Injuries are tough. No, they are annoying. I have come to this realization this year. Nothing hurts an athlete more than not being able to play their sport, no pun intended.

Most people already know, but I tore my ACL and my ALL playing basketball in January. I was playing with a select team and was dribbling and slipped. No one was around me, hit me, and I didn’t even land wrong. I slipped. A slick spot on the court and my knee comes down rotating inwards and pops three times. I remember the pops like it was yesterday. It was scary more than
anything. The only other injury I’ve had is a rolled ankle. It didn’t hurt very bad and I didn’t cry. It was the popping that scared me and the fact that I physically could not move my leg to get up.

My assistant coach from my previous select team came over to our bench after they carried me to a seat, looked at my knee and started asking me questions. He was thinking a torn meniscus, but the more I explained what happened he started to think the worst. But of course he didn’t tell me anything more or I would start freaking out. I went to the doctor the next day and got my MRI, then went to the doctor again later to hear the results. Once he showed me my MRI and explained to me that I had shattered my ACL and ALL and would have to have surgery, I broke down crying right there in the office. But that wasn’t the worst part. He said I would be out for nine months. “I’m out for basketball” was the first thing that went through my head. I know it was my mom’s too, as she cried in the corner.

If you know me you know how much basketball means to me. It’s practically my life. Everyday is either training or practice. And I was just starting to really get noticed. After school practice I would go straight to training until 9:00 p.m. in San Antonio, and weekends was either club practice or tournaments. So all of this time of me in the gym would be taken away all because I slipped. I mean, at least I could have been doing a cool move or something, but of course not.

I miss the court a lot. I miss playing with my girls in Devine the most. We all love each other and I already love basketball season, but they make it one hundred times better. This was my first surgery, and my first actual injury besides rolled ankles. My mom would always tell me that I was “accident prone”, but I think she jinxed me. No, I’m just playing.

Through these long and boring months full of physical therapy and healing, this was part of God’s plan for me. I didn’t see it at first and thought my life had come to an end, but I was wrong. I haven’t had a break in years. Between the hours of practice and training and games. I have always been go-go-go, but that has gotten me to the player I am today. I love the game, but I think we all need a break sometimes and a minute to breathe. I truly believe this was God’s way of telling me to slow down for a little bit, and I thank him everyday.

With this injury came a lot of free time. I have spent a lot of my new time with my friends. Most of the time I would have to say I was busy when they wanted to hangout because of basketball. I take this big event in my little high school life as a blessing in disguise. We all need a break sometimes. Even from the things we love.