Bounce Back, Twice: Taylor Hall
My name is Taylor Hall and I will be a sophomore on the Biola University women’s basketball team next season.
I started playing basketball in 8th grade which is later than most, so I was far behind my peers in terms of skill level and basketball IQ. I had to work extremely hard in order to compete at the same level as the other girls in my grade, so that’s what I did. I was in the gym every day, practicing and playing against tough competition to improve my game and eventually I was able to catch up with the others. When I got to high school, I experienced many ups and downs and it wasn’t until the summer going into my senior year that I received my first, and only, offer to play college basketball at Eastern New Mexico University.
As a freshman at ENMU, I was able to make an immediate impact on and off the court with my work ethic and began the season leading my team in scoring during my first ever college game. However, my overall experience through my freshman year was not what I had expected. As the season went on, I came down with pneumonia, fell out of rotation, and became unhappy with the amount I was playing. Coming back from a road trip to Lubbock Christian, I went to the gym to get extra shots up and play a few one-on-one games. While I was playing one-on-one, I jumped up for a layup and as I landed my left knee buckled in. I heard a popping noise and had no idea what had just happened because the biggest injury I ever faced up to that point was an ankle sprain.
I soon went in to get an MRI on my knee and that was when I found out that I had torn my ACL for the first time. I returned home to Arizona where I underwent my first ACL surgery. The recovery process was the hardest thing, both mentally and physically, that I ever had to go through. I worried that I would never be the same player as I was before, but I continued physical therapy and returned to playing basketball. After many months of continuous therapy and working extremely hard to get back on the basketball court, I started to feel like a better athlete than I had ever felt before my injury.
Coming off my ACL tear, I decided to return to Eastern New Mexico to play my sophomore season, but a few weeks into practices, we found out that our entire 2020-2021 season would be cancelled. We continued to go through workouts and practices, but I knew something wasn’t right. I was sad, constantly, and felt like I was alone with no way to reach my goals. The environment at my previous school was not a healthy one and I grew more and more unhappy every day. I knew that I had to make a big decision, to stick it out another year, or transfer schools. After talking with my mentors, friends, and family, I eventually came to the decision that my mental health and happiness was the most important thing for me to pursue my goals in the long run.
Choosing to enter the portal was the hardest decision I ever had to make, but after doing so, it felt like a huge weight had been lifted from my shoulders. I began the recruiting process all over again, but this time, I had a very different approach and had many questions to ask in order to ensure that I was going to find the best fit for me to continue my college career. I am so grateful that I had an amazing support system that walked by my side throughout the entire process, and I soon came to the decision that Biola University would be the best fit for me both on and off the court. Coach Alan and the rest of the Biola staff made me feel immediately welcomed from a distance and I knew right away that I had made the right decision, Biola was the perfect fit for me.
Just a few days after I committed, I went to play pickup games at a local gym and one of the guys I was playing against fell on top of me after attempting to block my layup. As I collapsed to the ground, I heard a cracking noise in my left knee and the first thing that came to my mind was “not again”. I went to see a surgeon right away and was informed that I was going to have to get surgery on my left knee because I had torn my meniscus.
I went into the hospital expecting a quick recovery from meniscus surgery, but when I woke up, I found out I had also torn my ACL and the doctor had to repair that as well. I was going to have to go through the same, grueling recovery process that I had finished just a few months prior, all over again. I wasn’t mentally prepared, and I didn't know what to do. I didn't know if I was ever going to be able to play basketball again, and I didn't know if Biola and the coaching staff would still want me to be a part of their team.
I was so nervous to call my coach from Biola to give him the news of my surgery, but once I told him about my injury, I immediately felt a sense of relief because he was so understanding. Coach Alan expressed to me that Biola has a great training staff on campus and would want to work in cooperation with my physical therapist in Arizona to help me in my recovery once I get to school. He was still excited to have me as a part of their team and I assured him that I would work extremely hard and be back out on the court in no time. I am grateful to know that I have the support to succeed, and I can’t wait to prove to myself and others everything that I am capable of.
Now, I am 16 weeks out of my second ACL surgery, this time with the goal and excitement in mind to play at Biola next season. Mentally, I struggled after my second ACL surgery asking God “why me?”, but it has helped me to keep a clear goal in mind. Basketball has given me so many amazing opportunities and has brought me so much joy, and I know that I will come out of this injury stronger, both mentally and physically, and a better basketball player than I ever was before. I am now thankful for this journey that I have been on, even though it hasn’t gone as smoothly as planned. I know that God puts us in every situation for a reason and I can't wait to get back out on the court with my new team at Biola University.
