A change of plans

Well Feather's injured wing is officially 6 to 8 weeks away from being useful. Today we went to the doctor to have his MRI scan reviewed and our national team doc found his left labrum to be torn. Yes this is quite heavy as we were not expecting him to be seriously injured but to be on the court monday. We were way off!

An absolutely devastating blow to Chaim as this is his first injury and we are 10 days away from a 6 week, 5 tournament trip in our first season together. It isn't an ideal time for us to be out for a month and a bit, however, we do have science on our side. The brace I referenced in my last post (which Chaim is wearing full time on his left arm) has his forearm sticking out at an awkward angle. This is to tighten the point that attaches to the labrum, thus pulling it into place and having the body naturally mend it back in the proper position. This is a recent theory developed by a Japanese doctor, a theory that boasts a 100% non-reacurrence of shoulder dislocations post brace and rehab. This is a formidable claim since it used to be a 50/50 chance the injured party would require surgery. This keeps the vibe positive as we can look forward to an excellent non-surgical recovery on Chaim's part, but it doesn't erase the fact that Chaim and I won't be competing together until May.

So where does this put me? Good question. I still have every intention of getting out of Toronto to start competing! Those who know me, know that I would stop at nothing to compete in a tropical location or refuse the chance to bask in sun near the equator. I immediately spoke with Ray after Chaim's diagnosis and he is juggling his impending surgery (Ray has a torn meniscus) so that we can re-establish Reader/Sewell as a top beach volleyball and video producing duo.

Ray and I actually had a great week of training last week while Chaim sat on the sidelines with his freshly popped shoulder. Ray and I have a connection better than your marriage or relationship so it will be a seamless transition back to our last theatrics from the Mexican NORCECA series in October of 2009. Here is a video of our semi-final game from Puerto Vallarta 2009 to get you excited!

For whatever reason this doesn't have music so here is the link to a better quality version of this video with some house music. I would recommend the version with music, I just watched it and got JACKED!




You can look forward to these excellent features in 2010

1) Jump sets by me
2) Redheaded Productions
3) Cameos by Ray
4) Ray nearly dying of heat stroke
5) Cameos by me
6) Speedos

As you can see I am still in a positive mental state. That being said, I am bummed for Chaim's loss and look forward to making magic with him on the court midway through 2010. This is professional athletics and injuries are a part of the game whether it be us pushing hard in practice on in competition. No matter what happens we must stay strong and believe.

I will keep you all posted on my new competition schedule as I work out possible dates with Ray and potentially other players.

Keep training hard and pushing boundaries,

Martin