Become the best version of yourself

Throughout my basketball career, it had been pretty difficult to not compare myself with those around me. Whether they were my own teammates or women from the opposing teams; I sometimes catch myself falling into that same situation today. However, it is important that I notice it and pull myself out of that mindset. Basketball was not my first sport, I continuously make that statement to ensure, not only to others, but to myself that I have come a very long way and still have a long way to go.

I am learning every day, about myself and the sport and that is ok. Not knowing is what makes us become better, if we knew it all, what would be the point of getting out of bed each day?

My assistant coach from my first year at University of San Francisco pulled me aside one day after a practice and had a long conversation about my abilities and where I could end up. She made sure I understood that comparison will always be the thing that brings me down and holds me there. She said to me that day, "Stop comparing and start competing". I know I was capable of acheiving greater things during my collegiate career and so did she, but having the doubt in my abilities along with constantly comparing myself to those around me was keeping me in a place that forced my coaches to begin to lose trust and confidence in who I was as a player and a person. Even after my college career, that same disadvantage followed me through my first three seasons as a professional. I was a key part of a championship my team and I had won in Colombia in 2021. Along with having an important role during my first season in Mexico, right up until playoffs where I was completely taken out of the rotation and our team lost in a Game 7 final. My biggest issue was comparing myself with women who had dedicated almost their entire life to the sport, learning about it, practicing it and having the repetitions to fail and continue moving past it with confidence. I was the complete opposite, no one ever really taught me the game, I was always placed in situations that when I failed it mattered, so I never got the chance to build that confidence. I was constantly upset at the coaches, I was upset at the circumstances, I was upset that I did not begin playing basketball sooner, I was upset at almost everything that was not in my control. And that was the issue; I was upset at all the things I could not control.

Fast forward to today, to the position I am in, to the people I am surrounded by, to the circumstance I am in, to the role I placed myself into, and I am a completely different person. A completely different player, and a completely different teammate. I could hear a few peoples' voices reading this and saying "It's about time you've learned something Veronica" and all I can say to that is, yes, you're right. It is about time. It is about time I matured and accepted the fact that not everyone is placed in your life to help you postively. As much as I craved guidance, I realized that guidance can only come from within. And I don't mean that in a spiritual sense, however lowkey I do, but I have started to realize that meant understanding YOU. Knowing what works for YOU and when to apply that new knowledge.

What is the point of this blog? The point is that this week alone I have come across situations that have forced me to go back and look within. I have come across people on social media comparing themselves or comparing others to each other and a few sharing that not everyone has the answers to everybody's problems and I completely agree. We only have the answers to our own problems, so it is our own personal job to dissect our issues and understand why we have these problems. Where did they come from and how can we fix them ourselves, because no one is here to solve them for us. There may be people out there who can guide us but they can and will only guide you a part of the way, it is your job to analyze and come up with a solution. The only time comparing is acceptable is if you're comparing yourself to who YOU were the day before.

Here is a specific example using myself and this past week: we were scheduled to play 6 games in 9 days, on game 3 I had stepped on someone's foot coming down after a three point shot attempt. I did not even notice the shot had gone in because I was already halfway down the court hopping on one-leg. Words could not describe the pain I was in in that moment. I continued the game regardless of the pain I was in because I did not want to look like an injury so small could keep me from competing at a high level. Boy, was I a fucking dummy for that, it kept me out of practice the entire week along with not being able to play in the next three games. I was disappointed and felt like I let me teammates down, we won the three games but it still made my heart heavy knowing I was not available for them when and if they needed me.

Not many people know, but this was not just a small injury. The ankle that I rolled was the same ankle I had JUST been rehabbing. The past year I was told that my anterior talofibular ligament (ATFL) had been completely torn and no one could really tell me how long it had been like that, but the inflammation in that part of the ankle was horrifying. I was told that surgery was an option but the results would not clearly give me an advantage nor was it certain that I would recover well enough to continue competing at a high level due to the many screws that would need to be drilled into my fibular malleolus.

Luckily, I was introduced to an amazing sports physical therapist in Ecuador who had experience with another athlete that had a very similar story. He told me what I needed to do, and taught me a specific tape job that I would have to use in order for me to even have the stability to continue to rehab, and compete, for the rest of my career, until I decided to get the surgery. That small ankle sprain reignited the battle of rehabbing and getting back to competition.

The doctor and physical therapists my current team has is such an amazing group of people, they are very knowledgeable and have such a positive record of getting our bodies back to competition. However, they were struggling to get my swelling to decrease and was very worried about my return timetable.

I asked them to keep the faith in their procedure and allow me to do the rest. By the end of the second day of the injury my swelling had decreased significantly that they were nothing short of amazed with my progress. The doctor continuously bragged that I am the only one who truly knows and understands my ankle. And he is absolutely correct. I stopped comparing myself to other athletes' sprained ankles and remembered what worked for me specifically. During the past year I had researched and studied everything there was to know about the ankle, and eventhough I came across the same types of information, I noticed that my ankle was not like everyone else's, my body, nor my mind was like anyone else's so I could not treat, rehab or act like everyone else. Day after day, I repeatedly did as my body and ankle asked of me and now exactly 7 days later I will be integrated into a full practice and the doctor has given me the ok to play on the weekend, with another revision from him prior of course.

The message for this week was to believe in yourself. Trust yourself and the things you have overcame in your past to become better for your future. I overcame my simple injury but this lesson has more to do with learning what is best for you. And to not compare your injuries, your body, your mind or your abilities with those around you. Be true to who you are and where you are in this journey we call life.

Life is beautiful and so are you.

Value. Inspire. Persevere. <3