As a national judo player for four years out of Granit City, I love to win. I thrive for the rush the sport gives me. A rush that I know that I’m the best. Better than most of the people who compete in this mighty sport of throwing, choking, and balance at the level of nationals I succeed at.. However, every once in a great while, that thriving rush can turn around and bite me, and that is just what happened to me on the final day of judo nationals in California.

Once we entered the huge doors at the gym for sign-ups, my entire mindset changed. I tell myself that today, I will be the one on top. Nevertheless, as I worked my way through crowded, uneven line, a feeling of uneasiness rushed though me. Once I eased out of line, my mind became eager, to warm-up and begin the race to the top.

Starting my warm-up in the cleaned out weight room, my mind still told me something bad would happen. But I continued, so I would be ready for my first match. I would mutter to myself that I was going to win today. Feeling strong about myself always seemed to get me closer to the top. Now the time approached, to lead my body over to the edging mat, to begin my first grueling match.

Right when I began my first intense match of nationals, my plans went horridly wrong. With the power of a body build, I went from a perfect stance down to the hard mat with a crack. A sharp, clear, crunching bone sound rang out and the crowd gasps with fear of the worst.

“Ah! Someone help me,” I bolted in pain. “I can’t move my shoulder without pain.”

While the medics started to come to my assistance, I slowly began to rise back to my feet. However, just as I thought I had over come the pain, it forced me right back to ground in yet another streak of screams.

After the medic came over to assess me, he explained, “It seems to me that you have Clavicle separation or in simple terms, as sprain.”

The shrilling pain came over me again, and the medics helped me off the mat.

“Well I guess its time to head home now. There not much to do now that you’ve sprained your shoulder. Things like this happen,” he exclaimed to me as we left the competition

Just as fast as the pain set in, the lonesome recovery started. The medic at the nationals told me I had sustained Clavicle separation. However, to me, the pain seemed far too worse for any sprain I’ve had before. The sprains I’ve encountered before were nothing like that shearing pain. As I worked my first week thought recovery, I went to the doctor for a normal check up. At that check up, because of the nature of the injury I sustained, I needed to go to an x-ray center to be examined. After the x-rays were taking, I lead doctor came over to me as I sat in a nerves sweat waiting for the truth.

He explained, “Son, have a lot to be thankful about. However, there is some bad new to this. After examining the x-rays, I found a brake in the growth plate at the clavicle. You may need to attend sugary depended on how bad the brake was.”

After we left the x-ray center, I encountered with a feeling of great loneness. I would out of my favorite sport for 12 weeks at the least. I never need sugary. Nevertheless, braking my shoulder is something ill never forget.

As a national judo player, bad things can happen. My broken shoulder became a remembrance in mind my about a rush gone bad. I should have listened to my mind that day, but I wanted to win. Nevertheless, as the days go by, I do not feel as bad about things happening that day.