Big Man On Campus
As you know girls and boys basketball ball is right around the corner. The teams have been practicing for a couple months now and are ready to play.
Aside from sharpening their skills, preseason practices prepare players bodies for a long season and to help prevent injuries.
One injury common among females is the ACL injury
104 girls have torn their ACL this year playing sports, according to sports doctor, Andrea Stracciolini. She said the older you get the more injuries we tend to see, kids get more competitive and take games seriously and it’s seen a lot in aggressive sport.
Being one of many teens to suffer an ACL tear Sophomore Makayla Carles has been striving to overcome it.
June 5, the summer after 7th grade at a summer league game, Carles took a charge and the girl’s knee hit hers, making it hyper extend and tearing her ACL. She went to therapy every day and pushed herself. She then worked on her skills at clinics and private lessons.
She has good advice for any girl dealing with an ACL injury, “Don’t let it stop you. I tore my ACL and then shortly after broke my wrist, coincidentally my shooting hand. Now I’m either a 6th man or a starter for Varsity. Never give up. When life gives you lemons, make orange juice and leave the world wondering how you did it.”
After tearing her ACL and having a broken wrist, Carles managed to recover and earn a varsity basketball letter in 9th grade!
Missing two years had made her work 10 times harder than before. Tearing her ACL has set her back, but she’s coming back and ready to make this season memorable.
“We’ve been practicing drills such as 11-man, 2 man break, 3 man weave, kings drill, and 5 spot shooting,” says Carles.
“We run through plays and scrimmages for offense, and do defensive slides and run different defenses against JV”
Carles plays basketball because it helps her relieve stress and she loves the intensity/competitiveness.
Balancing school work and sports is hard for any person. “Having an 8th period study hall really helps me, I usually get all my work done before I even leave school.”
Carles as a freshman last year had 89 points, roughly 3 per game.
Not only does Carles play basketball, but also has just completed her sophomore year of volleyball.
This volleyball season she accomplished 3 digs, 1.5 digs per set!
