Winning for 22: Alex Poythress and Lauren Hill

“Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says I’ll try again tomorrow.”

This is a quote by Mary Anne Radmacher. This also happens to be Alex Poythress’ favorite quote, and the inspiration behind the #RoarFor22 movement after Poythress suffered an ACL tear two days before the UNC game.

When I learned AP would be out for the season due to a torn ACL, I was legitimately upset for the junior. I had every expectation (along with many others) this would be his breakout season. His experience and leadership as a junior is something that hasn’t been common in the Calipari-era at Kentucky and after an injury sidelined fellow junior Willie Cauley-Stein during the Cats’ tourney run back in March- fans were excited to have to two return to the court—together—and avenge their UConn loss.

As I read the press release I was sick to my stomach for AP. I was sad that he would miss a chance to play with such a talented and stacked team. I was sad he would potentially miss a national title game. I was sad this could be the end of his college career and was worried at the slight chance it could be the end of his basketball career all together. When I got on twitter, I realized I wasn’t the only fan concerned for Poythress’ well-being. There were a variety of hashtags floating around the twitter-verse.

  One hashtag I saw used for Alex Poythress, was #PlayFor22. That’s when reality hit me. Poythress tore his Anterior Cruciate Ligament, or ACL. According to orthoinfo.org, symptoms of this include: When you injure your anterior cruciate ligament, you might hear a “popping” noise and you may feel your knee give out from under you. Other typical symptoms include:

• Pain with swelling. Within 24 hours, your knee will swell. If ignored, the swelling and pain may resolve on its own. However, if you attempt to return to sports, your knee will probably be unstable and you risk causing further damage to the cushioning cartilage (meniscus) of your knee.
• Loss of full range of motion

• Tenderness along the joint line

• Discomfort while walking

Per UK Athletics, once he has had the surgery (no date has been announced) the timetable for recovery is 6-8 months. Poythress has an insurance policy and Calipari assured that IF he were to not play basketball again, “he would be a millionaire”. ACL injuries are becoming more and more prominent in the league. Players like Derrick Rose, Ricky Rubio, and even UK’s own Rajon Rondo and Nerlens Noel. More often than not, a year removed from the surgery players make their return- sometimes, “stronger than ever”.

Alex Poythress has received an outpouring of support from UK fans and people in and around college hoops period. This support is much deserved- I cannot fathom having my sport taken away from me for a season (especially when it was likely going to be my career) and dealing with the fear of both surgery and the future struggles to come.   Poythress, as I said, had insurance through UK. He has a team of brothers and an entire (Big Blue) nation of support. He is on track to graduate early in May. Alex Poythress is going to be all-right.

Dec 7, 2014; Lexington, KY, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard forward Alex Poythress (22) blocks the shot of Eastern Kentucky Colonels guard Timmy Knipp (22) in the second half at Rupp Arena. The Kentucky Wildcats defeated the Eastern Kentucky Colonels 82-49. Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports

On the online-sphere, and even in the real world (I’m guilty of this too), people are acting like AP is dead/dying. He isn’t. He has a torn ligament that is going to be surgically repaired by top surgeons and he is going to have rehab with some of the best in the country. He is going to have encouragement and support along the way. He is going to be all right.

Back to why reality hit me over a hashtag.

 #PlayFor22

For those who didn’t know- this hashtag was coined long before Alex tore his ACL; Lauren Hill coined it. Coincidently, the two play the same sport, wear the same jersey number but have an entirely different journey.

theblaze.com

Many of you already know her story, she’s perhaps one of the most courageous ball players around. If you haven’t, well remember, “Courage doesn’t always roar.” If you don’t know Lauern, a quick Google search should do the trick.

Hill, for those unaware, is a 19-year old battling a rare form of brain cancer. Hill committed to play basketball at a small division-3 school just weeks before her diagnosis at the age of 18. Hill was given until December (this month). Determined, she played in her first college basketball game after the NCAA voted to move Mount St. Joseph’s first game of the season up 2 weeks- with hope she would be healthy enough to play. She scored 4 points that day, and 2 in each game afterwards. Even after being placed hospice care, Hill still played in her first home game at the Mount, scoring 2 points from her signature layup.

Hill’s brain cancer has caused her to lose a lot of function in her dominant hand and has affected her hearing and sight- making it hard to do daily tasks, and basketball an even harder feat. Through her hashtag #Layup4Lauren, she has raised thousands of dollars for The Cure Starts Now Fund for childhood cancer and DIPG.

According to thecurestartsnow.org, DIPG (Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma) is a disease which strikes at the heart of childhood.

Consider the following:

• Lung cancer has a survival rate of 80% if caught in the early stages to less than 5% if caught in stage 4.
• Breast cancer has typically an 80-90% survival rate
• Leukemia has a 48% survival rate
• Less than 10% of DIPG children will live longer than 18 months from diagnosis. Survival is even more rare.

  DIPG affects the pons portion of the brainstem, rendering nervous system function impossible. Symptoms include double vision, inability to close the eyelids completely, dropping one side of the face, and difficulty chewing and swallowing. Unfortunately these symptoms usually worsen rapidly because the tumor is rapidly growing.

#PlayFor22 

The hashtag Lauren’s coaches and teammates came up with- their motivation for the season. While Lauren’s days are numbered, she still courageously fights to play the game and make it another day.

Hill isn’t trying to make it another season. She’s trying to make in another day- a game is an added bonus.

freep.com

We live in a culture where ball sometimes is life. I’m guilty of immersing myself in the sports world just as much as the next person- but sometimes I have to snap out of it, we all do. When I hear of another athlete going down due to injury on ESPN I‘m sick for them. Jabari Parker, DeMarco Murray, Julius Randle…the list goes on. We talk about how unfortunate it is for a guy with so much potential and a season full of promise…and it is unfortunate. Injuries are never fun, they’re never easy, they really may never be the same player they were before.

I’m still sad for Alex Poythress. I’m sad I won’t see him on the court again this season. I was sad watching him sit during the UNC game Saturday…but AP is going to be okay. Lauren Hill- what she faces is tougher than any ACL injury, or any injury for that matter. We tend to have very similar reactions between the two- they aren’t similar. Alex Poythress will be ok. Lauren Hill will not.

#RoarFor22- lets do it.

#AllTheWayForAP- I’m game.

#DestroyForPoy- all in.

But #PlayFor22- that’s all Lauren Hill.

Courage doesn’t always roar. But in my experience, it does wear #22.

theblaze.com

kentucky.com

This post isn’t meant to say don’t be sad for Alex, because I am too. But sometimes, myself included, we have to realize there is more going on than just sports, and that ball is not actually life.

If you’re interested in helping Lauren’s cause, you can donate here.