Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Jessica Reece: Encouragement


It is two weeks into the semester and the Lady Bison basketball team is already working hard both mentally and physically to prepare for the upcoming season. 

Encouraging our teammates and working hard are two things we know how to do.  Each player contributes their talents to the team and we respect that each person is different.  That is one of the great things about our team here at Lipscomb, we are a team.  We love each player for who they are and encourage each other and lift one another up when we need it.  Ask any athlete and they will tell you that being on the sidelines is not exactly easy.  That is exactly what I am working through right now.   

At the end of last season I found out that I had a stress fracture in my back and was told to sit out while I wore a back brace for 14 weeks, and even after that I am still working my way back into playing and building my strength up so I can play this season.  It is a huge struggle for me and is frustrating to see myself not where I need to be.  However, I can’t imagine trying to retrain myself on a team where I didn’t have the support and backup that I do on this team.  

My teammates challenge me to work harder during workouts, but at the same time give me hope and love that I need to succeed in building myself back up into the position where I can play and help out my teammates.  Of all the great qualities I have as a result of being a Lady Bison basketball player, the one trait I have been so blessed to see more recently because of my injury, is the true love the girls on the team have for one another. 

I truly believe everything happens for a reason.  Even though being injured is a challenge in many ways, I was opened to see that my teammates are always going to be there for me.  I couldn’t ask for anything else on a basketball team.