From basketball to hockey to soccer, many Skyline High School athletes have been sidelined this past year due to injuries. Despite countless setbacks, these three athletes were able to recover and return to the competition through rest, physical therapy, and even surgery.
Skyline High School student and athlete Kennedy Wassef (‘26) was off the court for multiple games after a serious concussion. While playing soccer, Wassef collided with the goalpost. “I was playing goalie during soccer, and I dove to save the ball. I did save it, but when I dove, I hit my head on the goal post.”
Wassef recovered from her injury after some time away from games and practice. She also completed physical therapy for her eyes and balance. “I had to go to Med Sport for my eyes, because apparently they were off track from my concussion…it was causing more headaches than usual and causing issues.” The physical recovery didn’t seem to cause an issue for Wassef; however, the mental aspect of not playing a sport for those few weeks took a toll on her. “It’s just hard going from practicing every day with those people not being able to play at all,” said Wassef. “Even though I went to the games, it was hard to feel like a part of the team when I was sitting on the bench.”
Ben Begosso (‘26) sustained a kidney laceration during his hockey game last season, when he was thrown into the wall by the opposing team and “flew into an open door.” Although no physical therapy was required for this injury, he spent a few months resting before he was able to get back into the swing of things. “I was just playing no contact for… four months,” said Begosso. Although shaken up, the injury didn’t affect him physically in the long run, but it did affect him mentally. “It felt weird going from having practice every day to not having anything to do after school. I was a lot less productive and became much more introverted for those months.”
Skyline High School soccer player Adira Maze (‘26) received one of the more serious knee injuries known to the sports world, an ACL tear. While skiing on a break last year, she tore not only her ACL, but the other two ligaments in her knee as well. “I tore my ACL, meniscus, and MCL,” explained Maze. “I was skiing in Aspen, I went over a jump that I couldn’t see, and my leg twisted, and I landed on it twisted.”
After a surgery and extensive months of physical therapy 2-3 times a week, she was able to recover and come back to soccer. She has been playing soccer since she was five and has jumped right back into the swing of things. “Definitely, when I first started, I was more cautious going into tackles, but I try not to be,” said Maze.
Her extensive recovery time affected her day-to-day routine, as she was no longer able to practice with her friends, and instead spent most of her time going to physical therapy or the gym alone. “The thing that was really hard about it was just the isolation and loneliness I felt,” said Maze. “It was just hard to stay positive because it felt like I would never recover, and I just missed being with my team.”
