It was only 15 minutes into the showcase soccer game in Rockford, Ill. on April 9 with a score of 0-0 when the center defensive midfielder jumped into the air to play the ball. As he was leaping in the air, the sun caught his eyes, taking away his vision of the ball in the air. In an attempt to touch the ball, he extended his leg just a little bit more, but this small adjustment had serious consequences. As he descended back to the ground, his knee caved in on contact with the grass, accompanied by a distinct pop.
“What did I just do?” ran through his mind.
This distinct pop caused by just a slight adjustment is now changing the future for Alex Faber, junior, and the teams he contributes to.
“I thought I broke my leg at first,” Faber described.
Faber then hopped off the field and was assisted by a trainer, unknowing the severity of his knee injury at the time. On April 12, he got his knee scanned and on April 15, Faber was informed that the distinct pop was the tearing of both this ACL and his meniscus. This diagnosis meant an end to Faber’s junior track season and unexpectedly missing out on his senior year soccer season.
Faber’s family and friends were the first to find out about Faber’s injury, even before the official diagnosis.
“My first reaction was just feeling really horrible for him. He is obviously a valuable member for our track team and soccer team, and he is one of my very close friends…It could have happened to anyone, it just happened to be Alex and it really does suck,” Lucas Mersky, junior and teammate of Faber, shared.
Faber had played on the varsity boys soccer team this past fall in 2023, contributing to the team’s success in more ways than one.
“I remember this year against Oshkosh West he scored the lone goal and got us the win in a game where nobody else stepped up, he was the only one that stepped up. His passion always came through in his play,” Mersky said.
Faber had to inform both his track coaches and his soccer coaches of his unfortunate injury and the longevity of its effects. All of his coaches shared similar sympathy for Faber’s circumstances.
“First of all I feel bad for Alex, Alex is a really good athlete and a hard worker and a good kid. Knowing that a significant injury like this would impact him and his training and his goals for himself athletically was tough,” Micah Adams, assistant boys track coach, shared.
“[I] felt sad for Alex as I know he has had injuries in the past and has worked hard to overcome them,” Tony Navarre, head boys soccer coach, echoed Adams’ sentiments.
“I was super disappointed. I really like Alex. I have gotten to know him and his brother pretty well in recent years. I was excited about what he was going to be able to give us in the 400 this year specifically. It is unfortunate. I know he is a busy guy and he has a lot going on with soccer and things like that. So I am definitely bummed out,” Drew Dixon, head boys track coach, added.
While Faber’s extracurricular activities have come to an abrupt end and his life has already been immediately affected by him being “really bored, like really bored,” the teams that he contributes to are facing an unexpectant change to their lineups.
The boys track team, currently in-season, is having to deal with this loss of talent and contribution with quick solutions.
“It definitely impacted the team. We try to develop as many athletes as possible to be able to contribute to the team’s success, and Alex was definitely a top option for us in the races we were looking at him for. He did really well as a sophomore and was showing some significant signs of progress, so it removed an option for sure in some of those races. And we have tried to look at some younger guys that show some potential, and we have moved some guys around as far as what events they do…One of the great things about track is you have the situation where kids compete and we have removed a lot of the subjectivity. There is no opinion, it is ‘you ran faster than that kid and that is why you get to go,’” Adams revealed.
“Guys have to step up, and we gotta find other pieces to run our 400s and maybe be a leg on our 4×4 relay which we think could be pretty good this year with the few other pieces that we have,” Dixon said.
With the boys track team actively fitting pieces together, the boys soccer team will also be facing a hole in the line-up in the fall.
“As with any injury, the team will have to look for someone who can fill the vacancy left by Alex’s injury. Hopefully, he will continue to be a part of the team in another way,” Navarre shared.
While the boys track team and boys soccer team are dealing with the logistics of Faber’s absence due to injury, Faber is having to reevaluate his future and his goals because of this new hurdle.
“My goals for this track season were to make it to state or close to state for the 4×4…I don’t know if I am going to play college soccer anymore just because of injuries, but that is to be decided, still,” Faber reflected.
Faber is scheduled to have surgery on May 14, and then his seven to nine month recovery journey with physical therapy will begin.
