The Story of the Brace

I want to use this downtime in between games to share a story about why I wear a knee brace. Back in 2008, I was in the middle of a ringer-league game inside the dome at Inwood Soccer Center. As usual, the competition was not great and we were winning pretty handily. Also as usual, I was attempting shots and tricks that my body was not capable of completing. About midway through the first half, the ball rebounded from the wall behind the goal to where I was at the white line (about 15 yards from goal). As the ball bounced above my head, I decided to attempt a head-height, right-footed side volley. As I swung my right leg forward to kick the ball, I used my left to plant my body. Unfortunately, my knee had a different idea. As my thigh shifted with the play, my shin stayed put, twisting my kneecap to the side of my leg. 

I wasn't sure what had happened and, at first, I didn't really feel any pain. It was until I looked down at my leg and realized the knee was not in its usual spot that I decided that I was in a considerable amount of pain. My reaction was an extensive use of profanity. Between the pain, discomfort, and my teammate asking me if I wanted him to try to rearrange my knee, I was in a minor state of shock.

I didn't know what to do, but the thought of moving my leg was pretty disturbing. Rescue 911 was called into action. After securing my leg in place, I was propped up onto a gurney and carted out of the dome and into the ambulance. The ride to the hospital is a little fuzzy in my memory as I believe the started with the painkillers. After arriving at the hospital, I went through the process of x-rays and everything.

I was scheduled to get onto a plane to fly to Boston/New York for a weekend of soccer and seeing some sights. With my kneecap on the side of my leg, the trip looked to be in doubt. After learning that there was no ligament damage, the doctor popped my knee back into place. To my surprise (and probably due to painkillers) there was no pain. I was then put into a full leg brace and told to see a knee specialist. To my mother's dismay, I boarded the plane a few hours later and used the leg brace to score a few free wheelchair rides along the way. The trip went well, although it's not ideal to be on crutches while visiting New York City for the first time. I need to plan a trip back.

After a couple months of rehabbing, I was back on the field albeit with a brace on my knee. I have been wearing the brace ever since, more so out of superstition than actual need for it. Nonetheless, I will continue to wear the brace and score many goals when I do...