The Determination To Play Against All Odds
For many athletes, a torn anterior cruciate ligament is a 12 month recover period, which means an immediate end to one’s season and potentially the end of one’s athletic career. Montclair State women’s soccer player Amanda Eustice went through the injury twice in the last seven years in both of her legs, once in her freshman year of high school and again in her sophomore year of college. This past August, Eustice tore a portion of her meniscuses in her right knee, which brought an end to her junior year season. When the injury happened, she was jumping for the ball in a practice drill when she landed awkwardly on her knee. Eustice immediately feared the worst when she hit the ground.
“I started crying my eyes out and I thought to myself, ‘I just tore my ACL again,’ I Immediately started bending my leg quickly and making sure I can tighten it quickly and do all these things that come with an ACL,” Eustice said.
According to her doctor, the injury to her right knee requires at minimum of a 5–6 week recovery, but she would not be 100% until the early part of 2018. Eustice explained that while this injury is less serious then her previously two torn ACL’s, she feels that the emotional toll on her is just as heartbreaking.
“It is something so hard to go through, because this is the third time. I don’t know if this is my body telling me ‘you can’t do this anymore,’ or my body just can’t take it. That to me is the hardest part,” Eustice said.
Eustice’s mother Janie Davin explained how upset she was when she found out about her daughters third serious knee injury saying it was not fair to her daughter, because she loves the game so much. Davin added that while she wants her daughter to be happy, as a mother, she wants what is best for her.
“[If it were me] I would retire from soccer,” Davin said. “I know she wants to play for the love of the game, but that is only for one or two more years…I am against her playing.”
Eustice plans to sit out the remainder of the 2017 season despite the possibility of being back in two months. Even though the odds are against her, she plans to use this time to get healthy for her senior season in 2018. While many of her loved ones are against the decision, a former adversary’s unfortunate outcome is what keeps Eustice motivated to finish her career on her terms.
“A girl that I played high school soccer with [as an opponent], she just tore her ACL for the first time. She said [In an Instagram post], ‘Unwillingly my collegiate soccer career has ended unexpectedly,’ knowing I have this whole other year I can play, I don’t want to seem like I’m quitting or giving up,” Eustice said.
Despite being scared for her daughter’s safety and for her long term health, Davin is very supportive of Eustice’s decision to continue and attempt a comeback next year.
“You are only young once. I think if that is what she really wants and she knows the repercussions, I say go for it,” Davin said.
Eustice added on by saying that no matter what happens in 2018, she will look back on the experience and be proud knowing she gave it everything she had.
“Why not end it on a great note my senior year, and what if something happens? At least I know I tried,” Eustice said. “I might not play next year…but I know I am not going to regret it in the future, because I know I did play and I did try, because if I am sitting 30 years from now and I wasn’t going to play my senior year, I would look back and say, ‘What if?’”
