Battlefield:D toughest/saddest moment.

January 9, 2010-Gilroy, California- An overwhelming rush of adrenaline ran through my veins. It was the battle I had been anticipating to fight for quite some time. I suited up for war and as I stared into the mirror I looked at the number that reflected off–#23; the jersey number of greatly respected soldiers that had made their names around the world: Michael Jordan, Lebron James, and soon to be, Charlene Asuncion. I adjusted my armor for war by carefully securing my Nike shoes. I got my only weapons prepared by stretching every muscle in my body. It was almost time. I silently prayed for a great fight for I was under a massive load of pressure; I felt like a balloon ready to burst. My entire family would be watching my battle from the stands and I had to perform at by best. After a deep breath and gaining some composure, I faced my fellow soldiers who would fight this battle with me; a basketball war.

I made eye contact with each of my soldiers and gave a quick motivational speech. As captain of my troops, I ensured that they were pumped up and ready to perform to the best of their abilities. I concluded the speech with a booming “JAGS ON 3!” We assembled in a compact circle, hands gathered on top of one another in the middle, “ONE, TWO, THREE…JAGS!” We burst out of the locker room, energized and filled with anxiety, and stepped on to the battlefield.

We began our warm-ups. I made every single lay-up, left and right; the ball released from my finger tops in perfect form, as if I were made to play the game. I knew I was going to have an extraordinary game- so I thought.

“FIVE, FOUR, THREE, TWO, ONE….BUZZZ!” The audience applauded as the battle came to begin. Tip off time; our enemy’s possession. As the opposing point guard dribbled the ball swiftly down the court, I hustled down to play defense. My eyes met the ball and it flew through the air and into the hands of the point guard’s teammate. I quickly put myself in perfect defensive position, knees bent and arms out; I swept the ball from the offense’s hands. Dribbling the ball with my left hand, only ten seconds into the game, I went my hardest down the court for a left-handed lay-up… CRACK, TWIST, CRASH, SCREAM… I found myself on the gym floor in an excruciating amount of pain. My left knee felt like it had been shot from the inside and it immediately began to swell- the worst pain I’ve ever felt in my life.

After hearing my pitiful cries and screams, my coach immediately rushed towards me. She examined my knee and attempted to make me move it. The pain of my left knee was just too much; I could neither move nor put pressure on it. I was then carried to my team’s bench where I was given ice to stop the swelling. I prayed that this was only a minor injury, but no. I later found out that it was an ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) tear and I would not only need surgery to replace the ligament, but I would not be able to play basketball for the next 7 months. This was the worst news I had ever heard in my life; not only did my team and I lose our battle, but I could no longer fight alongside my teammates for the rest of the season. I felt as if I let my team down because captains are not supposed to get wounded in battle; they’re supposed to be the strongest, the one that the team relies on.

Throughout my rehabilitation period, I learned patience, how much I take my physical abilities for granted, and the real meaning of teammates. Although I had the yearning to play basketball just one month after the incident, I had to be patient, wait, and let my knee slowly heal through intense physical therapy and rest. I also realized how much physical abilities, even if it’s just walking, get us thorough our daily lives. Crutching in the rain from class to class made me truly appreciate my legs and my other functioning body parts that we overlook. What ultimately got me through 7 months deprived of basketball were my teammates. Each day my teammates would ask about my condition and encourage me to get back up and playing; they showed they cared, which gave me the motivation to push through.

Now, 7 months later, my left knee is even stronger than it was pre-injury and I am playing basketball just as hard as I was before. As basketball season approaches, I once again prepare for war and battle and this time, I refuse to lose. The battle must be won; the basketball war.