What doesn't kill you only makes you stronger

I wasn't there, so I don't know first hand how it all happened. All I know is Nick came home that first day in August looking like hell. He seemed off. Quiet. He was physically exhausted but there was something more. After a while he came to talk to me. He always does, we have a great relationship. Nick was upset to say the least. He told me he had had a hard time with some of the practice and had what he thought was an asthma attack. The coaches sat him out to catch his breath and although he did manage to make it through the day, he was shaken by it and very worried about going back and it happening again. He was getting very anxious about it and I believe had a mini panic attack and his breathing became more difficult. I was worried and even considered taking him to the emergency room. He kept saying it scared him and he was scared it would happen again. I asked him what he wanted me to do. Go to the hospital? Call the doctor? Give him permission to quit? He said to me, "Mom, I just want to play." We talked a bit more and he finally calmed down. He decided that what he needed to do was talk to his coach. I decided what I needed to do was check with his doctor and see if this was a normal occurrence as Nick had never shown signs of asthma before. I worried that he was having a physical response to anxiety. We agreed that I would drive in with him the next morning and speak to the coach so that everyone was on the same page. I also was going to make him an appointment with his doctor. Pre-season was not a good time to be missing practice and that was part of his concern. Meeting with the coach was the best thing to do and it gave me an opportunity to explain Nick's position and my expectations regarding his health. The next morning I met Coach Dent. He was in the coaches office when we walked in. I imagine his first thought when he saw me was, "Oh great, a complaint." I guess I would have thought the same thing if a kid's Mom showed up the second day of practice. I introduced myself as Nick's Mom and asked if I could have a minute of his time. He was very receptive to me and invited me in. Nick followed behind, not sure what to think. The first thing I told Coach Dent was that my kid would give him 110%. I told him I was not there to complain or to whine. I fully supported him and the other coaches and was comfortable leaving my son in their hands for the next few months. However, I explained my concerns regarding his "breathing" problem and asked that they be aware of it and if Nick needed a "timeout", that they would grant it without repercussions. I explained my plans to have him see a doctor and I would keep them in the loop. Coach was extremely sensitive and agreed to be aware and flexible with Nick until we got things under control. We made it clear that Nick wanted to play and would play hard. It ended well and I left Nick there to get through another day. We did see the doctor and it turned out that he had Exercise Induced Asthma (see link) and needed a rescue inhaler. For the most part, it helped. Although, there were times when it was more difficult to control and he sounded like a freight train trying to breath, he was dealing with it. Part of the reason, I believe, it hit him so severely the first few times, was because it scared him so much he panicked while it was happening. Knowing that the inhaler would work made a major difference. He was able to trust the inhaler. Pre-season continued and Nick stuck with it. He was excited to be on the team and immediately began bonding with his teammates. They were a good group of kids. Some days were worse than others but for the most part, Nick loved it. He grew a great deal during that time and just like I promised, gave it 110%.