Challenges are hard for anyone to face head on and overcome, but that is exactly what Osceola junior Payton Hill did—twice. She understands the difficulties she had to fight against and the strength she had to keep when she tore both of her ACLs during her first two years of high school basketball.
“Rehab wasn’t easy,” Hill said. “It was definitely a challenge, but I got through it. I practiced more, worked more, ate healthier, and stayed positive.”
Her restrictions and limitations are not stopping her from returning to basketball, either. “’Payton’s Principles’ is what they’re called. I agree with them, but I don’t necessarily like them,” Hill said. “Safety is all that matters, though. I am more cautious with my leg movement, and I stretch more often.”
The first preseason game for the Lady Warriors’ basketball team this week against Countryside will be Hill’s first time back on the court since last December. “I’m nervous, but I feel good about my team, even if it is small,” she said.
After working hard in rehab her freshman year and returning once again for half of her sophomore year, Hill says that the experience taught her a lesson to remember and wants to give advice to anyone who is struggling with any kind of tough situation, whether it be an injury or another difficulty in life. “It shows you how determined and dedicated you are for something,” she said. “If you stay strong, stay positive, and work for it, your work will pay off some time in the future.”
Lady Warriors’ basketball head coach Melissa Schmidt says Payton is not like most athletes. “I wasn’t present for the first time Payton tore her ACL, but I saw how hurt and torn she was when she tore it the second time,” Schmidt said. “I wondered if it was going to end her career as it would with most athletes, but I saw all the work she put in while she was out. She was so observant when she was on the sideline and learned. Payton turned a tragedy into an opportunity to become a better basketball player. Her hunger and desire grew, and I was so impressed with the amount of effort she put into her rehabbing process.”
Schmidt says advice for Payton was limited, but the coaching staff did implement ‘Payton’s Principles’. “They are designed to keep Payton healthy and limit physical contact as she returns to the game,” she said.
Schmidt expects Hill to take on a leadership role this Lady Warriors’ basketball season. “I expect her to be able to apply all that she was able to learn last year from being able to observe from the sideline,” she said. “But most importantly, I expect her to fill the role that she needs to in order to make this team successful, and I have no doubt in my mind that she will be able to do that for us.”