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nfortunately, Havens’ intuition seemed correct. Right on the brink of Regionals, she tore her labrum, spraining her rotator cuff in her right shoulder. Though Havens suffered a great deal of pain the team’s success at state clouded her thoughts. “My injury is now the hardest thing I have ever had to deal with concerning water polo,” she said. “I was in so much pain I immediately thought that I wouldn’t be able to play in state and that I was going to let my team down. Thank god I throw with my left arm.” Though she currently needs a Bankart Repair surgery, a pulled out socket did not disable Havens from playing, she continued to defy her injury in order to lead her team to victory. “My coach and I are going to try to strengthen my shoulder throughout the year with exercises before the season starts so it’ll give me a better chance of making it through season,”she said. “Hopefully I will not be sitting out this season considering as a student at Cy Creek it will be my last” School, water polo, sleep. Even with Havens’ plans for her future in jeopardy over her injury, she continues to do what she does best. School, water polo, sleep. “The injury has taught me that I never really appreciated water polo I always dreaded going to practice but now that I can’t
do everything like I used to,I miss it a lot,” she said. “I let a lot of people down my parents, coach and team by not getting the surgery in the summer but my coach and parents want me to still play and try to push through.” Havens plans to do everything she can to remain a part of the team, but simply cheering on the sidelines will not last. “I want to be in the water so bad to actually help my team. I think about my injury getting worse all the time, it’s a very stressful subject for me,” she said. “Just from the past few weeks of swim practice it has gotten worse and it scares me that I won’t get to play polo.” Though Havens plans to play, she constantly thinks about life without water polo, wondering what she missed out on in the last 11 years. “I’ll have more time for school and focusing on studying but I haven’t decided yet what I will do with all the free time I have, but I know I have to do something athletic cause I have too much energy not to,” she said. As she tries to find the best time to get her surgery, Havens said she will continue to play through her last season. “Water polo has helped me a lot throughout high school, it gives me motivation to work harder in school and get better grades to stay eligible, and it has taught me to be patient with others and teamwork,”she said.“You can’t play water polo without getting in the water.”
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WATER POLO HAS HELPED ME A LOT THROUGHOUT HIGH SCHOOL, IT GIVES ME MOTIVATION TO WORK HARDER IN SCHOOL AND GET BETTER GRADES TO STAY ELIGIBLE, AND IT HAS TAUGHT ME TO BE PATIENT WITH OTHERS.
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