Lilly

I’m tired of setbacks. I’m tired of playing injured. I’m tired of not being able to play because I’m injured. I’m tired of soreness, and getting sick at inopportune times, and being told, “It could be a couple of weeks before you’re ready to play again.” I’m tired of the universe doing its damnedest to hold me back. And I’m tired of fighting it, but I’m not giving up on that.

Watching my team from the sidelines is unimaginably frustrating: I see runs I could have made, passes I could have intercepted, goals I could have scored had I only been on the field with them. But the heavy black brace on my right ankle keeps me shackled to the bench.

At this point it’s a question of fitness. It’s a question of whether I’m willing to put in the work this summer so that I can play at full strength in the fall. It’s a question of how far I can push myself before next spring so that I can have the season of my life to cap off my senior year. And it’s a question that only I have the answer to. ♦