I haven't posted for awhile but I read this board all the time. I finally had my first HS game of the year and it was a good one, no hitter 2-0 game with a state powerhouse team. Unfortunately, a wicked curveball elluded the catcher of the losing team and hit me solidly on the knee crushing the outer 20% of the patella. Imagine what it would have done if I wasn't wearing shin guards. I have to give back 8 college games and 2 HS games and that's just this week.

Sorry about your knee, Rachel, hope it heals quickly. Any surgery needed? For the rest of us, did the shin guard break or slip or was it just weird angle?

No wierd angle or anything. I have a new pair (last year) from honigs that has padding but the hit was square on the kneecap with my knee flexed. The ball hit the backstop on the fly. I go in again on Wed. to see if the cartilage came off of the back of the patella and is causing my knee to lock. If that is the case I think it will be scoped. What is worse is that my real job is that of a physical education teacher and I have to be on my feet all day.

Sorry to hear that, Rachel - that really sucks.

Hope your knee heals well and fast, Rachel.

Meanwhile, I know a good lawyer.

Rachel,

I hope you don't have to have surgery, get well soon. Dam that real sucks. We will all pray for your speedy recovery.

Ed

Rachel,

You know, a lot of people think that being "scoped" is a non-surgical alternative.

Take if from someone who has had both knees scoped in the past three years, it's not. You probably already know that. This isn't something that you just bounce up off the table and get right back in the game.

Unlike professional athletes, most of us have real jobs that do not allow our rehab to become our full-time job.
Being a PhysEd teacher is probably going to be very beneficial.

Best of luck in your recovery. BTW, if you see Billy P. say hello. I understand he has moved on to the "dark side" (just kidding), hope he is doing well.

Knee is much better. He checked and I don't have anything floating around in there. I'll start again on Monday. He told me that if I had not had knee protection I probably would have been looking at 3 to 6 months in a cast and a long therapy. Any of you folks that don't wear knee protection your time may come. I umpired 13 years and never got hit square on the kneecap. Oh, I did not call "ball" I called OUCH!

Mike- Billy P is doing well, he's a pro. :-)

That's great news. Glad to hear that.

I'm sorry to read about your injury.
I would have thought that the gear you
bought would have protected you better
than that --- not a good commentary for
the type of shinguard you were using !!

Rachel

Hope you are able to get back on the field ASAP.

Several years ago I slightly tore the meniscus in my knee while refereeing football and doctor said it was my call to have surgery or not. Never did and strengthened my knee by doing flex exercised with a 5 lb bag of potatoes attached to my foot. What is ironical is that I was able to continue to officiate college basketball but had to turn back all my college baseball and Div 1 softball games because the knee was too weak to handle the plate mechanics. Go figure.

I do not wear either a chest protector nor shinguards and have never been hit yet, so as I write this I am knocking on wood that "my time will not come". I do not recommend this; it is just my preference started in the late 70's and early 80's when I did a lot of men's tournaments across the eastern US and the catchers didn't wear that equipment either. Just in case you were wondering we all wore a mask and "breathing apparatus" (a necessary piece of equipment for us men that I will leave you to figure out).

My prayers go out for you. Let us know how the first game back goes.

Rachel,

Like everyone else here, I too wish you a speedy recovery. Knee injuries are a hard thing to rebound from.

Like Mike, I too hope you give Billy P. my blessings too.

Take care and hope to hear you on the diamonds soon.

Serg

Rach, Get well soon !
My brother banged his knee up much un the same way, falling down a mountain.
In the future your knee will be able to tell when its going to rain

Rachel,

Very sorry to hear that! Sounds like the prognosis is pretty good, though (if I understood your last post correctly).

Rachel,

Which Honig's guards did you buy? Do they have "hard" knee protection (e.g. the K10) or just a pad (e.g. the K9)?

OK, I give up! Who is Billy P.?
Weren't you guys yakking about him last year, too?