Ghost Exit Speeds

[Westwind]

When we would pick her up after practices or games she would always have an ice pack saran wrapped to her back. She was seeing the trainer constantly. A lot of players were. She made it sound normal that everyone was seeing the trainers. She downplayed the pain. We chalked it up to minor aches and pains from all the hard workouts and full out practices to try to win a starting spot as an underclassman. She has always given effort beyond normal and we were quite used to her overdoing everything.

Turns out she was grinding through enormous pain. (The doctors were later all shocked at how much damage she had done without being subjected to trauma like a car crash.) There were times she would be sprinting in practice to field a ball in the outfield and fall down. She didn't know why. The outfield coach didn't bother to find out why a gazelle suddenly couldn't run. She instead screamed at her to get up as if she fell on purpose. It seemed to anger the coach. That kind of incident happened more than once by the way.

We should have paid more attention. We should have insisted on medical attention such as MRI's.

I now know that college athletes hide and minimize injuries. They are afraid of losing their spot. They are afraid they won't travel with the team. Probably 100 other reasons. I now know that college coaches also minimize injuries and have athletes engage in activities prohibited by the injury report. They rush athletes back from injuries. Some college programs are rather unhealthy and toxic environments. You can try to explain all that to parents of recruited athletes but they think the school their kid is going to will not be that way. They don't believe you. They cannot wrap their heads around the toxicity of the environment their daughter may be in to play the sport they love. I don't think most of these kids start telling the stories until later. Mine didn't. The story doesn't seem to change. Only the names change.

 

[DGoggin]

Deflated disks and bone on bone in facet joints. Has a procedure called "ablation therapy" every six months in order to be able to walk, sit and sleep without pain. Her college town has a pain management physician/researcher who has helped her immeasurably but she is pretty much a 21 year old with a permanently debilitating injury.

I am so sorry to hear this.

 

[DGoggin]

When we would pick her up after practices or games she would always have an ice pack saran wrapped to her back. She was seeing the trainer constantly. A lot of players were. She made it sound normal that everyone was seeing the trainers. She downplayed the pain. We chalked it up to minor aches and pains from all the hard workouts and full out practices to try to win a starting spot as an underclassman. She has always given effort beyond normal and we were quite used to her overdoing everything.

Turns out she was grinding through enormous pain. (The doctors were later all shocked at how much damage she had done without being subjected to trauma like a car crash.) There were times she would be sprinting in practice to field a ball in the outfield and fall down. She didn't know why. The outfield coach didn't bother to find out why a gazelle suddenly couldn't run. She instead screamed at her to get up as if she fell on purpose. It seemed to anger the coach. That kind of incident happened more than once by the way.

We should have paid more attention. We should have insisted on medical attention such as MRI's.

I now know that college athletes hide and minimize injuries. They are afraid of losing their spot. They are afraid they won't travel with the team. Probably 100 other reasons. I now know that college coaches also minimize injuries and have athletes engage in activities prohibited by the injury report. They rush athletes back from injuries. Some college programs are rather unhealthy and toxic environments. You can try to explain all that to parents of recruited athletes but they think the school their kid is going to will not be that way. They don't believe you. They cannot wrap their heads around the toxicity of the environment their daughter may be in to play the sport they love. I don't think most of these kids start telling the stories until later. Mine didn't. The story doesn't seem to change. Only the names change.

Thank you for sharing. This is important for parents to read so that they can be aware and look for these things. I know what you mean about wanting to play - my daughter sees it all the time in HS - they are all nursing something or another and many shouldn’t play but do at times. It is a shame that coaches don’t look for that and manage it better - only play when 100pct.

 

[Westwind]

Thanks- at some point I’ll write it all up. I’m getting closer to being ready to do it.