Basketball player Kiara Zavala has incredible talent on the court; however, a devastating injury put a halt to her career right before her senior season. At first, it was nothing serious, with only a sprained knee after a fall at practice one day. Unfortunately for the Foothill Technology High School girls basketball team, two weeks later, at practice, Zavala had fallen again, and the outcome became much worse than anticipated: Zavala had torn her ACL.
“I have to rebuild everything step by step, which made me patient, resilient and to always keep pushing even when progress feels slow,” Zavala said.
Zavala has been playing basketball since the age of nine and clearly has a passion for it. She believes basketball is more than just a sport. Basketball teaches you important life lessons, discipline, teamwork and how to stay composed under pressure are just a few. Most of all, basketball to Zavala has always been an outlet, a place for her to clear her head and feel most like herself.
When Zavala first found out about the extent of her injury, she felt a wave of emotions. “When my parents told me I tore it, it sucked. I had so many different emotions, but the main one was sadness,” Zavala said.
This was mostly due to the fact that it’s her senior year, her final time to shine, but unfortunately for Zavala, this opportunity was taken away as her injury will put her out of the game for months.
Injuries of any kind can be a difficult thing for athletes, but for Zavala, tearing her ACL changed how she viewed basketball. The process was emotionally tough; she went from playing basketball all the time to not even being able to jog. For Zavala, tearing her ACL opened her eyes to how much the game meant to her. It forced her to slow down and appreciate parts of the game that she used to take for granted, like simply being able to move, compete, and be with her teammates.
Zavala’s biggest inspiration and supporters are her parents. Zavala explains how they’ve always believed in her, even when she doubted herself. Watching how hard they both work, how they handle challenges and how much they support her motivates Zavala to put her best foot forward in everything she does. They push her, encourage her and remind her why she started playing the game she loves.
“I wouldn’t be the person or athlete I am without them,” Zavala said.
Zavala plays basketball because it’s where she feels most like herself. It’s a place to escape from everything going on in life and a place to relax. When she’s on the court, she doesn’t overthink and she doesn’t stress; she just plays. Zavala loves the energy, the competition and the way the game pushes her to be better.
“Honestly, the friendships and the fun moments with my teammates are a huge part of why I love it. Basketball just makes me happy,” Zavala said.
