Bill Holmes - Activities - Soccer
 I lettered on the California Polytechnic University soccer team. I was one of two or three gringos on a largely South American team. Since I'm left-footed, I usually played left wing or left half. I sometimes played right fullback. I also refereed the open games, where I found myself breaking-up fights between the Chinese, Mexican and other ethnic teams. |
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 Following graduation, I joined the Torrance Men's Soccer League in which I was the star scorer. I imitated the UCLA left wing I experienced in college by arching an apparently centered ball into the upper right corner of the net. It did that on two consecutive possessions in one game. Then the opposing goalie speared my in the chest with his shoulder to knock me out of the game. It nearly ended my season. |
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| Following the move to San Diego, I joined the Poway Men's Soccer League. I jumped for head control of a kick-off, and when I landed on my right leg, I severed my tibia just below my knee. Two screws held the tibia together, and a hinged cast kept my knee stable for nine months, which included a business trip near Three Mile Island immediately after the accident there. The surgeon, Dr. Venn Watson neglected to advise me to re-strengthen my quadriceps before resuming soccer. During the second game, I completely dislocated my right knee. That resulted in open knee surgery, a relocated tendon to stabilize my patella, the tacking of torn cartilage, and the advice that I never play soccer again, because if I re-injured the knee, I may not walk again. I followed the advice, but severely miss playing soccer. I later had the screws removed, because they were annoying me, and had arthoscopic surgery to remove floating cartilage that would occasionally jam my knee. | |