Feb. 12, 2023
By Anastasia Loutroutzis
Webmaster
I used to be a sports-oriented person. I never prioritized school, and I would always argue with my mom that sports were more important than academics. That quickly changed exactly one year ago.
It was my first season back playing club volleyball after a six-month recovery due to a concussion. It was early in the season, and my team, Sideout Sports in Fairfield, was competing in a tournament for teams from New Jersey and New York.
I hit the ball, and when I made a single-foot landing on my right foot, I heard a cracking noise. At that moment, I assumed my knee was broken. I felt no pain in my knee, though. It just felt numb. The only pain I felt was the thought that, yet again, another season was over for me.
It was a rare coincidence that a surgeon, who specializes in ACL surgeries, was at my tournament. His daughter was on one of the opposing teams, so he immediately came to offer assistance.
Not being able to walk on my own for three months, difficult physical therapy sessions three days a week and needing assistance with every move I made for two weeks post-operation taught me a lot about patience.
Then, I went to an appointment with a doctor. There, I got confirmation that I had torn my ACL and would need surgery to repair it.
I underwent surgery in March to reconstruct my ACL, and my recovery is still in progress.
When I was young, I always looked up to the high school volleyball players. I couldn’t wait to become just like them. Now, I am a high schooler, but my injury has caused me to fall short of my potential as a volleyball player.
My devastating injury has brought me physical and emotional pain, but it has also equipped me with important life lessons and exposed me to new experiences.
Not being able to walk on my own for three months, having difficult physical therapy sessions three days a week and needing assistance with every move I made for two weeks post-operation taught me a lot about patience.
Furthermore, if I hadn’t torn my ACL, I would never have studied so diligently for the SAT or done so much research about prospective colleges. So now, instead of waking up early on the weekends to go to a swim meet or a volleyball tournament, I wake up for a five-and-a-half-hour session of SAT prep.
What upsets me most is when people doubt me and make me feel like there is no point in going back to playing volleyball. I am nervous to be back on the court late in the spring, but I am not going to let my fears prevent me from pursuing an interest that I love and for which I have passion.
Recently, I was talking to a former teacher who told me not to worry about the aftermath of my injury and instead embrace the new me. That stuck with me because it made me realize how much I have matured since my injury.
As much as I’m trying to focus on the positive, I can’t wait to be back on the volleyball court surrounded by the teammates I have missed so much. After this injury, nothing I face will seem too painful or too challenging because I have had the resilience to get through a long and character-building process.
