Purple Streaks of Courage
- Updated: August 9, 2016
Purple flares rolled down her leg like paint. A color so pungent and poignant that it was reminded of the popsicle she had eaten earlier. Popsicles are one thing, but an ankle was not supposed to look that color. As teammate Bea Hernandez massaged her foot to try to reduce the swelling, there was no tears or any sign of pain. There was only the grind that came with being a junior college athlete.
The fateful night that started off by blocking pain would end in sheer agony. In the second set Pierce College outside hitter Kristen White went to turn in her progression making her usual turn to send a booming shot over the net. As she went to plant, her entire left leg gave way and in a few moments, Ken Stanley Court which was rocking with energy stood still as White laid on the floor with her hands tucked into her face.
Two weeks later, it was revealed that White had torn her ACL, MCL, PCL and her LCL all in one play to end what had been a promising season.
“When I first hurt my knee I was thinking that I was going to be back in three weeks and that it was going to be minor,” White said. “After I had found out that I had torn my ligaments, it was hard. The court is my home and my teammates are my family. The day that I tore it, I didn’t think that much of it until I got my MRI results.”
For a lot of athletes, an injury of that magnitude sometimes takes a year at least to come back from and often times can end careers. Derrick Rose who had already torn his ACL, later tore his meniscus and missed 11 months. Former Milwaukee Bucks sharpshooter Michael Redd tore his ACL and was never the same player.
Yet White just three weeks after her surgery was back trying to get the strength back in her knee. She woke up in the early mornings of spring semester to lift weights and strengthen her core. She also walked on a resistance treadmill to stay in shape. Her teammates watched her work tirelessly on end as she approached the day that would allow her to go home to her court.
Tearing all four major ligaments in the same knee and coming back in a nine month span? It’s a testament to the type of player she is says coach Nabil Mardini and was a missing piece to the Brahmas puzzle when they lost in last year’s state championship game to Cabrillo College.
“She was definitely missed because in that match for whatever reason we did not pass the ball well,”Mardini said. “We beat everybody in the serving and passing battle all year except for this match and once again why we missed her. The fact that she could come in and play all six rotations was vital and she was the only one that could really do that for us last year.”
More than her snappy serves and booming shots, the biggest thing that fellow sophomore Whitley Doss says was missing on the court during the championship run in 2015 was White’s infectious energy.
“Kristen is the ultimate competitor and one of the best teammates you could ask for,” Doss said. “She’s got fire and she’s got passion. She’s always there for every one of us and she works hard for each individual.”
Even as White continues to progress in her development, Mardini says there are still many challenges that lay ahead before she is back to playing at an elite level. Mardini also has experience in dealing with career-threatening with major injuries. In 2013, he tore his Achilles and the usually active coach was forced to coach from the bench that season.
“When you come back from injuries, the thing to need to get back is your confidence and that takes time,” Mardini said. “She needs to get back her fitness which is what she is working but she just needs to continue to grow through the rehab and she’ll be fine.”
For White even after the injury her attitude has remained the same and feels that last season was only the beginning.
“The way I looked at the injury, I saw it as an opportunity. Sometimes the greatest falls make for even greater comebacks.”
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