Waddle As Fast As You Can!

To Do List

-Don't get a fever

-Recover so that you can walk

-Don't pass out

-Drink water

-Get sleep

Quick backstory… I do not feel that I am athletic. I am extremely competitive though in everything I do so this has frustrated me to no end. I played Field Hockey for 4 years in high school, was a captain my senior year, and cried after most games. I was never as good as I wanted to be and I forced myself to do it all 4 years because I couldn’t give up. I couldn’t lose or fail at this trial, I had to force myself to do something I wasn’t good at.

I am as stubborn as an ASS sometimes.

Summer after senior year and I get asked if I would please, please consider playing field hockey for BAC’s brand-new team. I say no. Never again will I be embarrassed on the sideline while others get to play.

How am I now today playing as a division 3 athlete you may ask?

I can’t say no… something about shame and pain I guess is sort of enticing?

Most of the weekend was comprised of me texting back and forth with the coach and athletic trainer…concussion tests and then failing them and retaking them. Videos and quizzes and signatures all the while being stressed about them discovering my insurance fiasco.

Monday morning and I am ready to go (almost). I still have to pass a sports physical exam, which I will, but its the getting that done smoothly that really stressed me out! It was 8 am and I get a text from the trainer saying that I need this and should come at 1pm to the clinic. NO Problem I say and I plan to go. Then in class I get a text that says "So the nurse practitioner isn't there today you will need to go to a urgent care."

First of all WHAT?! Secondly I DO NOT have time for this! Thirdly I WILL NOT pay for this!

She mentions insurance covering it and I panic because I'm still waiting to be put on a case worker and technically haven't solved the coverage thing. I step out of class ASAP and call the Willow Grove Urgent care.

"Hi do you see people without insurance?" I ask hopefully!

"Yeah," she responds. I do a mental "WHOOP-WHOOP!"

"How much are sports physicals?" I ask and she responds $45. Then adds as an afterthought that they never take insurance for a sports physical anyway.

She had without a doubt ever heard someone as excited about having to pay out of pocket in her life!!!! I practically screamed my thanks knowing I could now tell the trainer they don't take insurance and ask if I could please be comped. I'M LITERALLY TAKING ONE (more than one) FOR THE TEAM.

I messaged everyone I knew who was a PA and asked if they could possibly help me out which would be easier and less time. I ended up not needing them though because they called the nurse back into the BA clinic for the day- coach powers that be can pull strings I guess.

I got the physical over with and I was finally actually cleared to play by 1:30pm just a little before game time. All that panic and anxiety about them running insurance didn't happen (like I tried to tell myself).

GAME TIME:

Sometimes all you can do is waddle… the flaming red skin that angrily fights against the other side almost keeps you from running completely so you waddle. That and the racing heart and wheezing breathing. You feel like you're gonna vomit but where would it go on the turf so you can't...

Let's say the game happened and call it a day. I stepped in and did my best. I could have done better yes, but sad and glad to say I think I had more block tackles then in my entire high school field hockey career. After 2 year I was out of fockey shape but ehhh playing with the team was great.

The heat stroke and butt pain and stomach and chest pain wasn't.

Take one for the team is the Moto though right?

Moral: Try to keep the panicking at bay because things seem to work out and you don't get ratted to the authorities. Do things that scare you and you might fail at. This time around I was not as horrible as I thought I'd be, that's a lesson in itself. Take one for the team if you can... it's sometimes rewarding. Lastly, don't try to get cleared as a college athlete in less than 2 days-it's stressful and usually not possible.

ME CLEARLY IN SO MUCH PAIN...you can see my body scream through that pained smile HAHA. But it was all good fun...in the end....after I could walk...a week later:)