Competitive Soccer

[hernanu]

It's the little stabilizing muscles that control the ball and position you for the next move. It's why it's a nice exercise, and gives you an idea of how much work the smaller muscles need as compared to the large ones.

You're getting your character actors into shape, letting the divas sit in the audience.

[chuckm]

Made my return yesterday. Played the last 25 minutes of a 90 minute match. I was strong and quick despite holding back quite a bit. Today I have NO PAIN or soreness in my new hip.

If anyone is wondering if the device is strong enough...the first five minutes I absorbed one of the worst types of contact. While carrying the ball a defender missed his tackle and snaked my operated leg right out making me airborne and landing on the operated hip. I jumped right up. My teammates were silent wondering if I was OK. I just ran back to my position and casually said "I'm fine guys". And I was.

Playing central mid I was one of the fitter players on the pitch. At one point I was able to get up the field fast enough to take a chance on goal from a cross on the ground. I shot with the operated leg. Had I not been so tentative I would have buried it but instead I went for power and blasted it a foot high over the crossbar from top of the box.

My comeback has been faster than expected. At three months post op (per my surgeon) I began non-impact strengthening and conditioning. I kept track of all the walking and exercising and just kept increasing the level incrementally. Not once  during this phase did I ever have a day where I thought I did too much too soon. The leg was responding to every increase. After 6 weeks of that I began light soccer playing with friends. My footwork for that was comparable to a person playing doubles tennis so I had no fears. But two weeks into that I realized my leg was back.

So yesterday I jumped back into competitive soccer and was perfectly successful. Thanks Hernanu for all the "soccer specific" advice.

Chuckm

[hernanu]

Welcome Chuck. It's a real joy to get back to the field fully.

The 25 minutes will grow, a lot of that is just being able return to (non-hip) fitness. As you know, that takes playing, nothing else gets you back.

Sounds like your sprinting is in good shape if you were able to shake loose from center mid for a shot. The tentativeness goes, that shot will be in next time.

You're at six months (about), so the neck fracture danger is pretty well past. Tackles and bumps are a major part of the game; I actually worry much more about knees than hips now.

Good luck and keep it up.

[evant]

Chuck

As an ex soccer player I believe your recovery to be simply stunning.

I've no doubt you've worked very hard for it so you definitely deserve it.

Stay strong.

Look forward to hearing of your first full 90 minutes and your first goal.

[chuckm]

Thanks guys.

Even more stunning, after having played soccer Sunday I went for a brisk three and a half mile walk/jog on Monday. Today is Tuesday and I still have no discomfort.

Absolutely amazing surgery.

Chuckm

[chuckm]

More over-30 league soccer this past Sunday. I know I like reading this kind of stuff when others post it so here is some stuff about my match this weekend.

Last match two weeks ago was against some bottom feeder team but this week was against a good team with some real players. Some ex national players from Trinidad and Tobago, D1 college etc.

Unlike the last match, I was really nervous going in to this match. The pace was very fast and it was physical. I entered 30 minutes in the first half as the starting central mids were exhausted. First thing that happened when I got in there was one of their central defenders ambitiously began to carry the ball out of the back to try and shoot past our midfield with his fast pace. But, his second touch was a bit heavy and the ball got a bit ahead of him. At full speed I went to ground on my operated side and delivered a two-footed tackle. I had been watching Liverpool vs Everton earlier that morning and I think Steven Gerrard would have been proud of my tackle! Then I got closed down with the ball at midfield with my back to my goal. The ball was on my left foot and I had one quick chance to be successful. The one option I had was to deliver the ball across field to my defender side using the outside of my foot on the operated side! It worked! And it didn't hurt.

But, my legs started getting rubbery shortly after that and I was thinking "Uh Oh, maybe I just over did it?" The pace of the game seemed just too fast. My throat began to burn a bit too from the heavy breathing. Somehow though I made it to the end of the half.

Second half I was watching from bench. Within 15 minutes the manager was calling my number to go in but I refused. I was still feeling a bit weak and unsure. Well, 5 minutes later one of our midfielders went down with an injury. I went in reluctantly.

This time though, my breathing was better. So I pushed the pace a bit. I really got going and made an overlap run around my outside midfielder. At this point I really had forgotten about my hip because the game was getting pretty intense. I found myself with the ball at one point facing up a player in the attack. I feinted right and pushed the ball left (totally forgetting this would require and explosive push from my operated hip). Well, right away it looked and felt like it was going to be a total fail because I just couldn't seem to convince my brain to do the action needed. But as the defender starting to gain position between me and the ball, out of nowhere, competitive juices began to flow and I was able to salvage my move with a powerful lunge that got me to poke the ball to my (now open forward because of that move) teammate for a great chance at goal.

After the game and even today my hip feels great. I have other joints that are sore but not my new hip. I have another match in two weeks so I'll keep you updated.

Chuckm

[hernanu]

Good stuff, chuck. I think (and my PT told me this) that we have to retrigger some muscle memory. I know several here in different sports had to do that, just see where we're in need as we go.

Great writeup and entertaining - keep it up.

[evant]

Chuck

You've missed your vocation as a sports journalist.

Great fun to read.

Can the midfielder 'Chuck' score in the next gripping installment!

Good luck, and always take care of that lovely new hip.

[chuckm]

Thanks event.

If my next post waits until "chuck" the midfielder scores it could be awhile and I was never that good at writing fiction stories. But I'll do my best to please just to keep the story moving. Mothers Day is next Sunday so my next shot is in two weeks against another team already facing relegation with no wins yet.

Chuckm

[chuckm]

That's "evant" not event. Sorry, spell check just tried it again on this post but I caught it.

[evant]

No worries with the spelling - it's easily done.

The main thing with your soccer is that you're able to play again - I just find that quite amazing and really uplifting because I understand the level of fitness required and the demands on your body during a game.

Scoring a goal in your particular situation doesn't seem so important in the overall scheme of things, however, having your social / sporting life back with your mates (and the knock-on positive affect in other aspects of your life) does seem to be the key thing to me.

[chuckm]

A welcome setback! Playing friendly 8 v 8 with a regular weekly crew. I was really feeling good and starting to see the old step coming back when wham! Hamstring stain on the good leg! You gotta be kidding me! Well, maybe it was because I'm still favoring the op leg more than I realize.

Well, it was so slight that it was more like a tightening up than a strain. So I kept playing for another hour but avoided any sprinting. What a pleasure to know that my new hip is no longer the my weakest part. Having the new hip take over for the other hip was flawless and I actually forgot about it for the most of the time.

Chuckm

[hernanu]

Cool stuff, chuck. It is fine to realize that the hip is becoming fully integrated and just a part of you again, instead of what every other part of your body has to support.

[evant]

Good news that no harm done to your new hip and that, as you say, it isn't the weakest part of your body anymore.

Maybe you can rest the body from soccer now?

The season is coming to an end in Europe, or do you continue through the summer where you are?

[chuckm]

Thanks evant. It's the side of my body that didn't get a new hip that will need a rest. I have moderate OA on that side (at least it was moderate the last time of x-ray which was six months ago in the hospital getting my new hip). The new hip side feels great after playing.

We still have six weeks left in the first half of our season here. We play a spring to fall season that has about seven weeks off for summer. A few years back we tried to play fall to spring but the winters would force too long a layoff so there was not enough continuity.

Chuckm

[ericrbaker]

Play soccer almost every day with 20 and 30 somethings...sometimes as much as 4 hours in a day...outdoor and indoor...no problems whatsoever other than, as my son who got a full-ride college scholarship to play soccer says, "...you run way more than anyone on the field...but still s*** at soccer."  Oh well...started playing in my 30's...now 60.  Before playing soccer...and not sure any doctor would advise this...but after a few months of rehab, I started daily sprinting 200 yards 10 times.  In between each sprint I walk 200 yards.  Other than getting bruises and gashes etc. from getting kicked, have had no injuries to my legs in the last 3 years.

[chuckm]

Fantastic! That was brave regularly sprint after only a few months. I got running hard at about 5 months.

Where is this perfect place that you can play soccer almost every day???

Chuckm