October 16th, 2015, is a day I will never forget. I can still summon up the popping sound I heard that day. The journey that followed was a time full of strict demands. This was my agenda for many months. I had to meet these demands in order to get to where I am today, and to complete my return to basketball.
That mid-October day, we were playing against Carleton. For those who don't know me, this is the closest to home I will ever get while wearing an Acadia uniform. So I was playing in front of family and friends in this our first game of a pre-season tournament, in Ottawa. I heard that pop when I was going up for a rebound in traffic. As it was very early in the game, my homecoming was over three minutes after the game started. I feared the worst about my body and the diagnosis to come. I could feel the swelling and throbbing pick up as if it were a drum beating faster and faster. The on-site Athletic Therapist performed multiple knee stability tests and I knew in my gut this was something I had never, ever felt before. I was afraid to hear the three letter acronym that every athlete fears, A-C-L, come out of the therapist's mouth. Although not confirmed, and without any imaging, it was clear as day that I wouldn't be suiting up again that year. I remember being in that room after the game getting evaluated with Coach Duffie, and Coach De Palma by my side. I didn't even know what to say to them. I was gutted, coming off the previous year of rebuilding as a team. We had started this new season with high expectations, and it crushed me that I wasn't going to be involved.
A few days later it was official when the MRI results became known, no simple way to put it other than I had done a 'number' on my knee. It was worse than initially expected, I had torn my ACL and MCL, torn the meniscus, and had an osteo-condrial fracture of my femur. Getting this news was without a doubt the low point of the journey.
People often say how quickly things can change for someone in sport, with the blink of an eye I had left behind the feeling that I was primed for my best season as an Axeman, and that I could contribute to what had the potential to be a promising season for our team. I had come off a very competitive summer of training and was now crutching around campus while others hold doors for me.
In weeks to follow, I was on a mission to get the healing process started. The swelling had begun to slowly improve and surgery was on the horizon. The comeback needed to set its course. I needed to do everything in my power to make sure my knee was in the best shape it could be heading into surgery.
After meeting with several doctors both on the East Coast and in Ontario I was referred to Dr. Chris Raynor, an Ottawa orthopedic surgeon who was able to perform the exact procedure I needed. Dr. Raynor recognized the severity of the injury, but he spoke to me in a way that made me feel 100% confident that I would be able to make the comeback. Dr. Raynor inspired me from the second I walked into his office and he said something that stayed with me throughout my rehab. He explained that his job was the easy part, he would only spend three hours performing the surgery while I was on the operating table. He went on to inform me that the hard part was on my plate. He explained how it was going to take months of hard work, patience, discipline and the following of explicit instructions to fully recover…. but it was going to happen. He was going to do his part, he said. He asked, me if I was I going to do mine. I left the room feeling like I had just had a motivational speech from a coach. It fired me up.
I needed that. I needed a challenge. I had been on the sidelines for weeks watching practices. The waiting was over. It was time to rock and roll.
When surgery was completed. The days and weeks following it were tough, every little movement took so much energy out of me. It was exhausting trying to tie my own shoes, or move from the couch to my bedroom. Sleeping was very difficult, I had a full leg splint on and the sound of an ice machine running cycles around my swollen leg through the night. In my head at that moment playing basketball again felt like a million miles away.
When rehab was set to begin, I was able to work with Dr.Raynor and his staff closely during my therapy program. Dr. Raynor owns a multipurpose health facility in Ottawa called Human2.0. I was able to work with his physiotherapist Jethro Constant, who knew the exact work Dr. Raynor had performed on my knee.
I will never forget the pain that I experienced during my first rehab session. It hurt more than the moment of the injury. Breaking through the scar tissue and moving my knee for the first time since surgery was what brought on that pain. I knew then that I was going to be in for a challenge and that this was going to be hard. I credit Jethro for his aggressive approach to my rehab and for how much he pushed me throughout the entire time I worked with him. He not only prepared a plan specific to me but he also brought passion to each session and was just as excited for me, as I was when I hit certain milestones. He told me every day that pain was to be welcomed, and that pushing myself out of my comfort zone was going to be required in order to get back on the floor.
Throughout the comeback, we had to master many tasks before moving onto the next stage. I say "we" because it was truly a team effort with everybody involved. Therapy steps included gaining full range of motion, learning to walk properly again, jogging, jumping, sprinting, change of direction movements, and then introducing uncontrolled contact and live situations. Plyometrics was an integral part of my program as well as strength, balance and agility exercises. One of the key themes was proper mobility post injury. It was very hard. No other way to put it. At times I felt stalled and wondered when things would be normal again. There was homework to be done every day between rehab sessions whether it was in the weight room, stretching and working on mobility, working out in the pool, or on the field or track. The mountain seemed hard at times, but the climb taught me more than I ever could have imagined. Being patient and learning to appreciate the process of accomplishing small steps prior to moving on was something I recognized from this injury. Cutting corners would get me nowhere, and that was in my head each day.
Anyone who goes through the process of building themselves back up after a major reconstructive surgery knows that it takes so much out of you both mentally and physically, and many of the challenges and struggles can feel extremely daunting. A big takeaway for me was that I had to trust that all of the work I had to put in was going to pay off. The work I put in allowed me to be confident in preparing to move on to each next step. As I sit here and write this with a few games left before our current squad heads into conference playoffs and the national championship, I can appreciate overcoming those obstacles that much more.
An experience I often looked back on during the struggles of the injury was when I was back in the Scotiabank Centre, in Halifax, a few months out of surgery watching my Acadia teammates compete in the playoffs. That was an exciting time for the team, and being in that building in front of thousands of Acadia supporters and Atlantic Canada basketball fans really had me excited. I was so pumped for my teammates that I did some of my rehab while the guys were warming up outside the locker room. That was the night we had the pleasure of watching a young Ben Miller bring the house to its feet on Quarterfinal Friday against CBU…. three after three… he had me jumping off the bench before I was supposed to, thankfully no re-injury occurred.
It is special, now, to be a few weeks away from heading back into that building. I was talking with Coach De Palma the other day about how amazing it is to have come full circle from that moment and for me to be able to contribute this time on an elite AUS team.
There were so many moments which I missed. The pregame excitement, crowds, being involved in big moment basketball, and the competitiveness of working and prepping with your teammates and friends towards the common goal of a championship. Those were all things I re-experienced that weekend when I was watching, and after that night it stayed with me that I wanted to be back in that competitive atmosphere. This also helped to drive me to work towards playing again.
The time came that I was officially cleared to return to basketball. It was about a year ago to date. I felt confident enough to start to actually play again. I wanted to get back in the game in as many ways that I could. I decided to help coach a bantam basketball team in my hometown of Brockville, Ontario with a former coach of mine, Larry Smith. That allowed me to channel my passion for the game in a different way and allowed me to think X's and O's again from a different perspective. It also gave me time to get my head back into the game by giving me a few months to work my way up to playing and training at 100%. At the beginning of my recovery, I had been limited to shooting while seated and stationary. Now I was at the stage where I could jump, cut, run, and move to the ball at full tilt while my father tirelessly chased down my rebounds. I was also eventually ready to play in a spring/summer basketball league which was the last box I needed to check before I felt I was ready to play this season.
Truthfully, because I had graduated with my degree in May of 2016, I did not think I would be back in an Acadia jersey this year. That reality was really tough on me, as I had not been able to finish off my Acadia playing days, with my recruiting class, on my own terms. However, as time passed, and things changed, the opportunity came back up after a few long distance phone calls with Coach Duffie. It hit me where I wanted to be.
In the days following my decision to return to Acadia, the excitement began to build. Recognizing the opportunity to be on a team that was hosting nationals and would be a strong veteran team in the AUS, it cemented all of those competitive feelings associated with playing basketball that I had missed so much. The game day buzz around campus and in the community, being able to play on Stu Aberdeen court in front of, at times, 1200 people, where you are the biggest game in town, and reuniting with former teammates and coaches, was what drove me this summer to make sure I did everything I needed to be ready to play. The motivation of having a second chance, when many do not get this opportunity was the silver lining for me. Although my recovery was the hardest, most, exhausting year of my life, I am fortunate to have been granted a medical redshirt year of eligibility and to be able to finish off my time as a student-athlete at Acadia the right way.
When I arrived on campus I was taken back by the personal support and positive encouragement I received upon my return. Bumping into familiar faces, this time not on crutches was great! Seeing the excitement rallying around the team on campus and in the Valley was noticeable right away. On my road trip back I remember getting off at Exit 10 towards Wolfville and it felt like home.
This period in my life really made me realize what an incredible support system I have. Many groups of people in the Acadia community were very helpful. To name only a few, professors, physiotherapists, strength coaches, athletic therapists, teammates, and the athletic department went out of their way to assist and encourage me when I needed it most. Coaches Duffie, De Palma, and Veinot were very supportive and maintained communication. All of this truly meant a lot.
During my time at home recovering, I am forever grateful for the countless number of health professionals I had contact with; physiotherapists, osteopaths, chiropractors, the list is endless. They believed in me and helped me in returning to the hardwood. It has been amazing to keep in touch with so many of the above supporters and see their excitement for me now that I'm playing again. They keep tabs on our team and I, as well, they send positive messages of support and encouragement. Being pushed and supported by my hometown trainer Clarke Flynn and the group of athletes and friends I train with at his gym was extremely beneficial during all stages of rehab. It was a big part of my getting back into game shape and ready to play. For that, I am very appreciative.
Looking at the next month as a team, we want to perform well and win for all of our supporters who have been with us for the entire journey. Individually, it means a lot to return and get this second chance and be back in healthy shape. I am appreciating every moment of this season and will continue to take it all in and soak up these next few weeks as I finish up my time as an Axeman. I know as a senior player, you don't get these moments back so making the most of the experience while wearing this jersey and recognizing the opportunities that are in front of my teammates and I in the coming weeks is paramount.
Last but certainly not least, I cannot finish this article without recognizing my parents. They have always been my biggest supporters, and they were there for me throughout this entire injury. I asked a lot of them and they were unbelievably supportive through many ups and downs. They had to adapt their lives and schedules around me and I never heard any complaints. They were instrumental in keeping my spirits up and knew when to give me a pep talk or hold me back from being too ambitious. To have them in Wolfville for our season-opening weekend this year was a full circle experience and one that was special for all of us. I also can't forget my sister who was always checking in with me with positivity and lending a hand when she was around.
I will forever be thankful for the opportunity to play at Acadia. Through the surgeries, victories and all the peaks and valleys in between, I am thankful to those who were apart of the journey and helped me with my return to basketball.
Rhys Larry #24