Junior year we were faced with another new coach. It was time to learn another new playing style, new rules, new trainings, new everything. At this point we were all tired of starting over with new coaches every season and just hoped that this coach, Coach Tom, would stick around till us seniors graduated. Preseason trainings were brutal, yes, we are soccer players and need to be able to run, but these trainings left us feeling more like a track or cross country teams than a soccer team. But once the season started, we were probably one of the fastest teams in the league making all the sprints, mile long runs, complexes, and figure eights worth it.
Our fourth game in, on our home turf, against Dover, I took a soccer ball to my right temple, knocking me out. Laying on the field absolutely motionless, only being able to see black, I was scared for my life. Hearing my teammates tell me to keep my eyes open and that the trainers and Coach Tom were almost to me felt like an eternity. After being carried off the field and sat on the bench I came to the realization of what had just happened. My trainer conducted the concussion protocol to determine if I was concussed, with amazement I was cleared to go back to the game. With a raging headache and still having a hard time keeping my eyes open due to the strong sunlight, Coach Tom made the decision to sit me the rest of the game. To this day I am still very thankful for that decision.
Training the next day consisted of warming up and a lot of stretching to prepare us for our game the following day. The headache from the hit to my head was subsiding and the activities were not enough to feel like my heart was actually in my head. I thought I got lucky. That the hit would be in the past and I wouldn’t have to worry about it affecting my life in school or years to come. But I was wrong.
The next day, I started the game and the running up and down the field not even touching the soccer ball caused so much pressure in my head that I took a knee to come off the field. The trainer for the other team came over and I was faced with another concussion protocol test and this time I failed. The next step was to start the recovery. I spent everyday for the rest of the season religiously bothering the trainer with hopes he would clear me so I could go back on the field and play the sport I loved. Except it wasn’t that easy. I wasn’t allow to do any activities until I was headache free for 42 hours, once I didn’t have a headache I could ride the stationary bike but if my head started to bother me while riding the bike I had to stop and go back to square one. Once I cleared riding the bike without my head bothering me then I had to take the concussion test on a computer for it to be compared to my baseline which ultimately determined if I was cleared to return to playing.
The season had finished and I still was not able to pass the test meaning I could not return back to the field. I was referred to a Neuro specialist for a continuation of the concussion test. I was able to pass a physical administration of the concussion test which meant I could return back to the field. With the season over I decided to take the winter sessions off to give myself more time to recover more. Once spring season came along I was faced with the question, do I return to the sport I love or do I retire?