College athletes

I remember the days when I could run barefoot from the house, towards a last minute play-date and not have to worry about what kind of shoes to throw on. I didn’t think about how the mechanics of my run would affect my body in the long run. Nor did I wonder how the arch and fit of the shoe would affect my foot, my ankle, my knee. If I would pay for it later that night. How many games I would miss. How many mornings I would wake up aching. I never had to think first. I remember way back, before I ever felt the aches and pains that no nineteen year old should feel, but maybe a thirty or forty year old. But it’s not just me that remembers. This is bigger than just me. Remember?

Remember when Advil was an unwelcome nonessential and not a dietary staple? When taking one or two did the trick? Remember when a pick-up game was a time for fun, not a possibility of getting hurt? Remember when coaches took us out if we were hurting, because they cared more about the players than the win? Remember when doctors were merely acquaintances rather than “see you next month” buddies?

Think back, before the casts, the boot, the crutches, the brace. Remember when surgery wasn’t a quick fix, but a last resort? Remember when it wasn’t something to talk about, but something to work past so later, no one would even know? So no one could tell the difference? Remember when playing outside with our friends was all the exercise we needed? When ADD and ADHD were rare? When physical therapists actually discharged their patients? When we didn’t need to inhale corticosteroids just to breathe? When we were healthier, faster, stronger…happier?


Don’t you remember? My how times have changed.