The first injury I got playing Lacrosse. I was hit in the neck and I remember the pain shooting down the whole right side of my body felt like someone hand repeatedly hit me with some type of hammer. I thought I could shake it off, I thought I would magically recover overnight and be able to play the next game. Sadly the world we live in doesn’t work like that and I was heading to the hospital the next day.

It felt like I was in the waiting room for eons. Patiently waiting for the doctor to come and see me. I was petrified of what they would tell me. “Mr. Williams I am sorry but you are unable to ever play sports again.” I’d break down, I would completely be unable to take it. Sports have been my whole life. How would I be able to go on knowing I will never be able to play the games I love to death? When the Nurse came and got me to see the Doctor my heart desisted and I slowly raised to the Doctors office.

I was sitting my neck in a great ordeal of pain from the previous practice were I had been struck in the neck. Maybe if I tell them that I am fine and I feel better I can go home and be able to help my team in their next game? But it was too late, the doctor walked through the door with a smile on her face. My heart felt like it was using my rib cages for a boxing bag. She told me that I had to get x rays done and that we would run some test on my neck. She asked me on a scale one to ten how bad the pain was. I rated about an eight. We then went to go take the x rays, I was terrified of the results. Maybe I had a career ending injury? Maybe I tore a neck muscle so badly it will never heal right without surgery? I feared the worst and when she walked the door I got the results.

The doctor smiled and said everything was fine, that my nerve system look perfectly normal. Only had a deep tissue bruise.  My heart finally ceased to stop beating on my ribs like Rocky. Sadly though I was unable to play the next game with my team or even practice for that matter. I felt terrible as I had to stay at home while my teammates battled it out on the field without me. Later on the day my coach had called me to make sure everything had gone well at the doctors and if I was okay. I was a little skeptical but I was doing fine.

When I had returned to practice I was always afraid. Maybe this is the day I reinjure myself? Maybe I get an even worse injury than before? Every time I step on the field I take that risk of being hurt. But I know with great teammates of mine and the great coaching I am okay. They will pick me up and I can rely on them when I am down. Even though that injury could have ended it all for me. I still go out there to fight with my teammates every single game.