Personal Narrative: Fractured Femur Playing Basketball

I went up for a layup and got pushed hard in the back. When I came down, I felt my knee buckle and immediately knew something wasn’t right. The sound it made was alarming, proving to be a serious injury - a fractured femur. It was my junior year and I was looking forward to playing basketball and starting to train for the next football season. In my long recovery from this injury, I learned the traits of acceptance, hard work, determination, and vocal leadership.

A few months before the injury, I had been chosen to be captain of the football team by my teammates and coaches. As a junior, I had the best season of my life; I was bigger, faster, and stronger than I had ever been. Then I fractured my femur playing basketball. The doctor said no running or lifting

It was difficult to accept the fact that I would be out for a significant amount of time. I never had an injury before where I had to miss an extended amount of time. Sitting on the sidelines while my teammates working hard to improve was frustrating. I felt like I was cheating as I watched them struggle through workouts while I sat there in street clothes, but realized this wasn't how a leader should act. I couldn’t look sad or disappointed and needed to motivate my teammates to show them I was doing everything in my power to get back.

Another trait I learned because of my injury is that having a good work ethic is important for success. I have always had a good work ethic, but this improved it. In addition, good time management and creatively using my resources was critical on my path to recovery. Instead of socializing with friends during lunch periods, I went to the athletic trainer to do my rehab exercises. Because a single exercise session per day was not enough, I also sacrificed my study hall and spent time after school in the training room. These are good habits that will benefit me in all areas of life - school, home and