Senior forward Ty Hibbert, one of the main offensive players on the UNM men’s soccer team, is ready to start the season after missing all of last season due to a knee injury.
Hibbert tore the medial colateral ligament in his right knee in the spring of 2000 while playing indoor soccer in his hometown of Phoenix, Ariz., when another player tackled him.
He was very upset when he realized that he would be out for the whole season he said, not only about not being able to play, but also about his physical condition.
”I was kind of disappointed,” he said. “I was worried about my fitness dropping off and I was disappointed I couldn’t be there with my team and help them.”
Because of the injury, Hibbert was forced to redshirt last season after leading the team in scoring with eight goals in 1999. The team definitely missed his offense playing as the Lobos could only scrape up 22 goals in 18 games en route to a disappointing 6-12 season.
“Having him out last year really hurt the team and now we’re glad to have him back,” head coach Klaus Weber said.
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They not only missed his goals, but his presence on the field.
“He was the leading scorer in 1999,” Weber said. “You can call him a goal scorer and you can also call him a leader. He is a thoroughbred soccer player.”
Although he could not play, he showed up at every home game to support his teammates.
“It was terrible; it kills a guy just to watch when he knows he could be out there,” Hibbert said.
However, Hibbert also said that watching the team’s games from the outside also had some positive effects on him.
“It’s always good to watch, to take a step back, get more mentally fit,” he said. “You are seeing all the positions, not just from a forward standpoint. You are seeing the other guys interchanging.”
He said he started his recovery from the injury immediately, working hard and doing everything possible toward his rehabilitation. Hibbert could run and work out cautiously on his injured leg last fall, but it was impossible for him to participate in the practices during the season.
“I couldn’t hit a nice, hard, driven ball, I couldn’t shoot and I couldn’t cut,” he said. “I could do everything else. I could run, I could knock the ball around a little bit, but I still wasn’t in game shape.”
Hibbert said he did a lot of weight training, balance training and running to come back as fast as possible.
Looking back, Hibbert does regret one thing. Shortly after the injury happened he tried to play on it and took a couple of hits.
“I knew I was not able to get in, actually I probably prolonged my injury by playing on it when I shouldn’t have,” Hibbert said.
From a physical point of view, he is totally recovered now, but mentally the injury is not completely healed, he said.
“I can feel it, but I don’t think about it,” Hibbert said. “But you know, once you get an injury it’s kind of always there. It’s never the same, but I feel 100 percent and I can do everything. If I can’t play 100 percent, I shouldn’t be playing.”
Hibbert and his coaches, Weber and associate head coach Jeremy Fishbein, said they consider him to be an even better player than he was before the injury occurred.
His coaches said they look forward to having Hibbert in the lineup this season to supply some leadership and offensive firepower.
“We expect him to have a great season,” Weber said.
Hibbert is prepared for a new start with the men’s soccer team, and he said his goal is to play professional soccer in the A-League or even in Major League Soccer. His coaches also believe in Hibbert’s potential.
“He can step it up to the next level,” Weber said. “He has that capability right now.”
