Molly is one tough cookie.
Tough cookie.
In June of 2007 my youngest sister tore her ACL while playing volleyball. A few days later my mom and I took her to the doctor in Chicago, where she got the news we were dreading. She was strong, sat attentively and listened, and waited until the doctor left the room before she showed her emotions. She would have to sit on the sidelines through a season that would have been her first on the varsity team.
Molly elected to have surgery in August instead of July so that she could walk down the aisle at my wedding without crutches or a brace. But even before that, she hobbled around Las Vegas on a bum knee to help celebrate my "bachelorettehood." She could have easily stayed home while we went, but she would never have done that. She wouldn't want to let me, or anyone else, down.
So, she endured her knee surgery right before the start of the school year. When she came home, she spent days laying on the couch, her leg in a machine that looked like it was built by NASA. Finally she went to class, physical therapy, and to as many practices and games that she could. She never complained.
This year is Molly's senior year, and she was back on the court this season. It may not have been all that she had hoped for, but when you come back from a serious injury, isn't just stepping onto the court what you hope for? She is a "smart" player, with a load of talent, who had to work extremely hard to win a spot back on the team. And because I had the privilege of coaching, I know that she never once pulled out of a drill, conditioning, or anything else because of the knee that gave her so much pain. In fact, most days she threw that large "robo-knee" brace off so that she could run faster, make quicker movements as she worked her way around the court.
And when Molly wasn't one of the six girls on the court, she was always cheering those girls on, always positive with her teammates. Just like she was last year.
I couldn't be prouder of my youngest sister. Most kids would have let an injury like that end their athletic careers. Most kids would have been discouraged, easily giving up. But not my sister. She overcame her injury, worked hard, and went on to Regionals this year. You may have seen her in the Post-Tribune this morning. She's the one jumping up over the net to block the ball (on a bum knee).
Molly elected to have surgery in August instead of July so that she could walk down the aisle at my wedding without crutches or a brace. But even before that, she hobbled around Las Vegas on a bum knee to help celebrate my "bachelorettehood." She could have easily stayed home while we went, but she would never have done that. She wouldn't want to let me, or anyone else, down.
So, she endured her knee surgery right before the start of the school year. When she came home, she spent days laying on the couch, her leg in a machine that looked like it was built by NASA. Finally she went to class, physical therapy, and to as many practices and games that she could. She never complained.
This year is Molly's senior year, and she was back on the court this season. It may not have been all that she had hoped for, but when you come back from a serious injury, isn't just stepping onto the court what you hope for? She is a "smart" player, with a load of talent, who had to work extremely hard to win a spot back on the team. And because I had the privilege of coaching, I know that she never once pulled out of a drill, conditioning, or anything else because of the knee that gave her so much pain. In fact, most days she threw that large "robo-knee" brace off so that she could run faster, make quicker movements as she worked her way around the court.
And when Molly wasn't one of the six girls on the court, she was always cheering those girls on, always positive with her teammates. Just like she was last year.
I couldn't be prouder of my youngest sister. Most kids would have let an injury like that end their athletic careers. Most kids would have been discouraged, easily giving up. But not my sister. She overcame her injury, worked hard, and went on to Regionals this year. You may have seen her in the Post-Tribune this morning. She's the one jumping up over the net to block the ball (on a bum knee).
Tough cookie.
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