Local athletes get back to competing with the help of Beacon Ortho

“In the moment, I heard two loud pops, and I thought, ‘oh no.’”

When 17-year-old Kings High School (KHS) senior Conner Purcell talks about that football game last fall, he is very matter of fact. He simply describes what happened and how he wanted to keep playing, but the truth was, he was worried.

In many instances, those tell-tale “pops” indicate a serious injury, but he just wanted to support and lead his team (as that night’s senior captain). He wanted to play. And although he did remain on the field for one more play – hoping to play through the pain -- it quickly became clear that he needed to come out of that game. It was also clear that the remainder of his senior season was in jeopardy. Not to mention that his hopes to play college football may have also disappeared.

Since KHS is one of more than thirty Tri-State high schools that partners with Beacon Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine to provide onsite athletic training for student-athletes, Purcell was evaluated that night on the sideline by KHS Athletic Trainer Mike Olds and Dr. Kevin Middlemist, a current Beacon Fellow. These sports medicine professionals examined Purcell in real-time and consulted Dr. Timothy Kremchek by phone. Before halftime, they had scheduled Purcell’s MRI for the next morning at Beacon’s Summit Woods location.

Purcell shared with his Beacon team that he still wanted to play football in college. So once the MCL tear was diagnosed, “Dr. Kremchek told me that if I did NOT want to compete at the next level, my knee would heal sufficiently over time with some therapy,” Purcell said. “He asked me what I wanted to do, and I told him that I wasn’t done yet. I wanted to play college football.” Since Purcell was already being actively recruited, this was a realistic goal. So, the MCL repair surgery with Dr. Kremchek was scheduled for that Tuesday.

On the day after his successful surgery, Purcell began post-operative physical therapy twice a week at Beacon. As his strength and mobility improved, he added workouts on the other weekdays with his KHS/Beacon team before and after school. In late February, when it was time to see if he could truly compete, he began Beacon’s unique physical training, Bridge Program for Injury Recovery. It provides transition from initial recovery after an injury back to full function. This program is not traditional PT as it uses more closed chain and “cutting” activities, which would be required to be a competitive college offensive lineman. “This is the only way to know if an athlete can return to playing the sport,” said Olds. “It is more difficult and tests whether the athlete is ready to get back to playing and competing.”

As part of the transition back to football, Purcell set the goal of playing in the first lacrosse game. With his determination, hard work and the support of his high school teammates and the Beacon professionals, he filled in as the lacrosse goalie during that first game and for the first few weeks. Goalie was a good place to return to competition. While an enormously critical team role, it requires fewer cutting movements that could strain that newly repaired and recovered knee. Over the first few matches, he succeeded and has now returned to his starting position of defensive long pole, to great success.

Twenty-five years ago, Dr. Kremchek and Beacon began partnering with high schools to form athletic training partnerships, and Kings High School was one of the very first partners. The unique-to-Beacon concept still offers the best in athletic training, physical therapy, and, if needed, surgery and rehabilitation (including bridging back to competition) to high school athletes. While at the same time offering opportunities to sports medicine practitioners who seek the most hands-on approach to furthering their experience. That fellowship experience includes extending all the way to the sidelines when athletes need care right away.

Between the athletic partnerships at local high schools and its one-of-a-kind fellowship program, Beacon Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine continues to offer local athletes and their families the best of care, getting patients where they most want to be – competing.

Just ask Purcell, who will play offensive lineman for the Thomas More University Saints football team this fall.