**** Warning: No photos, but some icky descriptions below... *********









Okay, I warned you!!
As you may or may not know, Kelly and I are both avid soccer players. We play indoor three nights a week year-round and outdoor whenever the weather's above freezing.

Last night in our indoor match, the opposing keeper went out to clear the ball. Kicked with his right foot and then somehow planted on that foot as well. Foot slipped, knee hyperextended. He was on the ground screaming for awhile. I've been there, that's no fun. Knee swells up like a water balloon. They carried him off and got him some ice.

That was the first half. 2nd half starts and about 5 min in I'm in goal (I'm a keeper), their player is dribbling down towards me. Our defender is right with him, they're jockeying for the ball. Ball squirts free and out of the corner of my eye (I'm watching the ball move away from that play) I see their feet get tangled up. Our guy falls over sideways and rolls. Their guy stumbles and falls backwards...with his foot underneath him. Everybody on the field heard it...sounded like a baseball bat wrapped in a wet towel as his leg snapped. Broke it completely, looked like right above the right ankle. He rolls over onto his stomach screaming this horrible high-pitched wail, and he's got his knee bent so that his foot is up in the air. At first I didn't notice it, but then when I looked I realized that his foot was kind of off to the side of his leg and not pointing the right direction any more. BLEAH!!!!!

So the remainder of our game was pretty much cancelled while we waited for the paramedics to come take care of him. Kelly used to be an EMT, so she stayed with the poor guy and held his hand and helped keep his leg steady until the medicos got there.

The team that played after that needed a keeper, so I stayed for an extra match. Good match, lots of fun.

Following that another match started. I was taking off my shinguards and talking to some of my buddies from the other team and watching the new game start. Girl on one of the teams goes into the corner after the ball, keeper comes out to clear it away, they get tangled up. Heard the pop of her ACL blowing from 30 feet away. She's laying on the ground screaming. I had to get home, so didn't wait around to see the paramedics come back for that one.

Mind you, this is an over-30 recreational league. We all know each other and for the most part play really low-key. We're all just out there to get some exercise. It's been probably five years since I"ve seen a serious injury at this place, and now three in one night, all just freak injuries that could happen at any time! Good grief!!!