ACL is a Four Letter Word

Wrestling is a weird sport. Just because you are strong doesn't mean you are good at it. One of the kids at my school is just so strong for his size, but this is his first year wrestling. He gets pinned probably 1 out of 3 times. He finally got a pin today, it was pretty cool. Anyway, I digress... ACL, if you are an athlete of any level, you do not want to hear that abbreviation. It means surgery, holes drilled in the bones of your knee, painful recovery, painful rehab, and the end of your present season. And if you happen to play more than one sport, possibly the end of your next sport's season as well. I tore my ACL my senior year of high school and to a point I am glad it happened because it really helps with my job. When I have to tell a kid he probably tore his ACL, I can sympathize with him as well as prepare him for what is coming up with surgery and rehab, etc. I had to tell a kid he tore his ACL this weekend. When he described hearing and feeling the "POP" that comes with a torn ACL my knee instantly hurts and I feel slightly queasy. I explained what he needed to do for the rest of the weekend and that he needed to get in touch with an orthopaedic surgeon come Monday. I know he was trying very hard not to cry in front of me. I felt for him, I really did. The rest of the weekend was mostly uneventful. A gash over an eyebrow, a possible broken wrist, a bum hip, bumps and bruises and bloody noses...all a part of the wrestling experience. I am glad that my job of covering wrestling tournaments is pretty much over for the year. To end on a good note, my boys did get 2nd place in the tourney. Oh, and Duke won! It ended up a good day.