Down, set, hut…The ball was snapped and caught by my son who proceeded to run with the ball tucked in tightly. He was tackled from the back and fell forward. He wasn’t hit hard, but when he didn’t get up, my heart skipped a beat. Every parent who has seen their child on the field or court not moving (or writhing in pain) knows this feeling. As a football mom, my go to image whenever there is an injury on the field is of the star quarterback Jason Street (played by Scott Porter) in the show “Friday Night Lights” who becomes paralyzed after getting hit on the football field. Yes, I am an over-reactor, and I do worry. His passion and talent for football and the coaching staff’s ability to teach them how to play properly with safety in mind keep me from covering him in bubble wrap and taking him to a knitting class instead. I just sit anxiously in the stands and cheer for the teamwork and pray for no injuries.
My son’s knee was assessed on the sidelines by the trainer at the game, and we thought it was a minor injury. I gave thanks to God that it wasn’t a concussion or a spinal injury, and he went to the trainer before school and on Saturday morning. The school has an orthopedic doctor who comes to the school, and he examined him. He felt there was a bit more going on and told my son to have me bring him to his office on Monday. The next step was an MRI, which revealed inconclusive results on the severity of damage to his ACL. The doctor recommended a scope of his knee with a camera to see exactly what the ACL looked like and do some functional testing of the strength. He warned us that if he got in there, and the ACL was torn, he would want to do surgery which brought with it a long, painful 6-9 month recovery.
The day of the scope came, and we were understandably nervous. My son handled it like a champ, and I waited anxiously in the waiting area at the surgical center. The doctor came out and asked to talk to me in a private room. My heart sank. I just knew it was worse than we thought (again with the overreacting). He told me that the ACL was slightly torn, and although it is a ligament that won’t heal on its own, he thought that a rehab program centered on strengthening the muscles around it and a custom knee brace was a much better option than the repair (which involved taking part of his hamstring out and using it to anchor the torn ACL in place). Relief spread throughout my body. After he came out of anesthesia, I told him the good news.
Then the work of rehab began. His after-school practices became trips to doctors and physical therapists. He watched football season end from the sidelines, not as the quarterback, while doing strengthening exercises twice a day. He continued his recovery as basketball season began. A spot was being saved for him when he was ready to return. Every time we would go to the doctor, he would say, “Let’s give it another 2-3 weeks, and we’ll see how you are then.” I can’t imagine anything more disappointing for my athletic and driven son to hear. He has been playing competitive sports since he was in pre-school and hasn’t stopped for anything. He even played football in a cast wrapped in a lot of foam when he was in 3rd grade.
I spent lots of time worrying about how he was handling all of this emotionally. Teenage boys are not the most talkative bunch, and he certainly isn’t one to put his feelings (gasp) out there! Through the years, I have learned how to read between the lines to gauge how he is feeling. His biggest frustration was not being able to contribute to his football and basketball teams. What I love about team sports is the environment it fosters for true comradery. These kids all realize they have important roles to achieve success as a team, and they have to work together to reach their goals.
I did start noticing some other things about his progress and attitude, and it got me thinking about what it takes to succeed. I noticed character traits I call P.R.I.D.E. in him that I really respect and would like to apply in my own life. I think the principles of P.R.I.D.E. can used by all of us to claim victory when we have to navigate tough situations.
- P is for Perseverance. Being able to forge ahead to reach goals in spite of inevitable obstacles and set-backs is necessary for success. In spite of pain and weakness, my son pushed through. He didn’t quit when things got difficult and left physical therapy physically drained and sweaty every time.
- R is for Regimented. Having the grit to stick to a plan in spite of it being difficult will help us prosper. There are no short-cuts on the path to success. Doing rehabilitation exercises twice a day on top of a rigorous academic schedule takes discipline, and my son faithfully and dutifully completed them. He didn’t try to cut corners and do some exercises or skip some days. He committed to his recovery.
- I is for Inspiration. Having a reason to reach a goal is important. Many people like setting up vision boards as an eye-catching reminder of what they want. My son was inspired by getting back to his teammates and being able to contribute.
- D is for Determination. A goal without a plan is just a dream. Wanting success isn’t enough; we have to be determined to achieve it. Think about “The Little Engine that Could.” He happily struggled along, even though the odds were against him, to pull that big train up and over the mountain to deliver food and toys to all of the good boys and girls. He didn’t give up. He had a goal, and he pushed himself to the limits to get there. For my son, failure was not an option. He wanted to be back out there so badly that he worked with determination and diligence to get there.
- E is for Enthusiasm. A positive attitude goes a long way. It is easy to let life beat us down, but the ability to be enthusiastic about reaching a goal can help navigate the pitfalls and troubles along the way. My son never complained that the work was too hard or whined that he didn’t want to do it. He took ownership in his recovery and gladly did what he needed to do to gain the strength he needed.
After being on the sidelines for 2 ½ months, his doctor finally gave him the green light to resume all activity, provided he wears his brace. He has gone with P.R.I.D.E. into basketball practice and just played in his first game of the season! There was no hesitation as he ran, got fouled, took charges, fell, and shot. He’s giving it 100% and enjoying the fruits of his P.R.I.D.E! I’m a proud momma who is now cringing on the bleachers every time he gets knocked down, but I need to know that this kid will always pick himself up and keep moving!
As I finish writing this, I’m thinking about Nora’s daughter who is about to undergo her second extensive knee surgery. Her first one took a full year to recover with lots of physical and mental anguish along the way, and this second one may take that long too. If you feel compelled, please say a prayer for a successful procedure with complete healing. Nora’s daughter exhibits P.R.I.D.E. in everything she does, and I know she has the strength to regain strength and mobility. I’ve never met a more focused and determined young woman who also has a heart of gold.
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