Former High School Basketball Blog of Mikayla Bragalone. See its glory days on the The Way Back Machine.

Until we dribble again.
- Love, Dad

About Mikayla Bragalone

I guess you can say that you could say it has been a long, eventful, amazing, and bumpy road for me, but it’s also made me a stronger person. I have been in love with basketball since 1st grade when I started to play.  My parents got me into it through the rec center because I was just taller than all of the rest of the kids. I’m glad that I didn’t start out my life short, because then I wouldn’t of had something to put all my effort into for all of these years.

I started out playing ball for the recreation center.  I had a great coach who was a little rough on us little kids, but who taught me a lot of fundamentals early.  Coach Joe was always harder on me and I felt like he didn’t like me at all.  I guess that’s how little kids think because looking back on it now I realize that he just wanted to push me to become a better player! After about 5 years of playing ball with Joe I decided that it would be best to try out for a competitive team so that I could be pushed a little more.

My first actual try out was with a team called Legacy Lightning. I thought Joe was hard on me..  Dawn Gaffin is the hardest in-your-face coach that I have met still to this day.  Our team won all sorts of tournaments in the Colorado area.  Our team played great together.  Unfortunately, it was her last year of coaching. She sent our whole team to try outs for a team called The Boulder Rockies.  That was probably the most nervous I had been up to that point in my life.  It was a totally new experience for me.  When I tried out for the Legacy team I was the only new one that was “trying out.”  For the Rockies, there were more than 100 girls also trying out for the team. Everyone was just a number, you really felt like you meant nothing to anyone.  I feel like when I am somewhere no one really knows me I have to show them what I have and play smart to get noticed. I did my best during the try outs and told myself that if I was meant to be on the team then I would make it and if I wasn’t then I would go out and find another team that I was meant to be on.

I ended up making the team.  I admit, I really didn’t fit in with the rest of the girls. I was from a small town and all of these girls were from all around big Colorado towns with lots of experience. I did like the team aspect of it. I learned a lot from that experience.  We traveled all around the country.  In 7th grade that is a pretty BIG deal.  Seeing all of the college coaches watching the older girls play, wondering if maybe one day they will be watching you play and wanting to scout YOU!

The Rockies taught me a lot, all of the practices were fast and intense! I will never forget the game that made a huge domino affect on my future.  It was like any other game, we were just playing and the game was close. I was on defense and was guarding the player with the ball.  She went in baseline side and quick turned toward the paint.  My legs must not have been thinking as quick as my brain.  The next thing I knew I was on the ground in a lot of pain.  After going to the doctors they said it was just fluid behind my knee, I took Aleve twice a day for 2 weeks and the inflammation went down and I started to play again.  This went on for about another 4 visits to the doctor over the course of a year and a half.  They kept telling me the same thing every time I went to the doctor.  My mom finally demanded that I had an MRI.  Sure enough, my ACL was completely torn, frayed, and deteriorated. There really was no ACL left inside my knee at all. To top that off I also had a torn post and exterior meniscus.  Surgery time.  August 27th of 2008 was the day of my surgery.

6 months recovery. I waited for what seemed like 12 years! I went to the rec center to shoot whenever I could so that I wouldn’t fall too far behind. When I got released to play, I started playing basketball at the rec center, I was really comfortable with playing. I always play with all of the boys that are always there, they help me a lot.

It was getting close to the end of the summer and I was getting more and more excited for season to start!

Fail. I then tore my other ACl. Surgery time again. October 3rd was the date. Yup. It was so much harder the second time. My leg wouldn’t bend that much and I was on crutches longer. Yuckaa. This time I was super scared to do anything. I felt like I would just mess everything up again. I worked out my legs way more so that they weren’t so little, and I would be more comfortable going back. I took it all slow, which I should have done the first time!

The recovery? 6 months of nothingness. The thing that kept me going was the support from my family, my best Friends Chandler and Taryn, and the thought of being able to play again after I got through waiting.

I started playing again in March, I got released on March 23rd! I started playing on a competitive team called Colorado Flight, since I had missed yet another season of High School Basketball. They were really cautious and understanding of my knees and let me take it as slow as I needed. My first game was April 7th! Highlight of my life. (: I really like playing for Flight! ALl my coaches are really helpful. Still learning a lot!

I’m writing this blog as an inspiration for other young girls out there who think that they can’t overcome tough obstacles in their life. When it seems like the end of the world to you, it’s not. There will always be people to support you and inspire you to make your dreams come true, even if they seem impossible.

Yours Truly,
Mikayla Bragalone