Broken Ankle--Jazmine

Growing up soccer had always been a family sport. My grandpa taught me since i was
able to walk. I mainly played AYSO until about middle school then i joined a club team that i played on for about 3 years. I was always accident prone so somehow i would always have an injury but they were always somewhat minor like a twisted ankle or a pulled muscle. Prior to my last game i had just come back from having a pulled hamstring that had me out for about a month. Coming back was rather difficult considering my coach decided to move me to forward instead of my usual spot as center defender as soon as i returned. My second game back was an away game it was located in Cabazon, California. So the commute was about an hour away and my mother just so happened to have work so my grandpa offered to take me. The game started off as any other i was a starter and was suppose to play the entire game. It was an off day for me as a newly changed forward i had missed all the shots i had taken and this team was known to be very aggressive as most teams in this division are at around 12 years old. During half time one of my teammates had told me they overhead the other teams coach telling them to “take me out” and like at the time i didn't take it serious because like im 12 years old you dont think someone is really going to physically hurt you on purpose but boy was I in for a SURPRISE. After the short break we returned to our positions and played as normal so let me paint the picture for you im currently running down the field towards the opposing team's goal my teammate is following shortly behind me she passes it towards me and i start running towards the goal with the ball and the next thing i know the goalie runs towards me and lunges at my feet grabbing the ball and wrapping her arm around my ankle the impact of her threw me off balance causing me to fall forward and during this time i'm trying to pull my foot out from under her but she would not let go so i fall forward with my foot still flat on the ground and all i'm able to hear is my bones crack three time as well as a popping sensation and i know DAMN well the goalie heard it to as soon as i hit the ground i know its broken there's no way its not broken the goalie gets up and starts crying and i'm just looking at her in shock like are you kidding me right now why the hell are YOU crying im here on the floor broken. Immediately i start screaming not because of the pain i had so much adrenaline pumping through me the first thought that went through my brain was i'm never gonna be able to play again i'm never going to play the same. The ref came over to me and the parents from my team did too. My grandpa was freaking out on the phone with my mother. Eventually after they all realized that i was unable to stand up they finally called the paramedics and i was carried off the field. As i was being lifted onto the gurney the parents from the other team and the players were all yelling how i was faking it and how i was fine and only wanted attention. Why the hell would i want to leave the game is my question i literally would gain nothing if i were to be faking it but anyways they were all saying rather unnecessary and unpleasant stuff. As the paramedics put me in the ambulance the paramedic was on the phone with my mother and was telling her that it is definitely broken. I wasn't in any pain yet and as we arrived at the hospital the doctors were attempting to stick me with a needle and start morphine but i am absolutely terrified of needles so i refused up until my mom arrived and she forced me to take the pain medication. I had xrays taken and they were not good let me tell you something i had three broken bones in my ankle and had torn a ligament. My mother works for kaiser ontario so she had me transfered there. Where they put on a plaster cast and that was by far the worst pain of my life the other doctors at the previous

hospital had not put a proper cast on my foot so my bones were not in the proper place they needed to be set. At kaiser the doctor had to put my foot in the upright position which would cause my bones to realign as best they could. After he put on the cast and sent me on my way. A couple days later i had my first surgery i had three screws put in and was not able to walk on my foot for three months until my second surgery and even after that i had a long ways of recovery ahead.