GET UP! “I don’t know what’s wrong, but I don’t feel fine. ”, says Tracey (not real name) all of a sudden during practice. She had landed on her fingertips as she had entangled her leg with an opponent while playing defense on her. Actually, Tracey’s pinkie finger’s bones had bent backward leaving the finger boneless and weakly falling towards her palm. This is just one scenario of how dangerous sport can be, which scares away potential players, and causes active ones to drop out after traumatizing experiences and scenes such as Tracey’s. Most sports are contact ones, and thus injuries of varying degrees are bound to be acquired. This is because of the energy used in play, and the physicality required.
During the school inter-house games while I was in Senior one, I was the Rapinoe of my house, and no football match would take place without my presence. Growing up up-country, I was never a fan of wearing shoes while playing; it felt better doing it while bare feet, even though I knew that shoes provided some semblance of safety to my feet. During this particular football match at school, the pitch had just been marked, so the oil was still fresh, making it slippery. Doing what I did best, clearing balls and feeding the strikers, with one leg in space and the other providing additional support, I somehow managed to land on my back but promptly got up and scored 2 goals for our house. The incident didn’t seem serious to me. Come supper time, after successfully obtaining my plateful of “posho and beans”, my friend and I headed to the sitting area. It seemed like black magic at first as my bottom couldn’t reach the bench. My friend tried helping me, but all was in vain. I couldn’t make sense of the whole situation, other than informing the teacher-on-duty that I was unable to attend night preps, and went to the dormitories to rest. The next morning, as the warden passed through to wake us up for morning mass, I could barely move any part of my body below the neck. I called to my decker mate and explained to her the situation, and, with the help of 3 classmates, I was whisked off to the infirmary. It’s then that I finally connected the dots and realized that my predicament was a result of the heavy fall during the match.
And so began my bi-monthly visits to Kibuli hospital, where I would be placed under a machine with moderately intense heat for about 10 to 15 minutes, followed by a massage. I had damaged my back, thankfully it wasn’t life-threatening, but I couldn’t play or be active as I was for almost 8 months. My parents’ reaction to this was expected, they begged and urged me to quit sports and focus on academics. Meanwhile, I was just scared that I’d never be able to play again. The moment I was allowed to get rid of my walking stick, I would go to the field to watch other people play, hold the ball, and hold conversations with whoever was there. Over time, I stubbornly started playing again, but not as intensely as before at first. 6 years later, and I’ve accomplished a lot in the field. I represented my school at the regional, national, and East African level in basketball and hockey. I was on the junior lacrosse team. I played volleyball for leisure, and would be on the team had the school decided to form one. I was on the football team and eventually led it. I did short and long-distance runs and never placed below 5th in the latter. I was on my local football team back home for 5 years. I did long jumps, and threw the discus, javelin, and shot put. I captained two houses and was named sports girl of the year during my last year at school. And today, I still play and more active than ever!
What’s my point? Injuries are part and parcel of sport and dare I say, life, and all we can really do is have the right gear to protect ourselves as much as possible, and seek medical attention when the inevitable happens. I’ve witnessed a friend’s big toe being fractured and separate from her other toes, hockey players get plastered all over their faces, swollen eyes because of lacrosse balls, and many more gruesome things. But what these athletes have in common is that they get to heal, and bounce back better than before, ready to make up for the lost time. Don’t be scared away by the thought of injuries and refuse to play, you could be in the safest place in the world, arguably your bed, and still, get injured. You are strong, and with time, you’ll be so good you’ll be able to actively avoid such injuries while still playing a good game. Friends and family will try to deter you from playing and guide you towards ‘safer’ activities, but if you know what you want, you won’t let that deter you.
I won’t deny that injuries from sports can permanently affect you. I’ve watched a friend have to use a wheelchair for a lifetime because of an injury from football; I’ve watched youthful talents with their whole lives ahead of them suddenly come to an end because they fractured, broke, or tore something. We all know the trope; the best of the best, on top of the world, and suddenly, one moment causes everything to come crashing down. We don’t have control over what happens to us, but the best we can do is try to protect ourselves as much as possible. Keep in mind that you will not play forever, so don’t kill yourself in pursuit of your goals. Everyone knows that you can’t learn to ride a bike without falling a couple of times; similarly, in sport, you can’t become the best without breaking a bone (or two). Stay strong.
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