DON’T DROP THE BALL
Imagine this, since you were little you built your confidence through countless hours of a sport. As you got older, you only got better, which meant more hours and more sacrifices. Opting for rest over relationships, consistency over extra curriculars, and practice over parties; you missed out on activities every other high school kid experiences. Going to extreme lengths in order to be the best, while simultaneously curating a vision of success for yourself in your sport and watching it unfold. Finally, you’re recognized and you’re chosen to play for one of the top teams in your province. Not everyone is chosen, but your efforts and your dedication lead you to the top. All this just for your world to be turned upside down because of one wrong move. In this section, we’ll be talking about athletic injuries, specifically the experiences of our very own Vanier athletes.
Being as sports injuries are so common, it’s important to shine a light on the experiences these athletes endure and how they overcome these destabilizing times.
Q1: What did you sacrifice to be here?
Alex: Suffering from his first (and hopefully last) injury, Alex initially didn’t view his athletic successes as a trade-off. Having grown up in a sports environment, he learned to balance his sport and his personal life very well, though he later admits to having “sacrificed personal time that I could’ve spent with my friends and family.”
Ava: Injured multiple times in her basketball career, Ava reflected on having sacrificed a social aspect of her life saying, “Being family oriented, I think I sacrificed a lot of time to dedicate myself to basketball” and mentions how basketball makes up a big part of her identity saying, “My whole life is basically basketball, and school.”
Joey: “Time with my family. Since I’m not from here, I’d say I sacrificed time I could’ve got being with my family or being there to support them.”
Laurent: “I sacrificed a lot of time that could’ve been spent towards other things, like studying, spending time with my friends, going out on weekends; but I’m really grateful I did it that way and I’m grateful for the time I spent doing the sport that I love.”
Kayden: Kayden immediately responded, “SLEEP!” but also brought up “The friendships I had in high school, cause most of my high school people are all at Abbott… Definitely losing out on those friendships.”
Q2: Biggest fear regarding injury?
Alex: “Retearing definitely.”
Ava: “I think my biggest fear would’ve been either injuring myself again which affects my career or not being able to be better than how I was before.”
Joey: When I asked Joey this question, I could hear his voice sink into his heart as he reflected on his fears regarding his injury. He said, “Losing opportunities. My injury happened at the provincial championship in Ontario, so it was the playoffs, the moment you wait for all year. It happened there, and I was afraid that I couldn’t help my team win. We ended up losing and it was disappointing that I couldn’t be there with my teammates. I had a big summer planned, basketball wise, it was a lot of tournaments, a lot of games, opportunities to show that you can play, to prove yourself, and I feel like it slipped away, and that’s what I was afraid of.”
Laurent: “Reinjuring myself.”
Kayden: “Having that thought of not being able to play basketball again and maybe having to say goodbye to the sport that I’ve played for my whole life, like damn this could be it…” He also brought up his concern about the future saying, “If physio doesn’t help it out and then my knee’s all [messed up (to keep it family friendly)] and then I can’t jump the way I used to, can’t run the way I used to, might not even walk the same way. Definitely scary, for sure.”
Q3: What regrets did you have regarding your injury?
Alex: For context, Alex didn’t injure himself playing his main sport, football, his injury arose out of the blue in a rugby tournament he was participating in for fun. He said, “I view it as a learning curve. I don’t view it as ‘oh I should’ve never played rugby’. Obviously, now looking back on it, yes I shouldn’t have, but in the moment it was fun, and it was something new that I’ve never tried, and I was with my friends and we were having fun until that moment happened. Do I regret it, I’d say so.”
Ava: “I regret rushing the recovery process and getting back into practicing so fast because I injured it again. I think I would’ve been back faster if I didn’t rush the recovery.”
Joey: “I don’t really regret anything because injuries are part of the game and you can’t just take them away. It’s not something you choose, so, I wouldn’t use the word regret. I have no regrets. I was injured playing my hardest and trying my best and sometimes it just happens.”
Laurent: “I try not to live with too many regrets and not to live in the past, but it would probably be to stop when it hurt a little bit. I tried to tough it out and continue playing when I had a pulled hamstring and that’s why it tore. I was like ‘its fine,’ ‘I could play with it,’ ‘it’s not that bad,’ ‘I could endure the pain,’ and that’s why I tore it afterwards.”
Kayden: “Definitely not getting it checked out sooner. If I got it checked out sooner, for one, I don’t think I would’ve played that intercity year, and then two, I feel like by now I would’ve been at 100%, so I would’ve been able to play. Not waiting, and not tryna get it checked out sooner was definitely something I regretted. I would say playing on it too, after games or a practice my knee would be busted. I’d feel like I had to walk with a cane every time.”
Q4: How have your priorities shifted since your injury?
Alex: “My priority right now is to make sure I’m as healthy as possible. Not that I wasn’t before, but I exaggerate it even more. I make sure I’m training my leg at least everyday.” Alex said confidently, “It’s not hard, it takes 10 to 15 minutes max. Just making sure that I’m doing the proper means necessary to rehabilitate my knee for the next season and, not just next season but for later in life, for my future.”
Ava: Ava was quick to answer saying, “I really focus on lifting. I find that made a really big difference. Just going from high school to Cégep, you realize that lift actually benefits a lot. I prioritize getting in the gym and making sure I put core exercises into my workout plans. I put more time into myself, rather than just have an outside life. I put basketball, not first, but I put basketball kinda at the top more now.”
Joey: “They haven’t shifted much. Basketball and school have always been my priorities. I don’t think I let the injury change who I am as a person and what I value. I didn’t let the injury affect this. My priority is still trying to be the best version of myself I can be, whether it’s in basketball or as a person.”
Laurent: “It made me more disciplined on stretching, rehabilitation, and injury prevention.”
Kayden: “Since I know I’m not playing right now, definitely just tryna focus on school. Then even with my knee, just focusing on tryna get it back to a good state, especially strength wise and mobility wise, to where I’m really back and even better than what I was before.”
Q5: What advice would you give someone who’s going through a sports injury?
Alex: “Just stay positive. It always gets better. Don’t try and rush things cause your body takes time to heal, so make sure you rest. And nutrition is very important too.”
Ava: “Be persistent with your recovery. Be disciplined with icing, be disciplined with doing your exercises, discipline yourself on taking the time and being patient with yourself. Stay motivated through your teammates.” Ava also said, as if speaking to herself in response to her earlier recollection of her biggest fear concerning her injury, “Don’t give up, know that it is possible to be better than where you were before even if it takes a long time.”
Joey: “Stay disciplined, stay disciplined, and do the work there is to do to come back safely and better. Even though it might get hard, don’t trust your motivation, but your discipline and stay connected, whether it’s to basketball or your family, your friends, your teammates, your coaches, they’re here to support you and you kinda have to lay back on them, take off that weight and know that you’re not alone in your injury.”
Laurent: “Stay strong, be disciplined in your rehab and it’s going to get better. There’s worse things that can happen”. Laurent then followed this statement with a big smile saying, “and to learn from it.”
Kayden: Replying with lots of enthusiasm, Kayden said, “If you have a physiotherapist, definitely do what they tell you to do. Do it as consistently as possible, even if you don’t feel like you have the time. If you’re watching TV, do the stretches, do the exercises. If it’s a commercial break, boom, do it. Before bed, first thing in the morning, get those stuff out of the way, but at the same time, definitely don’t rush the process either. It’s more of a marathon than a sprint. You don’t wanna rush it, get out there too quickly and reinjure it or make it even worse so definitely ease into the process. Never give up, never doubt yourself, and if you do what you gotta do everything will go according to plan, 100%.”
As difficult as they may be, sports injuries inspire discipline, patience, and a positive mindset. Something became apparent to me throughout all of these interviews. It was something I myself encountered when I was going through my sports injuries, and it is something that I now recognize as a universal theme in the lives of athletes who experience a sports injury: adversity breeds resilience. Not only that, but when the thing you love most is taken away from you, you realize what’s really important to you and what you truly value in this life.
This article wouldn’t have been possible without the deeply appreciated contributions of Alex, Ava, Joey, Laurent and Kayden. Wishing them all the best in their future endeavors.
