Down But Not Finished: Conquering Another Hurdle Through Dedication And Persistence
By Maria Ojer
Staff Writer
Sports and injuries go hand in hand, a bond that soccer star Jack Watson witnessed after facing yet another knee injury, potentially putting his soccer career in danger.
“It hurts that I can no longer be a part of the success on the field,” said Watson, graduate student. “But as a team, our three goals of winning the conference outright, winning the conference tournaments and winning the NCAA tournament has not changed.”
Watson’s expectations for this season were beyond high, due to the outstanding performance he achieved in the past year. While he was not only the team’s striker, he received countless recognitions such as the NSCAA First Team All-American and the Sunshine State Conference Player of the Year.
“The injury has been a huge setback in terms of getting that professional contract I was hoping for,” said Watson. “It still hasn’t stopped me from achieving this dream just yet.”
The South Regional Player of the Year spent the last couple of years working hard to go professional after earning his MBA degree. Watson was set to finish his studies this fall semester, but he instead opted to graduate in the spring, allowing him optimum time to return as a stronger person and better player.
“My team has given me so much support since the surgery,” said Watson. “Without [their] help, I would struggle with simple day to day things since the surgery.”
Above all, Watson is staying positive and is taking this time to learn from the obstacles that life has placed in his path. He insists that both of his coaches, Coach Rootes and Coach Desperito, have given him amazing support, but most importantly they have taught him hard work, dedication and persistence. As a result, Watson believes attending Lynn was one of the best decisions he has made.
Watson is handling the second occurrence of his devastating injury in stride. As he prepares for his comeback, his focus remains unshaken, relying on his past to help him handle the future.
“I’ve conquered the surgery before and came back a better and stronger player,” said Watson. “So, I plan on doing the same this time around.”
