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The most important person for the Washington Wizards this season might not
be Caron Butler, Antawn Jamison or even Gilbert Arenas. The most important
person might be Marc Connell. He is the surgeon who operated on Arenas's
left knee. Hopefully, Arenas will recover in time to help the Wizards reach
the playoffs.
Connell grew up in New Jersey and studied medicine at Georgetown and Yale
universities. Now he is an orthopedic surgeon with a specialty in sports
medicine. For years he has helped athletes including Michael Jordan and
Chamique Holdsclaw, both now retired from basketball, and Washington
Capitals goalie Olie Kolzig.
Connell and his wife, also a doctor, have three children: Marc, 12; Woods,
9; and Catherine, 7.
I spoke with Connell about what it's like to be a sports doctor.
Did you play sports growing up?
"In high school, I played football, wrestled and did track and field. Not
very well, I might add. In college, I loved playing rugby."
When did you decide you wanted to be a doctor?"Recently at a reunion I was
talking to the one other guy in my high school class who became a doctor.
We both remembered talking in third grade about wanting to become doctors."
What professional teams have you worked for?
"I have been a team doctor for the Washington Wizards for the past 15 years
and for the Washington Mystics since they started 11 years ago. I have also
worked for the Washington Capitals."
Is it different operating on a pro athlete such as Gilbert Arenas?"Every
person is important. But I know the stakes are higher when I operate on
someone like Gilbert Arenas because so many people depend on him. Still,
once I go into the operation and start my regular procedures, it is like
any operation. The operating room is a place where I feel comfortable."
Was there anything you did as a kid that helps you in your job today?
"That's easy. Playing sports at a young age helped me feel comfortable in a
locker room and around athletes. As the team doctor, I go to all the games
at the Verizon Center. I am in the locker room an hour before the game and
stay an hour after to help the athletes."
Do you also treat young athletes?
"Most of our patients are middle school, high school or college athletes.
One of the fun parts of my job is that I meet all kinds of people, from
babies to older people."
Have injuries changed for young athletes over the years?
"Yes. With kids playing more games and more sports and with more intense
competition, we are seeing more overuse injuries such as tendinitis and
stress fractures among young athletes."
What should parents and kids do to keep young athletes healthy?"Keep it
diverse -- play a variety of sports, not just one. Keep it fun -- that way
you won't burn out on sports. Take at least one day completely off from
sports every week; give your body a chance to rest. Finally, spend time
stretching and warming up before you play."
Fred Bowen writes KidsPost's sports opinion column and is an author of sports novels for kids.
© 2007
The Washington Post Company
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