Blog #6

Even though many situations seem negative, you can almost always find a more positive approach to the situation… says the athlete who has had three surgeries in the last four years. Even though I have faced the adversity of not being able to play the sports I love, I’ve learned many valuable lessons.


The first one I’ve learned most likely doesn’t sound important to most people, but as a basketball coach’s daughter and the point guard on my team, developing skills with my left hand have proven to be really helpful. After my wrist surgery in 8th grade, I came to each and every practice with my cast on and dribbled/shot with only my left hand. It’s actually become second nature to me now. So, there’s one positive on my BIG negative.

Second, I’ve learned how to juggle my emotions. I had to be able to put fear in the back of my mind when I was coming back from all 3 of my surgeries. There was the fear of getting back out there and wind up hurtagain, the fear to compete, and perhaps my biggest fear of failing. I just had to persevere through the fright and leave everything I had out on the court or field. I now know that I can do anything if I put my mind to it.

After getting so close to my physical therapists that the whole office knows me and basically my life, I knew I had been in rehab way too many times for way too long! Wrist, ankle, and shoulder...that's way too much for an 11th grader. Going to physical therapy 2x a week on and off for the last 4 years of my life seems horrible to me most days... but recently I have discovered that I have a deep interest in sports medicine and athletic training. I constantly find myself watching the physical therapists do work on their other patients. Thanks to the many hours in that physical therapy building, I now know that I would love to have a job in field. I plan to go to college and major in Kinesiology!

Lastly, I learned to never give up. Plain and simple. I never understood what it took to come back from injuries. And boy oh boy, I came to that realization real quick. Through the grueling hours I put in at physical therapy, I have to admit, I never thought it would end and wanted to quit multiple times. But I felt this fire in me that knew I couldn't ever do that.

Last May, when I found out I had to have another surgery, I was really devestated. I didn't know what to do... it meant no basketball or softball all summer (and part of the season), no swimming during the most hot months of the year, and no living an ordinary life for a few months. But I remember all the good things I have learned from the past and decided it wasn't going to be that bad. These lessons will stick with me forever.