<\/p>\n
FORTY FORT \u2014 The news hit Isabel Sikora harder than a Mike Tyson uppercut.<\/p>\n
The Holy Redeemer senior never expected to hear that her ACL was torn. She wasn\u2019t mentally prepared to hear those words from her doctor.<\/p>\n
Afterall, she knew what a torn ACL felt like, sustaining one in her younger days.\u00a0That\u2019s why those thoughts never crossed her mind. She thought it was a sprain, maybe even a meniscus.<\/p>\n
Not an ACL.<\/p>\n
\u201cI can\u2019t even explain the shock because an ACL was the last thing that I assumed,\u201d she said. \u201cI work out three times a week and I do strength and agility training. I was doing single-leg box jumps onto an 18-inch box with a bad leg. There was no possible way this was true. When my doctor told me it was an ACL, my jaw probably dropped to the floor. It was insane with me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Just like that, her senior year \u2014 one where she was hoping to reach the 50-career goal mark early in the season \u2014 was over.<\/p>\n
\u201cKnowing that I could have potentially reached that a few games into the season, it was really difficult. I was so insanely upset over it for months. But I felt that I had to accept it and get back into things. It was really hard at first, I won\u2019t lie,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Sikora isn\u2019t 100% sure what happened.<\/p>\n
It was her junior year at Holy Redeemer, but she believes it happened in the Royals\u2019 first scrimmage.<\/p>\n
Like she\u2019s done many times in her career, the prolific scorer was inside the box, getting ready to do what she\u2019s does best: Rip the back of the net.<\/p>\n
Instead of twisting her whole body toward the open net, she believes her knee just twisted.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn my mind, I wasn\u2019t thinking ACL since it was my second time. I already knew what it felt like,\u201d she said. \u201cThe trainer did a bunch of tests and everyone assumed it was a sprain. I took some time off, and I ended up wearing a brace for the rest of the season. I would randomly feel it tweak up here and there, so I kind of figured that it might be the meniscus. I ended up getting the MRI, and it ended up being the ACL and meniscus. It was a huge shock to me.\u201d<\/p>\n
This isn\u2019t where Sikora\u2019s story ends.<\/p>\n
Instead, the senior Royal decided to pen a new chapter.<\/p>\n
Her surgery was at the end of March. That meant her career as a Redeemer player was cut short.<\/p>\n
But she took a new road.<\/p>\n
A road that led her to dabbling as a player-coach.<\/p>\n
\u201cEven though I can\u2019t physically play on the team, I really wanted to be involved. This is my senior year and I wanted to do everything that I could,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019m there for all of the underclassmen. A lot of them come up and ask me what they can do to fix certain things. It\u2019s fulfilling.\u201d<\/p>\n
How much did the coaches and teammates respect what Sikora was doing?<\/p>\n
They voted her as a team captain.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s something that I never expected. I am very grateful for the opportunity, and I am so glad that my teammates and coaches still saw me in that light. For me, it was a great way to see the good in a bad situation.\u201d<\/p>\n
And she\u2019s making the most of it.<\/p>\n
She gives advice. She\u2019s seeing the game like she\u2019s never watched it before. She\u2019s able to really break down the field in a way that\u2019s even surprised her.<\/p>\n
Basically, its shining a huge spotlight on her passion, but from a different angle.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it\u2019s different to have a player on the sidelines just because the player knows what its like to play on the field. Really, it\u2019s good to provide that insight as a player. During halftime, it\u2019s crazy how different the field is when you are just watching. I can confidently say that I have learned so much from just watching the game, and I\u2019ve learned so much more about playing it. It\u2019s come a lot easier to me to pick out where my team needs to work.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy coach always gives time at halftime for the captains to speak, and I\u2019ll always have something to say. It\u2019s so rewarding to see the girls take my advice to heart and try to fix it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her playing days aren\u2019t done, yet.<\/p>\n
Sikora just got cleared to begin running, and will see her surgeon at the end of the month to see how much progress she\u2019s made in six months.<\/p>\n
In a perfect world, she\u2019ll be able to return back to the pitch in mid-December or January to join her club team.<\/p>\n
Several college coaches have been in touch with her, and as of now, Drexel is her top option.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve sent him the film, and he said he liked what he saw and to keep him updated on everything. Once I\u2019m able to play, they said they would come out and watch me, and hopefully, we can get the ball rolling a little more,\u201d she said. \u201cSeeing everyone out there, I am just so anxious to get out there for travel soccer. I will admit it wasn\u2019t easy to have this mindset. There was so much on my mind, but I knew this is what I wanted to do for my teammates and coaches. There is no way I can stay away. I couldn\u2019t just leave soccer for the nine months.\u201d<\/p>\n
And as for coaching in the future?<\/p>\n
\u201cHey, you never know,\u201d she laughed. \u201cI never really thought about it. It does seem like an interesting thing. I feel like I am still in that player\u2019s mindset. Down the road, I wouldn\u2019t be opposed to it because I do enjoy like the coaching part of it. Knowing that the girls do listen, it\u2019s so nice to see that you see something, you tell them and it gets fixed. It\u2019s been rewarding.\u201d<\/p>\n
Originally Published: