Ready and Able

 

I’ve gotten soft in my old age. I mean, I’ve always been a pretty emotional guy—It’s just gotten worse.

Forget Marley and Me—I’ll often get all emotional because the underdog wins, or the couple made for each other get together. 

I had an episode recently where a young athlete that I’ve gotten close to injured her knee.  She had already been here for long rehab on one knee, only to injure the other one.  I was off that afternoon but came back to examine her knee.

When I walked into our reception area, where she sat distraught, it was all I could do to keep from crying with her.  Truth be known, I did choke up quite a bit and maybe leaked a little bit of tears.

One of the things about physical therapists and athletic trainers (and occupational therapists and speech therapists too) is that we really care about our patients.  And we get quite close to them as well.

Even a surgeon might see a patient just a handful of times, but in rehab, we may see them three times a week for several weeks.  We have more opportunity to really get to know our patients and our athletes. 

I was working a soccer match recently when one of our players was injured.  This happened just a few feet in front of me, and from his scream, I knew it was bad.

I jumped up and didn’t wait for the referee to signal me onto the field.  I was there within seconds of the injury, assessing the situation, and quickly deciding that he had a serious injury. 

Athletic Trainers and Sports Physical Therapists prepare for that moment.  We hate it and when one of our athletes gets hurt, we hurt too. But we are trained to know what to do, we quickly go in emergency care mode, and do what is necessary to protect the athlete and make almost instantaneous decisions.

For this young soccer player, it was clear what to do—immobilize him and call for an ambulance.  All of our schools have an Emergency Action Plan (EAP) and put that into action once an injury calls for it.

First and foremost, we make sure the athlete is stabilized. We either call 911 or have someone trusted to make the call, making sure that they tell the operator that we have a medical emergency and that we will need transport to the hospital.

When it is an event where we have student trainers, the EAP is automatic.  Everyone knows what to do and everyone has a job.  We send someone to direct the ambulance to the entrance and to where they can park to best do the job. We inform the parents of what is going on.

If the injury requires splinting or special equipment, we’ve got that with us.  All of our folks carry a complete array of things we might need, including an AED. 

We work hard to be prepared, to anticipate every contingency, and to execute the plan that is in the best interest of the injured athlete.  School officials understand and cooperate.  Game officials understand and wait patiently. Fans and parents do what they can—pray and hope for a good outcome.

It’s the worst part of the job and yet it’s the most essential part of the job. We practice regularly to be good at what we do. We want to be ready and able.

For the Teens in the House

 

I know there aren’t many teenagers reading this. It’s mostly old folks like me.

After it’s published in The Daily Times, I share it on social media, but again, the readers are generally older.  That’s OK.

Maybe it trickles down. I hope so.

I know I’ve had a lot of people through the years that told me that they sent it on to their grandkids or saved it for their kids. 

Today is a pass-it-down column. I know my audience but I hope it reaches a younger generation, specifically teenagers and especially teenage athletes.

Don’t settle.  In sports, in relationships, in life.  Ever.  You’re stuck on the bench—don’t accept that as the best you can do. Find out what you can do to get better, to get more playing time. Pay the price and don’t give anything less than your best.

Aim high. My kids and my grandkids will tell you, “can’t never did do nothing.” That quote came from my Dad and I’ve repeated it often. 

Dream big, bodacious dreams.  If you don’t dream it, you can’t achieve it. Don’t limit yourself to only what you think you can do. 

I’ll get personal here for a bit. I came from a small town with parents who had to work hard. Don’t get me wrong—I never went hungry and I was never cold from an unheated house. 

But I also didn’t have people around me (other than my mother, and she doesn’t count) that told me that I could make a difference, yet, somehow, I dreamed of changing the world.

Maybe that world is the one you can reach out and touch. Maybe it is the community where you live. Or your state. Or your country.  I’ve been able to change some things, however small and seemingly insignificant, on so many levels. If I hadn’t dreamed it, I couldn’t have done it.

Be kind.  Nothing can truly change the world without it. They say “no good deed goes unpunished,” but I say no good deed goes unrewarded.  Kindness to strangers, kindness to those difficult to be kind to, kindness in every situation—you may not see or feel the reward, and you may not change someone else with your kindness, but your reward comes in the adult you will become. And the positive influence you will have.

Have courage.  Maybe that means speaking in front of a group. Maybe it means asking that special person out on a date. Do it. You won’t regret it.

Make friends with the kid that’s different or maybe the one who doesn’t seem to have friends. You will get more out of that than they will. You will become a better person because of it. And when you’re old and grey, you’ll be glad you did that.

I know that I’m just some old guy but, just like your parents, if you’re paying attention, if you listen more than you talk, and if you’re honest about yourself, you gain some wisdom with all those years. 

So, take it from me—be the best version of you.  That’s it. That’s the whole game.

Ode to Teachers

 

This week is Teacher's Week in Joe's column.  Last week I wrote about Coaches.  Not long ago, I wrote about teachers, coaches, and Scout leaders. 

 Today, it’s the teacher’s turn.

Mrs. Betty Swiney was one of my kindergarten teachers.  She and Mrs. Ross. Do you ever have a name pop up and then you think of a one word memory of that person? When I think about Mrs. Swiney, the word "safe." pops up.  She made us feel safe, most of us doing something outside our own home for the first time.

First grade was Mrs. Turner--she and her husband were great friends of my parents.  Her 6’8” husband and my 5’6” dad until the day they died.  I always thought that I got special treatment because of that but after talking to others many years later, I realized that she made everyone in her class feel that way.

Mrs. Limburg was one that made us want to go to school, even though recess was my personal favorite subject. Other names escape me. Mrs. Johns in 4^th grade was the mother of a classmate. Mrs. Cantrell in the 5^th grade was special and could read our minds.

Schools integrated when I went into the 7th grade and, for the first time, we switched classes.  Mr. Archer was our favorite and years later, we were friends as adults. Both his sons were in my Sunday School class many years later. 

In the 8th grade, the principal, Mr. Rothwell taught us science. His daughter Ann and I grew up together and remain friends, as were our parents. I loved Mr. Rothwell but he wouldn't hold back if I was getting out of line. Mrs. Galyon was our Social Sciences teacher and was definitely old school.  It's interesting that I don't remember her first name but I remember her husband's first name.  It was Stanley.

High school was a mix of football, girlfriend, time with great friends, and a little bit of the academic side.  School was easy for me and I didn’t always focus like I should. I guess “A’s” came too easy for me.

Mrs. Marcus taught both freshman science and sophomore biology.  She was awesome.  Ms. Wattenbarger (sophomore English) was really good but I remember most fondly her student teacher, who had been a track star at UT and had us break down and analyze popular music like The Beatles’ “Revolution” and “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.”  Unorthodox, but it clicked with me. I discovered poetry in the most unlikely of places. 

My favorite in high school was Mrs. Smith who taught Chemistry and Physics.  Her daughter Suzie was in my class and, for maybe the first time, somebody recognized that maybe I had a brain after all.

Edward Headlee (later Dr. Headlee and School Superintendent) was our senior English teacher and probably more responsible than anyone else for 40 years of this column.  I can still recite parts of 17^th century Beowulf, spoken in old English.

The path of our life is determined by those teachers. Good teachers teach more than sentence structure and chemical formulas. Good teachers invest their lives in the development of somebody else’s children.  They aren’t paid well and rarely get the accolades or appreciation that they so richly deserve.

So, if you get a chance to look up one of your old teachers, or if you happen to run into them somewhere along the way, tell them. Tell them of what they meant to you. Tell them how your life turned out.

Trust me, it will mean the world to them.

Coaches Make A Difference

 

I recently ran into a young man that I hadn’t seen in a very long time. He came up to me at an event at The Clayton Center and for a moment, I didn’t know who he was.  When he spoke his name, I knew immediately who he was.  He really hadn’t changed that much in the 20 or so years since I had last seen him.

He was an outstanding athlete growing up, eventually being on the track team in college.  He has a family, a career, and is a contributing member of society.

Way back then, he played on a travel basketball team that I coached. He actually played on that team for several years. 

When my kids were growing up, I coached pretty much everything they played. I’ve written about that here before.  Basketball, football, baseball, soccer, softball. 

I mentioned before that I had restarted the Blount Stars travel basketball program that Charlie Finley and Tom Ware had operated many years before. It was on one of those teams that this young man played.

But here’s the point of all this—he called his wife and son over and introduced me. He said “this was my Coach growing up.”  I’m not sure I deserved the title “Coach,” but for a moment, I was proud that he saw me that way.  It is an admirable profession.

I also recently received a letter from another young man from that era.  He had played both basketball and football for teams that I coached or helped coach. He had recently received his Ph.D. and wrote a meaningful (to me) letter about those days.

Quoting from that letter:  “I wanted to write to you and let you know of the massive and positive effect you had on my life and my career….in addition to learning how to compete and win, you helped your players learn how to be young men.”

Wow! I had no idea.  That means more to me than any award I have ever received.

Most people don’t think of me as Coach, and my coaching career was short, basically only while my own kids were growing up.  I’m always Joe, or to a few, Dr. Black, but those two episodes made some things very clear to me.

One, we have no idea what kind of impact that we are having on others. You never know who is watching you, learning how to behave, how to act, how to treat people.

Two, coaches (and teachers—more on that next week) have a profound influence on our young people.  Coaches change lives. I’ve told the story here many times about Coach Ratledge, my high school coach, and the influence he had on me.

Three, we have a responsibility to be good people, to be good role models, to live a life of integrity, empathy, authenticity, and accountability.  Regardless of how insignificant you might think your life is, somebody is watching and learning. All they want is to grow up to be like you.

Behave accordingly, please. The world needs that.

Preventing ACL Injuries

 

I’ve got some good news and some bad news.  Which do you want first?

OK. The bad news. Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injuries continue to occur—at an alarming rate. The statistics just don’t seem to get any better.  There are over 250,000 ACL injuries ever year.

Athletes are at a much higher risk, being involved in over 10 times more ACL injuries than non-athletes.  And even among non-athletes, the person injured is likely to be participating in some sort of physical activity.

Females are between 7 and 9 times more frequent with ACL injuries.  Factors affecting that include physical differences between males and females with females having a wider pelvis and a greater Q-angle at the knee, different hormonal changes, maybe a later start in sports and definitely a later start in weight training.

There are just a few of the possible factors and there is definitely no consensus.  I list these things because that is my opinion—an opinion based on 48 years of clinical practice and a lifetime of clinical research.

The most common mechanism is when you plant your foot and suddenly change directions.  Football, basketball, and soccer are generally the biggest culprits, but part of that may be due to the higher participation rates in those sports in this country.

More bad news—research tells us that if you have one ACL injury, you are 15 times more likely to develop a second ACL injury, in that knee or the other one.

By now, you’re probably asking what the good news might be.

Ah…the good news.  The good news is that there are a lot of things that you can do to prevent ACL injuries.  Nothing is a sure thing but studies have shown that effective intervention programs can cut that incident rate by as much as half. 

That might not seem too profound, but if you’re in the good half, you like those odds.

So, what can you do? First, encourage all children to be physically active from an early age.  Encourage weight training once they reach puberty. Eat healthy and sleep well.

And see a Sports Physical Therapist. You see, those biomechanical issues can be addressed.  Weak hip musculature, particularly for external rotation, can be a huge factor. Foot biomechanics, or the way the foot hits the ground, can be massive.

The Sports PT is trained in biomechanics and is the movement experts, and those two arenas are where you can make the biggest impact in preventing ACL injuries.

An analysis by the Sports PT can serve as the foundation for training and moving forward. Areas that can be addressed include jump landing, core strength, and resolution of other mechanical issues that can contribute to a breakdown in the kinetic chain, too often manifesting as that dreaded ACL injury.

Prevention isn’t easy and it requires dedication and a commitment to ongoing attention to all the details, but doing so might help you avoid an ACL tear. 

And that’s definitely a good thing. 

Tell them today...

 

I’ve attended too many funerals lately. No…that’s not right. Funerals are something that we do to honor those that have died. It’s not an obligation. It’s a sign of respect.

If you live long enough, you’re going to find that this is something you do more and more. I know I fight the notion, but I am old and, hopefully, getting older, so I find myself attending those things.

Each of us grieve in our own way. Some public, some private. Funerals, to me, are more about those left behind. The family. The spouse.

I counted up recently how many times I’ve been back to my hometown.  Of the 10 or so times I could remember, only a couple were for anything but a funeral.

I missed the funeral of my high school football coach, Coach Bert “Chig” Ratledge. I was traveling. Same thing for Dr. Gary Dutton, another football coach and mentor.

I was able to see both of them not long before they died, and they knew very clearly how important they were to my life and my successes.  They both always told me they were proud of me. I don’t think they could understand how important that was to me. 

And that’s lesson number one for today. Tell those that have been important to you, at whatever stage in life they were present, what that meant to you.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again—teachers and coaches have a profound influence on who we are, who we become, even how we see the world.  I was blessed to have many of those in my life.

Always, those coaches.  Mrs. Smith, my physics and chemistry teacher. Dr. Barrett, English teacher at UT.  Dr. Ed Headlee, senior English teacher at my high school and Explore Post director. Ruth Mulvaney, my favorite teacher in PT school.

My little Daddy.  Quiet. Uneducated. Hard working. He taught me to love education.  He taught me to aspire to be a better man. He instilled in me integrity, trustworthiness, and dependability.

Those Boy Scout leaders, too many to mention. I wish I could remember which one of them selected me at 12 to be a Patrol Leader of a new patrol, because that is what set me on my path of leadership.

That opportunity taught me the value of teamwork, that you lead from the front, that the team is greater than its parts.  It taught me that leadership was all about service to others, even though we never expressed it that way. The concept of “servant leader” was to come along much later.

The Boy Scout motto: Be prepared. The Boy Scout slogan—Do a good turn daily.  I can still recite the Boy Scout Law. A Boy Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, reverent.

The Boy Scout oath: “On my honor, I will do my best….” If you know, you know.

Tell somebody today that you love them. Tell those that have made a difference in your life how much you appreciate them and what they did for you. It might be your last chance.

The Demise of the Team

 

You might have figured out that I’m a sports fan. Not like, always watching it on TV or knowing the statistics of favorite players. Like, I believe in the value of sports and how important they can be in personal development.

Oh, I’ll watch my Clemson Tigers when they’re on TV and I like to keep up with how my friend Alan Hardin’s Texas Longhorns are doing. Or Randall Cobb’s team when he was playing.

I can’t tell you who all the players are on any team and goodness knows I’m not going to be listening to sports radio shows.  But I believe in the value of sports. 

I wanted my kids to be athletes yet I never cared much what games they played—they just had to play something.  That’s pretty much the same thing with their kids. 

You’ve heard it before—lessons learned on the fields of strife and all that.  Life lessons.  Lessons about how to be coached.  Lessons learned from seeing the results of good effort.

Lessons learned from being on a team.

Anybody that knows me knows that I’m an especially huge fan of high school sports, particularly football.  There is really nothing like it.  Playing for the love of the game. Representing your school, your community.

At a lot of places, your high school team is made up of kids that you grew up with.  Friends that you’ve had since t-ball or biddy league.  That sort of thing.

That makes it extra special. There is a different kind of love in the love for your teammates.  I still have friends from high school football. Lonnie Hawkins. Mike Bivens. Greg Cagle. Ricky Alexander. Gordo Watson. I visited with JL Millsaps the Tuesday before he died on Saturday of ALS.  People that I might not see often but that I still feel a closeness, a brotherhood if you will.

But sports are changing. NIL money. The portal. The money seems to be driving everything.  The best team money can buy.

Yeah, that’s the college game right now, but it’s just a matter of time until it hits the high schools (and yes, I do know that some high school athletes get NIL money).

Now, don’t get me wrong—I’m not against college players getting paid something. I can remember one of my son’s teammates at Clemson. We saw him coming out of a store empty handed once and asked him if everything was OK.  He said he was just inside paying on the lay-away on a computer.

I remember lay-away. That was what you did when you wanted to buy something but didn’t have enough to pay for it. You would pay a bit at a time until you had paid enough in that they let you take it home.

Nick had it better than most. I always made sure he had spending money. Many of his teammates didn’t have that kind of support system. They couldn’t afford to go out to eat with their buddies.

So yes, pay them.

But millions?  And the opportunity to leave a school at any time and transfer to the highest bidder? It’s gonna kill the game as we know it. 

And one of the things that is suffering?  The team. When TV announcers need a scoresheet to list all the places somebody has played, it’s sad to me. No loyalty. No team. A sad day indeed.