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July 16, 2009

BELLINGHAM, Wash. -

by Jenna Mohrweis, The Western Front

On November 9, 2007 at Carver Gym, the Western Washington University women's basketball team was down by one point during the final seconds of overtime in an exhibition game against Pacific Lutheran.

With two seconds left, forward Krystal Robinson forced a turnover giving Western possession. Robinson then caught the inbound pass near the free-throw line but injured her left knee trying to get a shot off. Robinson suffered a torn ACL, which forced her to be carried off the court and put her out for the remainder of the season.

"I watched my collegiate season be completely wiped out and fall in front of my face," Robinson said. "It was really hard to swallow the way it ended."

When Robinson went down with what she thought was a career-ending injury at the start of her senior season, she said she thought her time in a Viking jersey had come to an end. But, after spending last season on the bench as the assistant coach, Robinson said she realized she is not ready to leave the court.

Last year Robinson decided to return as the student assistant coach, but for her final season of eligibility she wanted to return to the court as a player. Originally, Robinson had never planned to return to the game, but a teammate approached her about the possibility and she began to reconsider it.

The more she thought about returning the more Robinson said she realized how much she missed the game and regretted the way her career ended.

After long consideration, Robinson said she came to the conclusion that she wanted to return for her last season and end her career the way she originally planned. Robinson will be returning to the court for the 2009-10 season to take advantage of her last year of eligibility.

"I am really looking forward to having her back and on the court with me," Western senior forward Gabby Wade said.

Wade said Robinson brings a new insight to the game. Having a coach who has been a player is helpful because she can not only relate to the team on an individual level, but can also translate what the coaches are trying to teach, Wade said.

Wade started her collegiate basketball career with Robinson, and now they will be spending their senior seasons together.

"She is a great leader, really vocal, very determined and extremely motivated," Wade said. "We can all benefit from that."

Throughout her Western career, Robinson has suffered a few setbacks because of injuries. During the 2003-04 season, she played in 15 games before suffering a season-ending ACL tear.

Robinson quickly recovered and returned to the Vikings during the 2004-05 season playing in all 29 games and making 15 starts. After two games in her 2005-06 season, she was sidelined due to a patella stress fracture in her right knee.

Robinson returned again to play in the 2006-07 season, starting again in all 28 games and averaging 10.1 points, 5.3 rebounds and a team leading 2.9 blocks. She rejected a shot in every game that season and ranked fourth nationally in blocked shots. Both injuries came early in the season allowing her to medically red shirt and save two years of eligibility.

According to WebMD, the recovery time for most torn ACLs is approximately nine months. Surgical advances have lead to a 98 percent recovery and return to competition. Based on that and Robinson's work ethic, she said she hopes to be back on the court in October. She has been continually going to physical therapy and working with a Western trainer to get ready for the season.

"You have to take the whole [ACL] out and replace it when you tear it," Western athletic trainer Julie Weisgerber said. "It can't just heal on its own."

ACL tears are more common on women than they are men due to multiple reasons, Weisgerber said. She said taller, thinner people tend to have more sustainability toward these injuries because they have longer levers that are harder to control. Weisgerber said the injury typically either occurs in soccer or basketball competitions.

"When this injury happens it happens right away," Weisgerber said. "It is not something that happens over time because of wear and tear."

Robinson said physical therapy is a long and tedious process, where some days are better than others. But when she thinks about the big picture, she said taking every precaution now is better than risking more serious damage when the season comes.

Weisgerber said Robinson comes in three times a week to have her knee looked at, and during these times Weisgerber checks her strength and resistance.Weisgerber said she is very excited about the progress Robinson has been making and said Robinson's knee is doing great with no symptoms of pain.

"I am not worried about her chance of re-injuring the knee," Weisgerber said. "She doesn't want to go through that again so we are doing everything we can to make sure she is healthy and ready to go for season."

Robinson said the year off helped her mature and learn a great deal about the game. She said she hopes next season will benefit from her coaching experience.

"I know coming back my knee isn't going to be perfect, but I have an advantage with the mental aspect of the game that I learned during [my] coaching experience," Robinson said. "I was able to step back and study the game more, which I think will help a lot when I get back on the court."

Assistant coach Jennifer Childress said she believes players tend to overanalyze their game. Instead, she said they need to relax and go out and play.

"She is going to add so much to the team," Childress said. "Her knowledge, approach and attitude motivate everyone."

Besides Robinson's knowledge and experience, Childress said she is also excited about the energy Robinson brings to the court. The other women on the team feed off her spirit and energy not only in practice but also in the games, Childress said.

She said she believes Robinson will add leadership, maturity and experience to the team next year, which will continue to make Western a huge threat in the GNAC division.

"We have great recruits coming in, a ton of experience and a roster full of girls with a passion for the game," Childress said. "I think we are going to blend really well together, and I know we are all hungry to get back at it."

Last year Western went 19-9 overall, advancing to the NCAA Division II National Tournament to face Humboldt State University in the opening-round game of the 2008 tournament. It was Western's 10th appearance in 11 seasons as a full NCAA team after falling short last year due to a injury-riddled team that had a 9-21 season.

The greatest thing Robinson said she took away from her position as student assistant coach was that the coach is always right. Her one piece of advice to her teammates is to listen to the coach and do what they say.

"The coaches spend hours in the office working on plays, watching video and looking at stats. They know what they are doing and as a player I often overlooked that," Robinson said. "Now, I am going into it doing whatever the coaches ask of me."

Robinson obtained a bachelor's degree in general studies from Western in the spring of 2008. Upon her return she will be taking a program in pre-nursing.

Even though Robinson said she expects the transition from player to coach back to player to be tough, she said she is excited to be back playing with all the women on the team.

"I didn't get to end my career the way I wanted," Robinson said. "I am excited to get back on the court, win a GNAC title and play with all my old teammates again."