Alli Gavin: Injury to Recovery to a Division I Commitment

At a prospect camp last summer, Alli Gavin slid into second base during a scrimmage, and felt immediate and excruciating pain in her left thumb— her catching thumb.

Alli is a 2024 catcher and third-baseman for the Beverly Bandits out of Trafalgar, Indiana. Her team, coached by Seth Holloway and Rex Mack, is a highly competitive group of girls, each of whom shared the desire to compete at the next level. However, when Alli received the prognosis on her thumb, she knew her recruitment journey was going to be slightly derailed.

The initial x-rays revealed a fracture in her left thumb with the bone and joint aligned. Alli wore a cast the next four weeks, hoping and expecting a full recovery before the opening ceremonies of PGF Nationals.

However, one week before travelling, Alli visited the doctor to have the cast removed and was told that her bone had shifted. Unfortunately for the athlete, this news meant surgery would be necessary to re-anchor the tendon.

Being the best teammate she could be in this situation, Alli still travelled to California and spent a few days with her team before returned home to Indiana for surgery. She spent the next weeks in a cast and unable to do what she loves the most—play behind the plate.

Spent a few days at the PGF Nationals with my team. Flew back early for surgery to fix my fractured thumb. Good luck to all of the Bandits teams! @06bandits @LegacyLegendsS1 @extrainningSB @Los_Stuff @flosoftball pic.twitter.com/sa3KEry35Y

— Alli Gavin (@alli_gavin11) July 26, 2022

Just because she couldn’t practice with her team didn’t mean she wasn’t using this recovery time to work on improving her game at large. For the first four weeks after surgery, Alli worked with an occupational therapist to regain her flexibility and strength, anxiously awaiting her return to the field. During games, she called pitches for the Bandits, using her catching expertise in whatever way she could.

Additionally, Alli dealt with the frustrations of being injured at this point in her career, when she was supposed to be killing it on the field and impressing college coaches at the elite showcases.

“Overall, I faced disappointment and frustration. I felt like I was letting my team down and worried that not playing the entire summer would affect my recruiting opportunities,” shared Alli, discussing the most challenging aspect of her recovery. “After I was released to play, the adversity to overcome having been injured also became a mind game. The fear of re-injury was real. Getting my mind to understand that I was healed and that I was 100% ready to play was the toughest challenge.”

Caroline O’Brien, Alli’s teammate on the Bandits, played a big factor in helping the athlete adjust to the right mindset after 10 weeks out of the game. She helped Alli understand that it was okay to be scared of moving her thumb even after it had healed completely, and reminded her that a person’s biggest obstacle is their own mind.

On January 12th of this year, Alli accepted an offer to play Division I softball at Illinois State University.

Go Redbirds! ♥️🤍🖤@06bandits @RedbirdsSB @Coach_Kramos @CoachHeflinISU @Hailey_Cole_ pic.twitter.com/YJazXR5wvR

— Alli Gavin (@alli_gavin11) January 13, 2023

*****

What did you learn about yourself from this experience?

“From my experience, I learned that strength comes from the mind, to trust God in the process, and to believe that I would come back better than ever. Sitting in the dugout during tournaments was a learning experience. I was able see the game from a different point of view. While I have always loved the game, it gives you a different perspective when you are on the sidelines with an injury for that long. I had to find other ways to contribute. Not only did it increase my softball IQ, but it also significantly helped my hitting with only working with one hand for so long.”

Who were your greatest supporters during your recovery period?

“My parents, teammates, and my coaches supported me 110%. Additionally my trainers at Maximum Strength Performance tailored workouts to keep me in shape. Mark Lloyd at Full Circle Sports provided one-handed hitting instruction that really helped to focus on my top hand strength, and after I was released, Chaunsey Bell helped me to gain my confidence back. I’m not going to lie—the first time back with Chaunsey was rough, but it allowed me to become aware of the new changes to my hand and become comfortable with catching a ball again.”

Advice you would like to give to other injured players?

“Have faith and trust that everything happens for a reason. Injuries are just as mental as they are physical. Listen to your body, but don’t be afraid to be uncomfortable. Keep working hard and everything will be okay.”

— Regan Weekly/Extra Inning Softball