FC Dallas are missing Paxton Pomykal this season. They miss his presence in midfield, they miss his grit, his eye for a pass, his non-stop running, and above all, his passion on the field.
He misses it too.
“I love footy, I love the game,” he says from outside the FC Dallas locker room at Toyota Stadium. “It’s tough missing out, and not just the games, but just trainings and all of it right? Like just being on the ball, being able to celebrate the wins and mourn the losses. And obviously you can do that from an outside perspective, but it's different when you're in the thick of it.”
Unfortunately, Pomykal is only in the thick of a long rehab process. Earlier this year, he underwent a serious surgery to repair cartilage in his left knee—prompting the club to place him on the Season-Ending Injury list. Still just 24, Pomykal is sadly no stranger to surgeries or rehab, but this one is the most challenging of his career.
“I hate to say it but I have had a few surgeries. This one was a little bit different because I was non-weight bearing for six weeks, essentially. With the other ones, the rehab started pretty soon, but with this I had to sit and wait a lot of time at home with a CPM (continuous passive motion machine), to keep the range of motion going.”
It’s a long road but Pomykal is starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Four months removed from his surgery, the Homegrown midfielder is constantly on the stationary bike and in the pool, rebuilding leg muscle while his knee heals.
While he can’t be on the field with his teammates, Pomykal is in the facility as much as he can to keep his connection with the club as strong as possible.
“I'm around the guys a lot, I’m in a lot of the meetings and obviously at all games and stuff. As much as the fans don't see me around, I am around but just in the background and not in the forefront as I normally am. I try to be as involved as much as I can. But then, obviously, when they go out to training, I'm inside doing my own thing.”
Pomykal is making the most of his time away from the game, too. In addition to his daily rehab, the Lewisville native is a part-time college student taking business administration classes while also serving on the Executive Board of the MLS Players Association, the union that represents all MLS players and bargains on their behalf.
But there’s no substitute for playing the game. And in his previous injury spells, Pomykal was always able to target a midseason return, allowing him set more short-term goals like re-earning his starting role or helping his team reach the playoffs. This time, he knew he was out for the year and had to focus exclusively on each painstaking step of a long rehab process. The mental toll that takes on supremely talented and ultra-competitive pro athlete can’t be understated.
“The mindset had to shift,” he admits. “But also injuries are part of our job. When you have an injury, and a big one at that, you need to put all the time and effort you’d put into training and playing games into the injury in the same way. I feel like I have a pretty good outlook on that, and so far so good, it's been working.”
Pomykal’s dealt with far more than his fair share of injury troubles in his career. Frustrating and unfair, they’ve at least given him perspective and unflappable mental toughness. Once he is fit, those traits will serve him well off and on the field. With any luck, the days of FC Dallas missing Paxton Pomykal will soon be over.
“There's nothing in the world I love more than playing and winning. I'm looking forward to getting back on the field next season, getting significant minutes and hopefully by springtime I’m flying, so that's the goal.”
