The energy of the crowd bounces off the packed stadium. Cheers erupt, popcorn flies, and athletes huddle around one another. Once the whistle blows, there is no turning back.
Welcome to a typical sporting event at Beavercreek High School. From football and track to soccer and lacrosse, Beavercreek is known for its highly competitive athletic program. However, the real question is what happens when players have setbacks, and how do they overcome them head-on?
BHS junior and women’s lacrosse player Samantha “Sam” Oxner has experienced exactly what this is like. Sam was only in 7th grade when she began to experience intense pain in her hip. As it turned out, this seemingly temporary pain was caused by a tear in her hip labrum due to genetic hip dysplasia. Before she knew it, she would need to have not one, but two hip surgeries, all in the span of just 2 years.
Lacrosse had always been a huge part of Sam’s life, and she felt as if she couldn’t catch a break. “You don’t think about how being on a team helps you,” Sam mentioned, recounting her feelings after both surgeries. “Even though you’re still there when you’re injured, you’re not on the field and getting the same team aspect. You’re getting the outside looking in.” She described that while being unable to play, she hadn’t realized at first how much she relied on people to be happy, and would often experience severe loneliness during bed rest.
Despite these struggles, Sam decided to flip the switch on her injury. In order to stay motivated and go through strenuous hours of rehab, Sam envisioned herself getting cleared for sophomore tryouts after being unable to play her freshman year. She pushed through the remaining pain and was not only able to play but, also found joy in other aspects of life, not just her sport. Thanks to her family, including her parents and three older brothers, as well as her friends, Sam came back stronger than ever.
Speaking about her hip struggles and what the experience taught her, Sam said, “It made me think more about people who are injured and made me more empathetic to people who feel alone.” Although Sam had given her blood, sweat, and tears to move past this setback, she felt as if it had shown her more about herself as an athlete, student, and individual in general. Sam’s story is one of many that shape the sports we know and love today, teaching us how to overcome athletic hardship. Through her experiences, she emphasizes the determination athletes show in returning to their sports and inspires them to persevere through anything thrown their way.
