Last year at a championship swim meet, as I was jumping on the pool deck, ecstatic for my race, suddenly, the ground came flying at my face, my leg throbbing. My right knee wasn’t moving. I had to rush to the emergency room from the meet, where they told me I dislocated my knee cap. I wasn’t able to compete for a long time. But I knew I had to be there for my teammates. 

Whether I was swimming or not, I was going to attend all the meets. I wanted to watch all of my teammates’ successes and be there for support during the low points. One of the seniors on my team had the brilliant idea to have me take photos for the team since I couldn’t swim. I just wanted to be with my teammates and help them in any way that I could. 

I knew when I got hurt I needed to still be able to be there for my teammates. Becca Berg (’25). Berg, a soccer player and a swimmer, developed achilles tendonitis her freshman year.  Not wanting to stop her sport she kept playing and it only got worse. While trying many different ways to fix her achilles tendonitis such as physical therapy and doctor prescribed steroids. Nothing seemed to fix the problem so Berg’s last solution was to take a break. 

“Obviously having an injury isn’t ideal but taking a rest from sports in order to heal was definitely beneficial for me,” Berg said. 

Despite the devastating idea of not swimming, Berg still wanted to surround herself with her teammates. Be there to watch their successes and provide moral support. 

“I figured I could still be a part of the team by becoming a manager for the season,” Berg said. “I was so glad I could still be a part of the team by coming to meets and team events.”

Berg worked hard to get better and is now Madison’s swim team captain. Despite facing many challenges she still was able to help out her teammates in many ways. Ari Rosenberg (’25), a Madison Football player fractured his right foot. It started as a stress fracture which became much more severe when it got stepped on at the Lake Braddock Football game.   

Doctors told Rosenberg he would need surgery and that he would not be able to play for the rest of the season. Obviously getting injured was not ideal but Ari made the best out of the situation. He wanted to be a leader for his fellow teammates and help them with anything they needed. 

“I’m able to help the people who have filled in for my position,” Rosenberg said. “I also make sure all the guys on the offense know their assignments and stay level headed throughout games.”

Athletes can be at the top of their game, and in the blink of an eye, it can all come crashing down. All the training, all the time, the money, the work you put in, down the drain, wasted, pointless and feeling like there’s nothing anyone can say to help. Wanting to keep getting better but the doctor says to stop. Some give up, some take a break, but others want to be there with their teammates.