Turning 30 on your 29th birthday sucks
On my 29th birthday my back started hurting
My knees weren’t the same
Everything ached
But I kept playing soccer
Taking advantage of my last “flexible” year in my 20s
At 30, they said, you get injured easier
It hurts more than it should
And recovery lasts longer
They undersold it
I felt like I needed a cane by 29
I was the oldest player in the team
I’ve been playing soccer since I could walk
And on average the professional soccer player peaks at 24
I’ve been past my prime like those eggs in the fridge you haven’t throw out yet
Because damn, eggs benedict on a Sunday morning with mimosas for brunch still hits the spot
Even if they’re a few days past their expiration date
But I’m no pro and my knees have taken many hits
This one was the last one though
I could hear them say
My knee clashed with the defender’s knee in just the right way that half my leg swung inward and half outward—pop!
I caught myself facedown on the grass, unable to move
The game stopped, my team captain rushed over and I got dragged out of the field
That’s it. So anticlimactic. I know…
I wish I had a story that came down to the last seconds of play for the winning goal or some intense face-off… but no… I’m 30 now, on the inside, and this was my knee tapping out
My team captain told me at the end of the game:
“I’ll have to put you on the recovery plan”
I said: “No, put me on the retirement plan”
And I’ve been on that plan for two weeks now
In my 20s this would’ve taken 2-3 days to recover
Make it 2-3 weeks now
Iced knee, braced… I could use a cane
That’s when my knee said: “This is your 30s and we’re the captain now”