Karson Zumwalt and Her New Perspective
By Kenzee Hampton
2020-2021, The basketball season where every game could be the last of the season. For junior Karson Zumwalt, it is not her regular basketball season, and COVID-19 is not the only thing affecting it. Zumwalt tore her ACL at the end of July while playing in a game with her competitive team. At the beginning of August, she had surgery. Even though she is not able to play this year, it has still been chaotic.
She confesses, “It’s been more hectic because we never know if the games we’re playing are going to be our last.”
She has learned about herself, the sport and her teammate after being out for around six months.
Zumwalt explains, “I have learned a lot about how to be a leader, not just on the court… but a leader on the sidelines and in practice. I feel like since I have been learning to be a leader off the court, I have gotten to learn about my teammates better.”
These past months have shown Zumwalt how dedicated her team is to basketball.
She declares, “I have always been on the court but knowing how hard everyone else pushes in practice and how hard our managers and coaches work behind the scenes has been really eye opening.”
Picture of Taylor Rose (Taken by Christian Campbell)
With this new perspective for Zumwalt, she has been able to recognize what roles her teammates play. Someone that has stuck out to Zumwalt is Taylor Rose; she is a junior and is not known for being the loud one on the court.
Zumwalt asserts, “I learned there are a lot of quiet leaders; they do not necessarily lead by what they say, but they lead by their actions… She (Taylor Rose) sets an example for the people and the effort she puts forth during practice.”
An injury always comes with questioning and the unknown but not so much with Zumwalt; she is not worried about re-entry because two lower class men also had an ACL injury (Laila Hamilton and Kynlie Wilson ). They have paved the way and shown Zumwalt there is nothing to be scared about.
She said, “They have shown that after you get cleared that there is nothing to worry about re-entry. They play like nothing ever happened, and I am not really worried about re-entry cause they set an example for me.”
Next month, Zumwalt will be cleared and will be able to play. With all she has learned, she will apply it to the next game she will play.
With her fearless mindset of re-entry, she stated, “ I am going to give it everything I have and give everything left in the tank. “
Follow Zumwalt on her healing journey by supporting the Owasso Rams Girls Basketball Team. Their next game will be Tuesday, January 12, at Bixby.