When Christmas break arrives, many students anticipate a trip home to relieve the stress of college life. One unique St. John Fisher student-athlete, on the other hand, must slip into hibernation.

“All I did on Christmas break was sleep.”

As a Division III, two-sport athlete, winter was the only time Jen Springett could catch her breath last year before strapping on a pair of goggles and changing sports. 

The sophomore sensation lines up at forward for the women’s soccer team in the fall, shifts her gear to neutral for a couple months, and joins the lacrosse team in the spring.  Last year as a freshman, Springett took the entire Empire 8 by storm.  During soccer she earned league honorable mention, then captured rookie of the year honors in the spring.

But this winter, that shift to neutral includes revisiting doctors and frequent visits to the training room at St. John Fisher.

While playing multiple sports in high school is common, Springett, who hails from Newark High School, has continued her dual sport passion at the collegiate level with humble class.  She has become psychologically immune to the stress of 2 a.m. homework sessions and nightly exhaustion from practice.

“I see soccer and lacrosse as an obsession,” Springett said.  “I really don’t know what I would do without either of them.  I couldn’t imagine not playing because it’s been part of my life for as long as I can remember.”

Obsession would be the appropriate word.  Many students may give up on a homework assignment if their pencil lead breaks.  After tearing her meniscus (cartilage in the knee that rests between the thigh bone and shin bone) last spring, Springett could have easily lightened her athletic load by dropping a sport.

But that’s not her style.  In fact, her mental toughness wouldn’t let the shattered cartilage derail that season, and she’s determined to stifle any problems for future seasons.

“After practice my knee felt really sore, and the trainers thought nothing really happened to it,” she said.  “I played all year on it and the day before my last game, they told me I tore it.” 

Little did Springett know that this injury would test her love for sports.  The torn meniscus wiped out summer training, in favor of rehab.  As a collegiate athlete, Springett’s knee required intense rehab. Yet as May warped to August, it became evident that her physical therapy was run-of-the-mill. The cartilage hardly recovered, yet somehow Springett found herself where she belongs…on the field.

“It was discouraging because I am not as fast as I was last year,” she said.  “At first I changed my game because I was really nervous and would shy off.  I lost confidence because I couldn’t finish goals that I know I could have last year.  I can help the team in other ways, though. My teammates’ opportunities have opened up.”

The poor rehab forced Springett to miss the entire preseason and Fisher’s first four games to extended treatment. During this month off the field, she worked with Fisher’s reliable crew of trainers from 30 minutes before practice to 30 minutes after practice.

“I was okay with it,” she said in reference to the time off. “As long as I try my best there’s nothing else I can do.”

And although Springett hasn’t seen progress statistically after being second in the team in goals (eight) last season, her priorities remain focused on the team.

“I know that it feels good to score, but it feels really good to win, and I don’t care how we win.”

In today’s era of sports, modesty typically ranks behind cockiness and selfishness. Springett’s teammates are gracious to play with such a player that breaks this mold.

“On the lacrosse field Jen is one of the fastest players and can beat a lot of the defenders one-on-one,” said lacrosse teammate Laurie Quackenbush. 

“She was a key attacker last year. She’s very modest so don't let her think she isn’t good at either sport because she's amazing. She has a positive hard working attitude that every team needs.”

It’s a contagious attitude that will shine this winter.

After a tumultuous soccer season this fall, you’d think a return to winter isolation would be automatic, right? Rather than let her knee get the best of her, Springett has chose to go on the offensive.  Living only a half hour away gives Springett the luxury of a second try at physical therapy.  But before that she is revisiting a place that most athletes dread- the surgery room. 

“I’m going to work my butt off this winter because I’m having the surgery again,” she said.  “It didn’t heal right.”

On the same token she is fully aware that things could have been much worse. After all, the human knee is composed of seven intricate ligaments.  In today’s sports world, torn ACL’s are as common as weekly rants from Terrell Owens.  There’s no stopping them.  Therefore, Springett may be lucky.

“The moment my knee hurt, I was afraid that I tore my ACL,” she said.  “I was very fortunate.  I walked on it the day of surgery and they just took a little piece out.”

During her “off-season” at her second surgery this winter, doctors will cleanse any excess scar tissue from the ligament.  Ideally, this will act as icing on the cake with Springett fully recovered mentally from such an ordeal.

“Against Ithaca, a girl took me out and I thought I re-injured it, but as the season got really far in, I didn’t feel as gun shy.”

The D-III level is a major step up from high school, as each sport requires year-round training. So in a new culture of constant assignments, projects, and exams, why would Springett opt to play both sports in college?

She wouldn’t have it any other way.

“I want to be a physical trainer, so I always thought of myself as an athlete,”  Springett said.  “I always put my energy into sports.  One of my close friends that graduated awhile ago is a personal trainer, and she tried to help me recover.  I’ve always had an interest in it.”

Springett has proved that playing two sports isn’t about fame or glory.  After all, perks are rare and free time is drastically diminished. Instead she is admired by her peers for her courage and undying passion for sports.

“I think me and another lax girl went to every one of her home soccer games to support her,” said Quackenbush.  “I feel that she has a true love for sports or else she wouldn’t be playing two sports.”

Stay tuned.  Speedy sophomore Springett has five sports seasons ahead of her.

STAFF WRITER
TYLER DUNNE
Email address:
thd02980@sjfc.edu