by Dee Schneider

Created on: September 26, 2008

HA HA HA HA HA HA HAAAAA HAAA......Sorry, allow me to compose myself...

If indeed there is a sure fire way of avoiding soccer injuries, I wish someone had told me the details a few years back !

As I write this, I am still feeling numbness and pain throughout my left shoulder.

Let me Recreate the moment:

It was the middle of the soccer season, and I had just returned from a snapped ankle ligament that I sustained during the first match of the season (but hey, that's another story)....

I was playing in my usual position of Centreback - this was a position that had been selected for me as I tended to have talent when it came to tackling and clearing the ball, and wasn't afraid of taking out the opposition if need be.

I had just pushed up to the half way mark as we were making ground towards our goal....suddenly a pass was intercepted, and the ball was chipped over the back rows heads.

Their striker took off from her mark like a whippet....thankfully I have a bit of pace when needed also.

I chased her down and stamped my authority. Just as I cut her off and took control of the ball (we were still running flat chat towards her goal), she clipped my ankle from behind.

Now...I have had many, many spills during my soccer career - you see there is a technique involved in falling to help you get right back up again...that is to take the spill, round your shoulders, tuck your head in and hit the deck rolling...if this goes according to plan, you should just summersault and jump back up again, shake your head and off you go !
This time, it didn't go according to plan.

As I was falling, I knew what to do - so I rounded my shoulders and got ready to hit the ground - but - the girl who had tripped me, was also falling - to stop herself she put her hands up....she placed them squarely on the centre of my back and pushed off of me to balance herself.....I hit the ground at an alarming pace, carrying not only my own weight and momentum, but that of the opposition player. To make the situation far worse, it hadn't rained in months and the ground was like cement.

CRUNCH....................................... .....ARHHHHGGGGGGGGG !

I knew straight away that I had broken my shoulder, so did the goalie who felt sick when she heard the break.

Four years, two surgeries, one metal plate, and six pins later.....I am still having trouble with the nerve damage sustained and movement to my shoulder.

So forgive me for laughing at the mere suggestion that you can avoid soccer injuries - if that is your

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