Weslaco High's Armstrong trying to cope with ACL injury

McALLEN — The words coming out of Weslaco High senior Kimberly Armstrong’s mouth don’t match her disposition. While smiling widely and talking cheerfully, she discusses crying, disappointment and yearning, all of which have come from a season-ending torn left ACL she suffered during a pre-season scrimmage in early November.

A first-team All-Valley player and District 32-5A MVP last season, Armstrong was expected to become the area’s undisputed best player during her final year of high school. Unfortunately, she has to watch her team from the bench because of a botched jump stop. And it’s not something she’s used to, despite what the wide smile shows.

“It’s the worst feeling in the world. I cry a lot because I still haven’t coped with it,” Armstrong said before the Lady Panthers played Thursday at the Border Bash tournament. “I’m mad and angry and I go back to what I did and why I did it. It’s frustrating.”

Frustrating is just one of the words that Armstrong could use. This was the season she and her family had waited for. This was going to be the time Armstrong’s dedication to the sport was going to be rewarded with stardom.

Instead, there are public smiles hiding tears.

“I just smile in front of people but when I’m by myself I feel really down,” Armstrong said. “I don’t like it at all.”

What happened to Armstrong has also affected people around her. Her coach, Griselda Fino, had to break the news to Armstrong and her family that her senior season was finished before it began.

“When I told her she was done for the year, I can’t even put into words how that felt for me,” Fino said. “I know that I definitely can’t put into words how it felt for her.”

Kimberly’s father, Charles, saw the injury and admitted he cried when it happened. Then he cried more when he found out his daughter’s season was over.

“I was looking forward to her senior year. I had all these ideas of what she was playing for…,” Charles said. “You’re heartbroken when you see it.”

Despite the injury and what it has taken away from Kimberly, she and the people around her are looking at the positives. After surgery and what should be a six-month rehab, Kimberly will be able to return to normal activity. She has been contacted by both Texas Lutheran and West Texas A&M about playing collegiately next year.

And while it’s frustrating that she’s not playing this season, she still gets to be around her teammates and the sport.

“We have to reflect that it’s a game. It’s not life,” Charles said. “It’s a game. It happened. We don’t know why it happened.”

Maybe that attitude is something to smile about.

Brian Sandalow covers high school sports for Valley Freedom Newspapers. You can reach him at (956) 683-4436 or via e-mail at bsandalow@themonitor.com.