Friday Night Lights

Football. Football. Football. 

Thursday night Scottie worked his first football game as an Athletic Trainer (uncertified…) and did a fabulous job. He is pulling in some ca$h money! He said it went well and only had to take care of two different injuries. The first being an ankle sprain, which for us is becoming more normal, and the second being a gash in the palm of a player’s hand….this not so normal. Scottie said the athlete with the gash was a stud, and let him clean it out and bandage it, while never once complaining. The sprained ankle on the otherhand…..”you would have thought he broke his leg in half.” lol. Oh, junior varsity football.

On Thursday I was privledged to work a Freshmen football game with Jim. It was the longest THREE hours of my life. No injuries, a positive, but that means nothing to do but walk the sidelines. Sometimes you need some action. The team was doing alright, but with every athletics program there are politics and this team is suffering from such things. Jim invited Scottie & I out to a bbq afterwards at some of his friends’ home. It was BREATHTAKING. You can not describe what we saw. Think Cribs. okay? Then put that on the top of a mountain/hill overlooking the city. Anyways they were another extremely generous family and we had so much fun meeting everyone! More new friends!

Now Friday Night Lights. Little did we know what this night would turn into. I got there at 5 with Jim to tape the players before the 7 o’clock game. Everything went smoothly, and then we just kicked it for a few hours. Helped taped the other team, ate some food, and mingled with more future contacts for jobs! All great people. Then the game began. Scottie got there right before it started and were off to great start. The game was flying by. The white hat, referee, kept the clock rolling and the teams were playing well. Before we knew it it was half time and NO INJURIES….but not for long. 

Come the end of the 3rd quarter we begin to crumble. First player comes our with what we think is an ankle sprain. Not so. He broke, dislocated and tweaked his foot. Calmly we put ice on it and elevated his ankle up while he layed on the bench in pain. As Jim stands up to walk away from the evaluation of the ankle (the ice isn’t even on yet), he turns and we have another player down on the field. They get him off, and we have a MCL sprain + possible other ligaments. We wrap ice on him and he elevates his leg at the other end of the bench. 20 minutes goes by, which is the amount of time they keep the ice on. Towards the end of this time Jim realizes more the severity of the ankle and makes the decision to find his parents, and get them off to the ER. He needs X-rays. Jim finds the parents, I find the Assitant Prinicipal, and a golf cart. The player’s dad jumps the fence and walks up to the bench, simaltaniously Jim turns and SPRINTS onto the field. He never, never, ever, runs on to the field for an injury unless it is serious. This IS serious. Scottie & I get the ankle athlete to the golf cart with his dad and send them off. The knee player we unwrap the ice, and then head out to the field. 

No one is moving. The player is conscious, but is in excrutiating pain. Fractured Femur. 9-1-1 was called immediately, so now we wait. Jim was laying on the field next to the player holding up his knee with his hands, this was to keep him in the most comfortable position. Minutes linger on, and we are still waiting. We went through an Emergency Action Plan before the game with the Athletic Director and others, so we knew our plan was ready. WHERE WAS THE AMBULANCE? 

18 minutes later the Fire EMS truck arrives, and heads to the field. I intercept them and let them know we have a fractured femur…… This was to tell them without the player hearing. At this point he still didn’t know what was exactly wrong with his leg. Jim had told him he would have a large bruise and maybe more to keep his mind calm and avoid going into shock. They walk up and immediatly blurt out his injury and walk through there procedures. Still minutes are lingering by and no Paramedics. Finally, 26 minutes after the 911 call had been made did we SEE the lights for the ambulance. They weren’t on the field yet. Once there they got rolling and got him up on a spine board and stretcher and off to the hospital. 

Saturday we found out it was a confirmed fractured femur, and the player was headed into surgery within hours to have a titanium rod placed in his leg. He will be ready for track season. 

After the game Scottie and I were both amped up on adrenaline and just amazed with the night. We were able to learn so much. Things that no book could ever explain clearly, and we have been blessed to have a teacher like Jim. He is calm, lets you help out and be a part of things, and throws you in when he knows you are ready (whether you do or not), and we could have not asked for more. We debriefed again on Saturday morning and were just thankful it was a fractured femur and nothing more serious, due to the severe tardiness of the ambulance and EMS truck. No reasons were given for why, but the craziest part is the truck garage is only about 14 blocks away. We were just thankful for them to get there and take over!!!

So, no longer will Friday Night Lights hold the same meaning. It’s still a fun and crazy time, but more and more it is becoming our jobs. 

Just thought we would update you, and let you know what has been going on!

Love and miss you. The Lord has certainly been blessing us in mysterious ways. He promises, and it has been such an amazing time to watch His hand at work. I will soon have to share of many of the baby blessings that have been perfectly timed, and give Him continuous glory!