One wrong step changed everything. What started as a normal basketball practice quickly became the end of my volleyball career when an unknown injury forced me to replace the court with crutches. Most athletes never believe that their last game will actually be their last. I didn’t either, until the day an injury ended my volleyball career forever, forcing me to say goodbye to the court far sooner than I had ever planned.
It all started on a Sunday morning during my eighth-grade year’s basketball practice. We were doing reverse layups when I messed up my rebound and went back to try again. The moment always rings in my mind. Maybe if I hadn’t tried again to perfect it, I’d still be playing the sport I planned my life around.
I asked my father, Lynn Roberson, a 35-year coach, what types of injuries he has seen most often that have ended careers. And what is the percentage of students who end up with career-ending injuries? He responded: “Out of every 100 athletes I’ve coached, every 5% end up with career-ending injuries.”
To add to that, I interviewed my physical therapist, who is a teacher at Cashmere High School, Steve Mongeon, and asked him the same question, and he gave a pretty similar answer. Mongeon said that it wasn’t at all common and only roughly 5% of his student-athlete patients end up with such injuries.
I also asked Mongeon what types of injuries he has seen most that ended their careers. His honest answer was singularly “the knee”. Which is what brings me to my sister’s interview. My sister, Zoe Roberson, had everything planned out, including colleges lined up to get her to play, but then, in her junior year, she tore both ACLs. That is when her career ended. She was only 14 years old the first time it happened and a 16-year-old the second time. Just like that, a girl made for a sports career, done.
My father, on the other hand, exclaimed that he had a student whose brothers were in the NBA, and she was on her way to the WNBA, Miss Lauren Holiday, before 5 concussions took her out for good.
I asked my father how he would support athletes emotionally when they realize they can’t return to the sport they love. I know I needed support most when I found out I couldn’t play, and none of my coaches were there to comfort me. He explained to me how they assign them to sports psychologists. He also told me how they try to still include them by having them assist in team management and help them move forward in any way they can participate.
It wasn’t easy on my parents after my injury either. My dad said that he didn’t expect it to be as severe since it wasn’t something anyone could fully see. He also spoke about how it was hard for him to watch that happen to me and destroy my career because he had seen me making amazing progress as I played more and more.
I honestly believe that the hardest part of my injury was not knowing what completely happened and why it ended my career as a volleyball player.