Ava Highman is the Varsity Journal Rehab Player of the Month. The senior from Regis High School is a dual sport athlete who has competed in basketball and more recently, cross country.
On June 15, 2022, while competing in a summer league basketball game, Highman was dribbling the ball up the court, closely guarded by two defenders. Suddenly, one of the two collided with Highman, causing her to accidentally step on the other’s foot and lose balance. As she lost her footing, Highman’s knee gave way, tearing her meniscus and ACL.
Shortly thereafter it was clear that she would need reconstructive surgery to mend her knee. With her recovery time scheduled to take just over eight months, she realized that she would have to miss her entire junior season of basketball.
Though she was unable to play, Highman continued to attend her team’s practices and games, saying that she looked at her time out as “an opportunity to help [her] teammates in a different way so they could succeed.” While giving advice and staying as involved with the team as she could, she gained a new perspective on the game, saying, “this injury helped me realize how much I missed playing basketball.”
As she sat on the sidelines, she was determined to do all she could to rehabilitate her knee through exercises and physical therapy. She credits her team at Northwoods Therapy for being there for every step along her recovery journey. While working with her physical therapist, she was able to gradually regain flexibility and mobility, giving her a place to move and be active while doing so comfortably. While the strength came back fairly quickly for her, Highman was surprised at how long it took to regain the knee flexibility she once had.
Through exercise and mobility training, she was eventually cleared to play, to the excitement of Highman and her therapist.
When her senior year rolled around, Highman did something that she feels may have come as a shock to those around her when she went out for her school’s Cross Country team. Though this was her first time with this new sport, she found success and became a contributing member on a team that earned a trip to State.
All of this recovery set her up for her senior year of basketball, where she was itching to get back on the court and play.
Highman picked up where she left off, averaging over 12 points and four rebounds per game for Regis. She and her Rambler teammates went on to win the Regional Championship in her senior season, capping off her high school basketball career.
Through all of her recovery, she gained a newfound respect for the process of getting better, saying that one of her favorite parts of being involved in athletics was practicing. Over time, she was able to see progression not only through her physical recovery but also her mindset as she overcame the mental struggles of dealing with a severe injury.
Next fall Highman will be traveling to Decorah, Iowa where she will attend Luther College and compete on their women’s basketball team. Though it was a long and challenging road to recovery, Highman has been determined all along to play basketball at the next level. She was not ready to let a knee injury get in the way of her vision.
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