Doing what you love

 

I am not retired. There. I’ve said it. Again. For about the millionth time.

Sure, I’m old enough and yes, it does seem like I’ve been around here forever. I guess since I’m no longer on the MHS football sidelines on Friday night, folks have assumed I retired.

I didn’t. You can still find me at the clinic at Cherokee. Five days a week. And although you probably won’t see me on a sidelines on a Friday night, I’m actually still out there in that arena too.

Back up a bit. To 2020 to be exact. I had announced that would be my last season at Maryville High. Even though I had tried to keep it a secret, Coach Nick White announced it after a football game that “this was Joe Black’s last time on the sidelines for a Maryville-Alcoa game.”

Uh, thanks Nick. I had hoped to just finish the season and move on. Didn’t happen.

So then this newspaper picks up on the story and runs an article about it and, well, the assumption for most of Blount County was that I was retiring. I wasn’t.

I had always said that I would quit my day job before I would give up my work on the sidelines and courtside at games but it didn’t work out that way.  I quit most of the sidelines stuff but stayed in the clinic.

There were several factors. August and September had gotten physically demanding for me. I’m pretty fit but there are a lot of candles on that birthday cake. I would get home from football practice, eat dinner, and head to bed. Too many nights.

And then there was the family piece. My lovely and tolerant wife had put up with this lifestyle for almost 40 years. She deserved more of me. And we’ve made the best of it.

I also have seven grandkids and some of them deserved more of my time. My tennis player. My football player. The artist/runner that left for college this week. The little surprise and namesake. All of them.

But you’re still going to see me show up on the sidelines from time to time. We’ve got a great staff (it’s come a long way since it was only me and Sharon Wood) but they can’t always be everywhere for everything.

That’s what happened this week. Our folks needed help covering a middle school football game this week and I jumped at the chance. I even got to take the 14 year old soccer player with me. He got to see some of what I do.

It was a gorgeous night, with just a hint of fall showing its face with cooler temperatures. And then at the end of the second play of the game, a player from the visiting team stayed down. Face down and not moving.

I’m immediately in full on emergency mode. As I reach this kid, his coach said “he’s out.” Sure enough, this young athlete was unconscious.  I checked his breathing and pulse (fine) and then, as he slowly regained consciousness, I pinned him to the ground, keeping him immobilized. That’s the protocol, which is for his protection.

It also means a spine board and ambulance ride. This is the thing parents dread.  It’s a scary moment. This 14 year old kid was frightened but calm. I felt good that he was going to be OK—he could move everything and felt OK.

As the paramedics loaded him into the ambulance, players from both teams swarmed the field and surrounded the ambulance. As they waited for the ambulance to leave, both teams took a knee for a prayer, led by the home team’s coach.

I later learned that he was doing well and was going to be discharged from hospital later that night. I’m really glad he’s going to be OK.  I’m glad I was there with the skillset to take care of him

But it also means I’m not going to retire any time soon. I still have something to offer.