If there is one thing that absolutely sucks about playing soccer or any sport, it is the risk of getting injured. Every time you step on the field there is a chance you can get hurt. Whether it is a pulled muscle, sprained ankle, concussion or, the worst of all, a torn ACL, getting injured is never ideal for anyone. Every injury is tough, but tearing your ACL has got to be one of the most common and horrible injuries that could happen. It may be a biased opinion since I have experienced an ACL tear, but I would take a rolled ankle over hearing that pop any day.
Everything about tearing your ACL sucks, but here are five reasons why it sucks the most.
5 Reasons Why ACL Tears Suck
1. If you ever took walking normal for granted, well don’t. After ACL surgery learning to walk again is one of the most frustrating yet comical activities post-op. You go from running sprints and cutting to not being able to bend your leg, which is also so disproportionate from your other leg. As your soccer quads deflate, there is no better victory than finally being able to walk over the line of cones and not looking like a baby deer trying to learn how to walk.
2. Your knee brace will be your best frenemy. As much as it comforts you so you don’t feel like your leg will snap in half, it is the worst. Sleeping in it for a few days and having to wear it in the shower can get extremely annoying very quickly. A tight groin and calf cramps will be the new daily norm, and yes, it is worse than getting a charlie horse during a game. Your muscles will ache, your leg will bruise and you won’t be able to do your normal daily routines without a little help, but 6-9 months will go by faster than you think (kind of).
3. Being told you can’t play soccer for 6-9 months are the words you never want to come out of a doctor’s mouth. Heck, not playing for a week is hard enough. Having to watch your teammates do what you love while you crutch around immobile and miss the games is one of the hardest parts of being injured. But everything happens for a reason, and after a long proper recovery the best victory of all is getting back on the pitch.
4. When people say they can tell it is going to rain because their knees hurt, this is a real thing. I may not have scientific evidence to prove it, but I know when it is going to rain thanks to my knee. It is a nice party trick to have, especially when you’re prepared for rain when no one else is. Granted some days it is very off, but I guess you can say it is kind of an ACL perk.
5. You know the sound that Rice Krispies cereal makes when you pour milk into it? You know that snap, crackle, pop sound? Well, imagine that sound coming from your knee and that is the sound that your ACL makes as it tears. The wrong quick jerk or twist can be the deciding factor of whether you tear your ACL or not. When I tore my ACL, I cut too sharp on turf, and next thing I knew I heard THE pop and was on the ground. Moral of the story: ACL tears are the worst.
Getting injured is a part of the game and ACL tears happen more often than not. I wish there was a 100 percent preventative to ACL tears, but there isn’t and you never know when or how this injury will happen. It is a long, frustrating process, but each day you have little victories until you finally achieve your goal of being back on the field. Yes, I could write a novel on why ACL tears suck, but the comeback is always stronger than the setback!
