughout high school and college, so it was a no-brainer. It’s also co-ed but has a fair amount of competitiveness to it. We’ve managed to really come together as a team and now boast an undefeated record (including one tie). Another win this week likely puts us in strong playoff contention.
4) For several seasons, a bunch of friends have played in a co-ed softball league under the banner Sofa Kings (say it with a different cadence and an adjective to get the full effect). I’ve been interested in joining the team for some time, but have only gotten spot appearances here and there when they need bodies on the field. I have to admit; I LOVE playing with these friends and enjoy every minute of it, but for now, I remain a reserve until or unless one of their regulars decides that scheduling remains problematic and drops from the team.
So, with all of this, I’ve decided to wait until mid-November. I wear this special hinged knee-brace with straps and all; it’s a relic from two years ago following the arthroscopy I had performed then. It limits and practically eliminates all lateral movement which is my biggest threat. In all cases, I limit my participation intensity to something like 75% of normal and I’m paying acute attention to the effect of every small tweak and twist. This past weekend, I actually ran fairly hard and felt no pain, had no scares, and managed my situation well. Ultimately, I’m playing with borrowed time in the face of a condition that, while requisite of a surgical procedure, is not terribly serious. I’m not taking this for granted though and have right-mindedly decided to call it quits at the first sign of danger. I’m not getting paid for this stuff.
I’m somewhat wondering why I’m even posting this, but it might partly be to respond to the growing chorus of concern. The general structure of the knee remains intact and strong. It is not painful at all, just stiff. With the knee brace, I’m forced to play at a diminished intensity which is good. I’m well-aware of my mortality and I’m remaining alert to the signs of joint degradation. So, to all the nay-sayers out there, I say, you’re right… and in the event of something catastrophic, just save the “I told you so” stingers.
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