It was a week before our football season opener. The team was as focused as ever, and with each practice that went by, we felt more and more ready to take on the season. We took our places for a lineman drill and as the ball was snapped, I felt a pop, my leg turned into a strand of spaghetti and I tumbled to the ground. I was scared and in a panic. Before I could comprehend what happened, Upper Campus Athletic Trainer Javier Margarito grabbed my knee and began to test its integrity, moving it back and forth. At that moment, the only thought going through my mind was whether or not my season was over. After thirty minutes on the ice machine, Javi tightly wrapped my leg in tens of layers of fabric, and my teammates helped me as I waddled to my car. In the days that followed, the only thing I could think about was when I would return to playing, and so, I found myself in Javi’s office for hours on end, training my hardest to get back. 

   As he continued to examine my knee and its recovery, it became clear that I would need a hard-to-find brace even to consider returning to the field — a brace that required a doctor’s prescription and a lot of time. As I heard Javi explain the situation, I was overwhelmed with defeat. 

   During this time, however, my teammate, senior Ethan Roh’s, father Eugene Roh heard about my injury and reached out to help me. Being a sports doctor, he stepped in to help me find the brace I needed. Through an arduous process that involved reaching out to multiple suppliers, Roh could locate a brace and ship it out to me. 

   Realizing that I would have the chance to play again this season, Margarito created a rehab plan that allowed me to ramp up effectively before playing in my first game. Every single day, my teammates would push me to work harder even when I felt like my rehab was not progressing. They kept me updated on new plays and concepts so that I wouldn’t fall behind when I returned to practice. Without my teammates’ support, my recovery would not have been nearly as smooth. The support of the Pinewood community, from coaches, parents to teammates, truly enabled me to push myself and get back to playing the game I love. 

   This experience is something that has impacted other Pinewood athletes as well. When I heard that Ethan Roh had gone down with a nasty ankle injury during Basketball practice, I felt horrible for him. Knowing how my teammates supported me through rehab, I made sure to do the same for Roh. Day by day, I saw Roh making progress as he checked in with Javi and worked through his rehabilitation.

   “When I needed to do rehab, [Margarito] was always there for me, giving me feedback and constantly checking on my ankle,” Roh recalled.

   He was grateful for the several rehab sessions that he did with Margarito, even though, at the time, it may have felt as though he was making little progress.

   “My teammates and even members of other Pinewood teams would always check up on me and they made efforts to support me through my recovery,” Roh said.

   With the support of the Pinewood community, Roh got ahead in his rehab process and was able to return to action earlier than anticipated, making his basketball debut against Eastside Preparatory. Although recovering from significant injuries is always a demanding task, Pinewood’s caring community gives student-athletes the support they need to get through their rehabilitation and get back to their sports.