Harris chooses Kalamazoo Valley Community College
Addison Harris landed wrong during volleyball last fall.
Immediately, she knew there was a problem. No one was around her when it happened to cause the injury, like landing on another player's foot. She feared the worst. After waiting for the weekend to pass, she ended up getting an MRI and the worst was confirmed.
She had torn her ACL. As a senior, she figured her athletic career was over.
“Immediately, I thought everything was over,” Harris said from softball practice on a rainy April day. “I figured I was never going to play again, or at least I’d never be the same.”
But now, just six months later, Harris is playing softball once again and helping out the Lady Vikings as a senior leader. Sure, she missed out on playing volleyball and basketball this season, but being able to get back onto the field of play just a handful of months after surgery is an impressive feat.
Harris’ softball career is not over, either. She will complete her senior year, her third season playing on varsity for aunt Becky Gray, then move on to the college ranks. Harris will be continuing her academic and softball careers with Kalamazoo Valley Community College.
“I was definitely hesitant on where I was gonna go, I had a couple of schools interested in me,” Harris said. “I thought Kalamazoo Valley was the best fit for me because it’s a smaller school and closer to home.”
Gray said Harris has the versatility and ability to have an impact at the next level. Her adaptability to various positions and being coachable are both positives for a collegiate player to be.
“I think she is adaptable, she has gone through quite a few injuries in a short career. She is willing to go play right field, go play third base, go wherever they put her and she will do her best,” Gray said. “That will help her quickly at the next level.”
Harris said the first week back to physical therapy following her surgery was tough. Mentally, it put a lot of strain and angst on her, but in the end she became better for it. Running bases and playing softball had a bit of some nervousness in the beginning following the injury, but Harris said she doesn’t feel different.
Gray said Harris going through some adversity should help make her a tougher player in college.
“When you get to college, everybody is just as good as you, so you have to adjust to that,” she said. “Whatever you get out of it, it’s because you’ve earned it.”
In the classroom, she plans to study chemistry. Harris has aspirations of becoming a dental hygienist once she is done at KVCC. At the high school level, one of Harris’ favorite subjets is her personal finance class.
This course helps students learn how to balance checkbooks, for instance. Harris said it has helped her learn a lot about the real world and has been a positive class for her.
“It’s the most beneficial class I have taken while in high school,” she said.
So as her senior year continues to wind down to an end, Harris is keeping things in perspective. She has encountered, and grown from a handful of injuries, including a severe one that kept her off the athletic court for a pair of sports. But now, at least, she gets a chance to finish playing her high school career on the softball diamond and have a bright future.
She is looking forward to her new environment once at school, as well.
“I’m excited about a fresh start. It’s great here and I love playing for my aunt, but a new start sounds good as well,” she said. “I will get to meet new people and I’m excited for that. But I’m also not ready for high school to be over. I’ll miss the environment and my friends. I’ve grown up with these kids.”
This article originally appeared on Sturgis Journal: Harris chooses Kalamazoo Valley Community College
