Success Stories

1. When did you start playing sports? What were the sports or activities?

I initially began playing sports very young, as in kindergarten. I started with tee ball, baton, and dancing, then eventually worked into a little bit of gymnastics and volleyball, basketball, and softball. The actual school based teams did not begin until 7th grade, and those were volleyball and basketball.

2. When did you start a strength and conditioning program?

We started lifting probably my sophomore year in high school.

3. Describe the strength and conditioning program, was it mostly on machines, year-round, half-year etc.

The lifting I can actually remember doing were timed stations for volleyball. For instance, we would do the hamstring curl for 30 seconds, then move to the leg extensions for 30 seconds, etc. We did a big leg press, but we never squatted or did cleans or dead lifts back then. We would lift probably 2 to 3 times a week during the summer and a little during season. For basketball it wasn't stations it was more or less just specific lifts and we had to keep track of what we were lifting. We didn't max out or anything, just were given basic lifts and tracked our weights.

4. Did you ever do any jump training (plyometrics)? Were you taught how to land properly?

We did some ploys for volleyball during one summer. It was with medicine balls and jump ropes mostly. I was never taught to land properly, heck my volleyball approach isn't correct so we definitely didn't talk about landing! In fact, it's funny to learn now how bad my knees are when I land. They come inward when I land when they really shouldn't.

5. What was your high school sports experience like? Ex. how many sports did you play, were your coaches knowledgeable?

I really enjoyed my high school experience because I played with my friends and I felt like the coaches really cared about my well being. I never wanted it to end (then). In high school I played volleyball and basketball. I think the coaches were very knowledgeable on the mechanics of the game, but not so much on the specific physical training. And back then no one had a strength and conditioning coach that you see now at high schools.

6. Were you recruited by colleges as a senior in high school?

Yes, Capital, Marietta, Kent State wanted me to walk on.

7. Why did you choose the college that you attended?

I chose Capital because of it's location, I was interested in coming to Columbus and I wanted to play volleyball. So they coincided and there I was. :)

8. What was your biggest adjustment to life as a college athlete? How did you handle it?

Time. Time can be your greatest asset or liability. It's 100% how you make use of your time. Since there's no one telling you to do your laundry (or doing it for you), you have to take the initiative to do what needs to be done when it needs to be done. I handled my "time freedom" by staying busy. I work better when there's more on my plate so I can manage my time better. I actually graduated a semester early because I took around 18 hours a semester. That plus volleyball kept me a busy girl and made me value my time more.

9. Biggest disappointment as a college athlete? How did you handle it?

Biggest disappointment was not coming back strong enough for my Senior year after I had torn my ACL. I was doing well in the beginning of my Junior year, I was teaching camps with Coach Briggs and I was teaching the skills that I needed to work on. (She's a genius like that). So I had spent my summer working on 'step-hops,' our footwork technique for passing. I remember vividly coach calling me the "primary passer" and I was ecstatic at how far I'd come and how much I'd grown. There was potential that I would serve-receive in every rotation! Then I tore my ACL in the last game of the first tournament. I'm one of those overly optimistic people and I didn't believe it was torn until we heard back from the MRI readings. I remember just bawling my eyes out. Once I realized I was truly done for the year, I lost it. In my mind, my life had ended and the sole definition of who I was had been taken from me. You really connect with your athletic abilities... kind of like when you're an adult and people as what you do or what you are - most people always say their profession. It was similar to that in college. I was a volleyball player. So, long story short, I did not come back as well as I wanted to. I was behind both physically and mentally. I handled the returning aspect pretty positively. I think I still lead my teammates on and off the court the best a could. But I was no where near where I was or wanted to be physically.

10. How did you tear the ACL in both occasions?

Sept. '03 First time I tore my ACL was going up to block a setter in a game. Blocking setter dumps was a weakness of mine. So in this instance, I recall wanting to stay in the air just a little bit longer. Haha. Of course she ended up setting it outside and I came down and just remember falling to the ground. I felt my knee shift, but not pop (another reason I was probably optimistic). I ended up having surgery that season soon after and my recovery time took 6 long months. They replaced my ACL with my opposite leg's hamstring piece. The second time I was playing basketball (Feb. '07) with my fiancé and his team. It was all boys but I was convinced I could still hang. :) I generally played point guard and I went to drive the lane. My left knee hit the defense's right knee and I went down. This time it absolutely popped, started to swell quickly and I knew it was gone.

11. Was it painful?

The initial pop or shift is a very strange feeling. A little painful yes, nothing too crazy though. But once that occurs it doesn't hurt at all. It's more or less just something has left your leg and it feels very unstable. You can definitely walk on it (esp.. the second time around when you know what's going on). After the surgery is definitely painful. You've go scars bleeding and you're drugged up and you can't bend your leg. That part is the most painful by far.

12. Describe the rehab process and how you handled being sidelined with an injury.

The first time around, they put me in an immobilizer and I was on crutches for 10 days after surgery (and crutches prior to the surgery). Rehab started a few days after the surgery. You have to work extremely hard to both straighten your leg and bend it. So your degrees of bendage is something to really watch and get excited about. (that's some advice, get excited about your progress. It's the biggest piece of your life at that time and it's something you should really work hard on). I would rehab the whole time the girls' practiced, so for about 3 hours a day I was in the training room and doing all kinds of different things to get better. The most painful part of rehab occurred when I couldn't get my leg straight enough. I had to lay on the table with my leg, from my knee down, hanging off the table. Then they put some weight around my ankle and I had to relax my leg. I laid there and just cried, but it had to be done to get my leg straight, and it was better than the other alternative. Being sidelined was probably the hardest part of the injury. It was absolutely painful and it sucked to rehab, but it hurt more to stand on the sides while my team tied for the league. It's like I was worthless and added no value to the team. The girls were great about making me feel welcome and loved, but it wasn't the same and it couldn't be the same. I unfortunately felt very sorry for myself and that was probably my worst move. It took my coach telling me to get over myself to really make me upset and then make me realize she was right. I hated hearing it, but eventually it clicked. Funny how it's kind of changed my life all together. :)

13. Did you return to competition in your 4 years of college?

After I tore my ACL my Junior year I did return to play my Senior year. I was set to graduate in December, so sticking around for another year essentially to play volleyball again wasn't really an option. So technically I have another year of eligibility.

14. Describe the different types of rehab and which one was the most effective.

Rehab at the college level was very hand held. I think since you're working with student athletic trainers a lot of times, they don't know how or when to really push you. I think there is more concern there that they will hurt you and therefore don't want to be the ones to push too hard. After college, you have to consider how many visits your insurance will cover first and foremost. Since my insurance covered only 21 visits, I started out going once a week to see my trainer and the rest of the week I was on my own. I felt like since I'd been this route before, I was comfortable taking some control. However, for people doing it their first time, I don't know how they get by with only 21 visits. About 2 months into it I went up to 2 times a week and 3 months into it, it was 3 visits a week. With the post-college rehab I was definitely pushed a lot more. I did a DAPRE weight lifting program to make my knee strong again. It was very effective, but also very tough. I remember walking out feeling is though I could collapse. But it was also probably a different experience because I knew what to expect and planned on soreness being a way of life.

15. How do you feel now? Have you resumed your normal active lifestyle.

I feel fine now. I play volleyball in some intramural leagues, both sand and indoor. I don't have to wear a brace and I'm comfortable and confident with that being so. Going back to the post college rehab, one of the questions they ask you is "what do you want to accomplish when you're done here." I told them I wanted to play again. I wanted to run and jump as normal. With that being the case, they could gear my rehab towards accomplishing those goals. For others it might to just walk properly again.

16. Do you have any advice for other maturing female athletes.

In regards to injury:

1. Aim to excel the best you can in your rehab program. It will be physically and mentally exhausting, but if you're not willing to work at it and realize that the little things you do now are important, you'll never get back to where you were.

2. Get over yourself. I played the boo-hoo game myself and looking back, I realize that it got me no where. Not only did my rehab suffer, but my studies and my social life as well. I made poor decisions because I was too busy feeling sad about myself. It's important to realize that you're not the only one that goes through this and you will play again (if you revert to point #1). :)

In general:

1. Sports will teach you things you can never learn otherwise. I've had to play with some of the nicest people and some who did the worst possible things to me. But as a team, all of that went away when you stepped on the court. It didn't matter what she did or what she said an hour ago, on the team, she played this role and we all had to play our roles to be successful.

2. Don't be greedy. You play a role on a team because you're the best at it. However, that role might not always be the most fun or rewarding, but essential. (I saw this this year when I was coaching HS JV volleyball.) For instance, a middle hitter might not get a ton of sets because her primary roles are blocking and holding the hitter. As a middle hitter you must be the most unselfish player around. So accept your role and play it to your best abilities... because people really do notice all the effort your showing.

3. Realize that playing a sport is really training for life. Sometimes it's hard to remember there is life outside the court, especially when you're in college and even high school sometimes. Appreciate your opportunity and then carry over the advice and training into your daily life. Heck, take it with you to job interviews! That's how I landed my first job after college. Most of my answers about teamwork, communication, commitment, passion, punctuality... were commonly driven from sports.