<p>hey im a rising junior and i tore one of my knee ligaments (the mcl to be exact) last season of varsity soccer. this year i was hoping to play and my knee is in quite a lot of pain everytime i kick the ball even just lightly. so i might not be able to play. that means only 2 years of soccer. how do i explain this circumstance to the college admissions officers? i might be able to stay on the team as an injured member but that's kinda you know. weird</p>
<p>Why not just tell the truth? It's nothing to be ashamed of. </p>
<p>You could also just list soccer as an activity you pursued for two years, with no explanation of why you didn't continue. Students aren't obligated to pursue the same interest for all four years. </p>
<p>You have some extra time now since you won't be playing soccer this fall. Perhaps you could use that time to explore a new interest.</p>
<p>If you're getting a soccer scholarship, tell them. They will find out anyway.</p>
<p>I completely tore apart my ACL my sophomore year of football, right after I got back from dislocating my shoulder. If you need surgery, get into physical therapy, fight hard, and get back on the field. I had my surgery over christmas that december and played football the next year</p>
<p>last year the doctor told me not to get surgery for some reason and just phys. therapy (obviously the phys. therapy wasn't good enough). im not good enough to get a scholarship (or recruited) but competitive enough to be on a hs varsity team.</p>
<p>Well, then hit the weightroom and get out doing agility drills. And hit them HARD.</p>
<p>To be a bit Machiavellian about this your injury could be the thing that springs you into a selective college. Colleges care about character and a sense of community; this is why selective colleges look so carefully at each applicant when assembling a class. If you accept your injury with grace and without complaint that reflects well on you. Even if you can't play you can still help the team in practice, become a mentor to the younger players, be an enthusiastic source on the sideline at games, scout opponents, and so on. A letter of rec from your coach admiring how you handled this setback could be just the thing that catches the eye of an adcom; they know you will have setbacks in college and in life, and this is a chance to demonstrate you will handle them with aplomb.</p>
<p>That would be an interesting article to read for those of you with injuries. Be careful with what you do; don't hurt yourself just so you can have soccer on your college app. I'm sure that colleges understand that pepole with injured knees can't continue plaing soccer...</p>
<p>Well, his doctor told him all he needed was physical therapy.</p>
<p>There was no possible way I could play football after I tore my ACL in two. It just wouldn't hold up</p>
<p>Stay on as a manager maybe?</p>
<p>and let me add to my earlier comments that if you decide to stay on the team hoping (in part or to a large degree) that it will lead to a glowing rec from the coach, you need to keep this motivation to yourself. If the coach hears of this either directly or indirectly it will backfire because nobody wants to feel like they're being used. So this means don't mention it to the coach, to your friends, not even just to your best friend who is sworn to secrecy. Let your actions speak for themselves.</p>
<p>thank you for all your insightful comments. i was thinking of staying on the team as a manager or something useful to the team. i strongly think my doctor was mistaken/underestimated the situtation last year. even though it seemed only a minor tear in the acl&mcl, i don't think the pain should persist after a almost a YEAR of therapy/self exercises. pre-season starts in a couple of weeks and im kinda disappointed/mad. i think i'll have to talk to my coach first of all.</p>
<p>mikemac: thanks for the great advice
anonymouse: great article, though a depressing one</p>
<p>Definitely stay on the team, it shows dedication and grace. When I fractured my knee cap last soccer season I continued to travel with my team and supported them from the bench. It's also kind of fun and keeps you close to the team. </p>
<p>And please please be careful with your knees. I played soccer for 14 years and am still paying for all the stuff I put my knees through and probably will forever. Don't play before you're ready and give it time to heal. You don't want to play on an injured knee and hurt it more. Also, fully accept you might never play the same again, if at all. Knee injuries are serious business.</p>
<p>lilfeisgood360, thanks for the kind words, but you may not be so pleased with me when you read what I write next :( Handling unpleasant situations with grace is admirable; what I should have added is that it is seldom easy. You write
[quote]
i strongly think my doctor was mistaken/underestimated the situtation last year. even though it seemed only a minor tear in the acl&mcl, i don't think the pain should persist after a almost a YEAR of therapy/self exercises. pre-season starts in a couple of weeks and im kinda disappointed/mad.
[/quote]
You're entirely right to feel this way; many people would vent their frustration in even stronger terms. HS is flying by and the year you lose playing is a year you won't get back. So what's the beef?</p>
<p>People who accept setbacks without complaint are admired (if rare). How often have you read about a person who suffered some injury or injustice and doesn't complain. We admire those people, partly for the resolve and inner strength they show, and because we know how difficult it is to grin and bear it. Here's a quote or two
[quote]
For the last five seasons, Floyd "Pork Chop" Womack, 27, has been the ultimate teammate. When Jones held out in 2002, '03 and '04, Womack moved from guard to left tackle in training camp and the exhibition seasons, knowing that even though it was helping the team, it was restricting his growth. Knowing that when the season began Pro Bowler Jones would return and reclaim his job.</p>
<p>Womack never complained. He kept working to get better.
[/quote]
[quote]
STANFORD -- Robert D. Hess, the Lee L. Jacks Professor Emeritus of Child Education, died of Lou Gehrig's disease at Stanford University Hospital on June 30. He was 73.</p>
<p>As Hess became increasingly ill, "I think he showed his true character," a personal friend said. "He became so much more open to other people, more generous. His priorities shifted from work to family. Integrity -- it's so rare these days. He had it -- in his professional and his private life." According to his daughter, Alyssa Reit, "He never complained --- it's pretty amazing, but he never complained about his illness or his past. He was always very much in the present with people."
[/quote]
So what I'm suggesting is there's another way to handle setbacks and dissapointments. It's with taking ownership and control, keeping your disappointment private. I'm not going to claim I'm an example here; but you can be better than me :) And stoicism in public doesn't mean that you're a pushover or passive. The test is to ask yourself "can this person change things if I complain?". So you're perfectly entitled to go back to the doctor and say you're not satisfied with the way your knee is after doing all the PT, what will they do next? If need be, see another doctor. The doctor/clinic can change things with your knee. The coach, your friends, and those of us out here is cyberspace cannot.</p>
<p>What I'm suggesting is a difficult standard, you don't have to do it and you might even reasonably decide you don't want to. But there's a difference in how your coach will see you with the following 2 conversations:</p>
<p>Example A: Coach, I did everything the doc and PT asked and I still can't play. I strongly think my doctor was mistaken/underestimated the situtation last year. The knee still hurts and it shouldn't after a year! But I want to stay with the team and help out. Can I be a manager or help out in some other way?</p>
<p>Example B: Coach, I did all the PT exercises, but I can't play because my knee is still so painful. I'm going to see the doctor again and find out what it will take to get this fixed for good. But I don't think I'll be ready to play this season if I need surgery or more PT, so can I be a manager or help out in some other way?</p>
<p>wow. thanks for your insight mikemac! why on earth would i be not pleased?! i should be truly thankful =) i had never thought about my attitude towards the problem and yeah i guess it's a challenge but i'll try my best. example B is the way to go. thank you again</p>
<p>LIFEISGOOD - you should consider having your knee re-assessed - especially if you continue to have pain and/or any limited movement of the joint. It certainly sounds as tho your injury may have been underdiagnosed/misdiagnosed. Don't be a martyr to yourself for the sake of any sport - you could be injured further and pay a bigger price in the long run. ACL/MCL injuries are easily misdiagnosed - hope you are evaluated by an orthopedist - especially a sports med one.</p>
<p>Many a coach would be thrilled to have a manager to help out - and be the teams biggest ra-ra too :)</p>
<p>Good luck :)</p>