Article May 22, 2017 Issue

An athlete prays

Jordan Strong

I am an avid athlete who enjoys most sports—especially hockey, soccer, and track. Last fall, it was soccer season, and I was ready to work hard for my team and win some games. I was the captain of my team, and I felt like this was my year to start leading and to really make a difference on the soccer field.

The problem was, it seemed that whenever I would try to work especially hard, short bursts of pain would surge through one of my legs and greatly hinder my performance. When the pain first started, I tried to deal with it by taking it easy for the rest of practice and simply pushing through it. But every practice thereafter, it seemed as if I just couldn’t escape the pain. And it only seemed to increase the more I played.

I was frustrated. The words, “Please, no!” “Why me?” and “Why now? Why this season?” rushed through my head whenever I felt this pain. I had been told most of my life just to “man up” and to “get over it,” so that’s exactly what I tried to do. I willfully tried to play no matter what. Meanwhile, I just couldn’t figure out why the pain persisted.

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