When I was in kindergarten I used to go watch the Lady Tigers play basketball every game I could. I was obsessed and a HUGE fan. I wanted to be just like several of the players. They were infamous in my eyes at the time. One of the players, at the time, worked in the meat section at IGA and every time I saw her I was star struck. I'd hide behind things and watch her every move and study it to be just like her. Some of them I remember worked at the pool and they were lifeguards that I befriended in my pool rat days. One of the girls who played actually became the assistant volleyball coach for my junior high team my seventh grade year. I was both excited and scared. I had dealt with her a little in basketball camps so I knew she was tough but at the same time I respected her for that because she actually made me work hard at everything. Go hard or go home. Later she became my basketball coach freshman and sophomore year and track coach for all four years. Same thing, I absolutely loathed how hard she pushed me, but at the same time there was respect. I remember when I decided not to play basketball my junior year I think I was more terrified to tell her than even my parents. I was worried about what she'd think. Needless to say she was upset, but she got over it around track season. Quitting basketball was the biggest decision I had made pretty much my entire life up till then. So it was huge, and it definitely helped build my character and who I am today. However my junior and senior year of track are definitely the two events from high school that I would say changed me the most.
The end of my sophomore year of track I ended up tearing my meniscus in my knee and had to have surgery and sit out the state competition. I was so mad, but even more determined to make things work my junior year. However the first day of track that year some scar tissue build up I had after the surgery broke off and was caught in my knee so I had to have yet another surgery to clean that up and was forced to sit out the season. The hardest thing to do as an athlete is to be injured and forced to sit back and watch from the sidelines. At first, I didn't want to be around track at all because it was too depressing, but after awhile, it was too hard to stay away from so I became the "manager." Basically I helped her time girls and helped the jumpers as best as I could. Then, my senior year I told myself that I wasn't going to try anything because I didn't want to screw up my knee for life so I settled for being the manager again and helping out where I was needed. About two weeks in though I could not handle seeing some of the jumpers. It was embarrassing. So I tried it. In my jeans with no shoes. It felt great to jump. So, I asked my coach if she'd let me jump and she was extremely hesitant and told me that I'd have to talk to my parents about it. Those dreadful words. After much discussion I was allowed to jump, but jump only. I had my own relaxed training under the approval of the trainer at the school. I ended up making it to state that year even after hyperextending my other knee before sectionals. That accomplishment is one of the things I am most proud of in my life. I did something nobody thought I could and I went to state for it.
Tuesday I was at my parents house for a Twilight viewing party and my mom's bestie is sisters with my coach. She stopped by my house and I got to talk to her for awhile about life and everything. I could tell she genuinely cared and was curious. I realized in that moment how ridiculous I was hating every time she pushed me just a little harder on EVERYTHING. I can see now how important that was and still is to me today. I am so grateful for all of those practices that I thought I was going to die. I couldn't even come close to seeing it then, but those practices definitely helped make me who I am today.
I think it's funny that no matter how many times you're told when you're young that you'll appreciate those things when you're older, you never listen. But they are always right.
