Macy Malin’s first appearance on the court earlier this week lasted an uneventful minute or two. She played some defense, helped work the ball up the court, and took a 3-pointer which rimmed out.
That trend continued for the next three quarters, a couple minutes at a time. Her stat line listed two points made; just two points lost amidst a 66-38 victory against Barnesville.
Hardly a decisive amount, but those two points meant more to Malin than all but a select group of people in that gym Monday night will ever know.
Like most teenagers, the St. Clairsville senior’s life has been disrupted, to be kind, by the coronavirus. And like most, she’s learned to deal. But life dealt Malin an extra cruel hand this summer when she injured her knee, tearing her ACL just prior to her senior soccer season.
Malin had turned in an incredible junior season just months prior, earning all-Ohio honors and ramping up big expectations for her senior year and beyond. But life, as it often does, had other plans.
Soccer was her constant despite all that COVID-19 had taken away from Malin and her peers. She never imagined that too would be taken from her.
“Soccer was definitely something I wasn’t ready to give up,” Malin said. “I had a lot of anticipation leading up to my big senior season to finish my high school career, which I never got to live out.
“When COVID hit, I didn’t think about how much it would have affected our soccer season and senior year. Saying I felt cursed was a good way to put how much this injury has changed my life.”
Big Dreams Tempered
“My dream since I was in kiddie kick soccer was to play Division I soccer,” Malin admitted.
Might she have made that dream a reality? It’s possible. An honor student with a real talent for putting the ball in the back of the net, Malin certainly made waves during the coming out party her junior season.
Those are all just hypotheticals now. But fortunately, Malin’s soccer career isn’t over.
“My dreams changed a little bit after I tore my ACL, so now I am grateful for the opportunity to attend Walsh University,” Malin said. “I am excited to announce I plan to continue my soccer career and major in nursing. I am so excited and blessed for this opportunity to be able to play at the college level after this tough year.”
It’s not Division I, but Walsh is no slouch. The Cavaliers won the Great Midwest Athletic Conference tournament in 2019-20 before falling to Findlay in the NCAA regional tournament. It was Walsh’s second straight season reaching the G-MAC title game.
It certainly helps to make up for having to watch her sister, Megan, and their Red Devils’ teammates capture the district championship this fall from the sideline.
Earlier in the season against Edison, the Devils’ and Wildcats’ coaching staffs agreed to allow Macy to come out onto the field and score a goal, her 60th of her career. It was an emotional day, but it didn’t make up for not being out there every game.
“The toughest part of my recovery was definitely sitting on the sidelines,” Malin admitted. “Playing sports was my life, and so when that was taken away, I felt lost. I didn’t know mentally how to deal with all the free time I had.”
Malin credits former Red Devils Dan Monteroso and Emily Vera for serving as mentors and offering encouragement during her recovery. Both Monteroso and Vera suffered and successfully overcame similar knee injuries during their playing careers.
The Long Road Back
No road back from an ACL tear is easy. Every person’s recovery is different, but many agree that it’s the mental aspect that’s more arduous a challenge to overcome than the physical.
Physical therapy is the easy part by comparison. But Malin credit’s her vast support system for keeping her going.
“My teammates from both soccer and basketball were super supportive throughout my recovery,” she said. “They were always making sure to include me and make me laugh when I was having a hard time.
“My family was also a big part of my mental recovery. I’d go through some rough patches of crying and doubting my comeback, but they always believed that I would recover and helped me see the light at the end of the tunnel.”
She’s also thankful for Justin Kiger and the staff at Mountain River Physical Therapy for helping her with the physical work of recovery.
A lot of people, knowingly or unknowingly, played a part in helping Malin prepare for last Monday’s first steps onto the court during a live game.
“I can honestly say I don’t think I would be playing sports right now if it wasn’t for all the people I had around me helping.”
Those First Steps
But she is playing, and not just in a token or symbolic fashion for a play or two. Malin is expected to run and cut, shoot and defend with her teammates. Given the okay to practice a few weeks ago, she’s been increasing her workload and her minutes in an effort to prepare for game action.
Still, she admits she was a little nervous.
“I would be lying if I said I wasn’t the least bit nervous,” Malin said. “To be honest I kind of felt like a freshman again, coming off the bench in a varsity game. I was just telling myself don’t do something dumb, don’t foul, and don’t get hurt.
“The more minutes I had in the game, the less I actually worried about my knee.”
She’s not the only one worrying.
Red Devils coach Stacey Agnew didn’t think Malin would return until the end of January at the earliest. But she was cleared to practice, and he slowly started working her in, careful not to allow her to do too much too soon.
“We thought it’d be the end of the month, and she could get a few games in,” Agnew said. “But she came last week and said she could go. She’s standing next to me with tears in her eyes asking to go in (at practice) and I told her to just relax; we’d get there.
“She got released last Thursday, so we decided to let her play a couple of minutes at a time (Monday). It’s great to see her back because as a senior, that’s tough. She’s a good kid who works hard and does what she’s supposed to do.”
Now Malin will try to help her teammates get ready for the stretch run and postseason play which is rapidly approaching.
“Playing sports, competing, and winning are all things I love to do, and nothing means more than getting to experience it alongside all my teammates and my sister,” Malin said. “I don’t have I have anything to prove to anyone but myself, and being able to come back from an injury so quickly and to be able to play, I proved to myself that I’m a lot stronger and more determined than I thought.
“I just hope I can deliver for Coach Agnew and my teammates.”
