Ridgeline goalkeeper Landon Coddington proving injury just another obstacle to excellence

A torn anterior cruciate ligament is one of the more common major injuries an athlete can incur, and it used to spark fear of a career-ending injury.

This generation, athletes can return from the injury with no long-term repercussions, but it still requires a dedicated rehabilitation and a willingness to push oneself past every obstacle that crops up during recovery.

But what about two ACL tears to the same knee within 12 months?

Ridgeline junior Landon Coddington was a rising goalkeeper in the Spokane area at age 14, playing on the Spokane Sounders and attending a few Olympic development camps and training with Central Valley’s varsity team as a freshman.

“From coaches I’ve heard from, he was one of the real up-and-comers for his age,” Ridgeline head coach Ernie Merino said.

An unfortunate misstep in December 2019 during a Sounders game derailed him.

Coddington came out of his box for a ball but heard a popping sound – his knee was unstable and generally didn’t feel right.

The trainer recommended not completing the game, but Coddington brushed aside the suggestion, wanting to finish the game for his club.

After returning to school practice the following day, Coddington’s knee was the size of a small melon, so a visit to urgent care and then the hospital was in order.

An MRI confirmed what had been assumed: a torn ACL and a minimum of six months of recovery.

His surgery was performed in February 2020.

“I was devastated, but I have a few family friends who have gone through it too, so I had some people I could talk to about it and figure out how to really pull through it,” Coddington said. “But for me, the only thing that I really thought about was how that was a year out of soccer and how that was going to affect me.”

Around the six- to seven-month mark, Coddington was cleared for practice and was continuing to work on his rehab.

But his knee buckled while walking to get a ball during a practice, which sent him to his surgeon who didn’t see anything wrong – even though Coddington felt something was off. In December 2020, he went to be cleared for full activity, and they discovered a new tear in the same knee – another frustrating setback for the then-sophomore.

He went under the knife for his second ACL reconstruction surgery in January 2021.

“By then, I knew what to expect from the recovery, so it was just a lot more questions,” Coddington said. “How I was going to be able to get back to playing, if I was going to be able to play again.”

His surgeon said there was a chance he may never return to his previous level of competition. Coddington said he’s surprised he has made it to where he has been cleared for full activity. He’s led Ridgeline to six wins in its first nine games.

The time off allowed Coddington to focus on the mental side of his game. Coddington reallocated his attention to growing as a leader.

Merino had seen Coddington while he was the junior varsity coach at Central Valley, but this season was the first time to see the keeper in game action .

The newfound mental toughness granted Coddington more control over his emotions and leadership, his coach said.

“He has a confidence about him and a calmness about him on the field that is beyond his age and is beyond his experience,” Merino said.

Coddington and junior midfielder Cameron Malloy have experienced leadership growth that has been important for a young Falcons team with no seniors and only two juniors.

As Coddington continues to build up playing minutes, Merino feels that he is making incredible progress through only nine games.

In the past several weeks, Merino has seen Coddington start to unlock his previous potential as his knee responds to more stress and more activity.

Merino estimates Coddington is nearly back to being the player he was in the past.

“I think he’s so much closer than when even when he started the season,” Merino said.

That confidence and drive to search for his previous form is a massive mental hurdle. Now nine games in, Coddington has begun to sweep balls out of danger and fling himself around to get balls cleared away.

Coddington attributed his comfort to more field time, the Ridgeline environment and his teammates he said he is glad to be around.

As Coddington continues his ascent toward his previous competitive level, he craves for what is at the next level.

While he is just a junior, his thoughts about playing after high school creep around his mind.

“I would love to play in college,” he said. “At this point, I’m not sure how realistic it is to go Division I or Division II, but for me to just get anywhere near that level would make me proud because of everything that I’ve gone through.

“It would show me that I didn’t just push myself through that torture and do nothing with it.”