Extra Elite 100 Pitcher Grace Green Overcomes Painful Knee Injury to Commit to Mike White at Texas

On Monday, we learned that Oregon pitcher Miranda Elish will transfer to the Univ. of Texas to reunite with former Duck Head Coach Mike White, who took the Longhorn job this summer.

One of the top prospects in the 2019 class, Grace Green from North Richland Hills, Texas who you (spoiler alert!) will be reading about later this week in the Extra Elite 100, is following a similar path in that she had committed to Coach White and Oregon three years ago, but when the coaching change happened, he invited the All-American to join him in Austin.

A lefty pitcher who won a Texas 5A state title for her Birdville High team in 2016, Grace, who plays club ball for Team Mizuno Impulse, had a long road to travel to get to the point of “recommitting” to White and Texas after suffering a brutal knee injury 14 months ago that you most likely haven’t heard of and can’t pronounce: “osteochondritis dissecans lesions.”

Here’s a closer look at her injury, recovery and what she learned about herself, life and softball while she was away from the game…

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You’ve had a rough year with the knee injury… how and when did it happen and what made it so serious and different from the ACL/MCL tears that are more common?
It was in late August of 2017 when I was working out on the turf field with my high school team. We were doing sled pushes, something I had done many times, when I took one wrong step and my knee felt a sharp pain. I took it to the trainers and we determined it to be a muscle cramp because the pain went away after 30 minutes. I thought I was in the clear until I felt a pain in a different part of my knee the next day, and although I ignored the injury and drank more water to cure the “cramps”, pain came back over and over. I went to the doctor and was diagnosed with OCD (osteochondritis dissecans lesions), a bone injury where a piece of bone broke off and caused issues all over, explaining the pain in random spots. The recovery was more difficult because bone injuries take longer to heal than muscle or ligament tears, and while the bone was recovering I could put no weight on my leg, disabling me for upwards of two months.

You had to be in a wheelchair and on crutches for over two months, that had to so frustrating for an athlete like you. What was your lowest moment during the ordeal and how did you plow through it?
My lowest moment had to be either bathing sitting down or the first time I went back to school. I felt so frustrated when trying to clean myself because nothing makes you feel pathetic like sitting in the bottom of a bathtub with your foot propped up out of water trying to wash your hair. Even getting in and out of the tub required two people to help me, and I’m lucky I had a gracious mom and sister to get me through that time. The first time I went back to school was pretty rough because crutching all over the school was quite an endeavor, and I felt like I was a burden around everyone around me.

What kept you going through therapy to push through the pain and long periods of work?
I had a great therapist who kept me company and made everything fun. He always related everything back to my sport and made me excited to return. The prospect of returning to finish my high school career on a high note and go out with a bang is what kept me going. All throughout my recovery I was chasing the thrill of a strikeout pitch and the joy of competition.

Was there a moment when you finally felt, “Whew, I’m back and I’ll be OK!”?
There was a Saturday where I was warming up with my select team for the first time in eight months, and even though I only threw two innings, talking with my teammates like old times made me feel like everything was back to normal and that I’d be alright.

You had originally committed to Coach White when he was at Oregon and then he moved to Texas… what was your first thought when you found out about the change?
Not going to lie, I freaked out. I felt like because of my injury and my slow progression returning to normal levels of excellence, Coach White would not want me at the University of Texas. I was very worried for my future and had no clue what I was going to do.

You went in August to UT to pitch for Coach White and Coach Spencer… was that nerve-racking to, in effect, try out again and how was it they said they wanted you to play for the Longhorns? And how did you re-commit to Coach White and why?
It was actually the calmest I had been all summer. I grew up in a competitive environment where college camps were player against player all competing for attention and scholarships, and that’s where I thrive. I feel like I am my best in high pressure situations, and at the camp I just relaxed and did what I knew how to do. Coach White had previously invited me to the camp and after the camp was over Coach Spencer said they were very interested and would be in contact soon. A few anxiety-filled days later, I missed a call from Coach White. I went outside and walked for five minutes to get myself together before calling him back. He offered me a scholarship and asked if I wanted to be a Longhorn. I accepted because of Coach White’s coaching ability, UT’s excellent academics, and the money that I’d be saving my parents by staying in-state. After the phone call I immediately went in and told my parents. It was a joyous moment to see how proud they were of me and the relief on their faces. Our prayers were answered and telling them is a moment I’ll remember forever.

You met with Coach Lombardi of Oregon during PGF Nationals… how did that go and did it make your decision that much harder?
Coach Lombardi is a great coach and I was fortunate to have met with her. She is highly educated about the game, coached at OU for over two decades, and loves left-handed pitchers. We got along so well and she was incredibly nice and easy to talk to. During our meeting she talked about how she always promotes and empowers women and when she said she coaches girls to become women in their journey, that was very difficult to say no to. If I’m being honest, if Texas were not close and a great academic school, I very well could have gone and played for Coach Lombardi.

Where are you know in your recovery, are you able to go 100 percent or are there still limitations as to what you can do and how much?
I would say I am 99 percent back. I can do everything to my previous ability and am now working up to the endurance I had before. The 1 percent comes from my brace, which I wear more for preventative measures than anything else, as bone injuries can take upwards of 2 years to heal. Starting in the next few months I will transition away from the brace and then I’ll be at 100 percent.

What have you learned about yourself and your feelings towards softball during the ordeal?
Personally, the injury gave me a lot of off time to discover who I was outside of softball. Whereas previously I had practiced every day and tournaments on the weekends, I found myself with nothing to do and nowhere to go. I discovered that I love people, comedy shows, and doing crazy new things. I discovered new flavors of ice cream and a new group of sweet friends. Finally, I discovered a love of the game I never knew I had. Having to watch all of high school season from the bench made me long to guide my team on the field. I think before, I took my sport for granted and sometimes dragged myself to practices and didn’t fully appreciate the magnitude of the gift I was given. Now, every rep and every practice is meaningful as I get to spend time with my best friends doing what I love. I think, overall, I learned that the ability to play a sport I love is not a right but a blessed privilege. You never know the last time you’ll get to step on a field.

What are your goals for this year as you get ready to sign with Texas, finish your senior year and get ready for college?
Ideally, I’d like to make myself and everyone around me better. I want to finish what I started my freshman year and win a state championship, but that will take a lot of hard work and a little luck so we’ll see how that goes. I want to make myself more athletic and establish a much better diet so I’ll be better prepared when college does roll around. Finally, I’d like to finish senior year towards the top of my class and form relationships I hope last through college.

What have all the coaches said they liked about you enough to offer (was it your pitches, your athleticism, competitive drive, intangibles, etc)?
They like my competitive drive and the way I’m smart around the game. I know how to exploit a batter’s weakness and how to simply make outs. Once I get to Texas, I plan on learning a riseball and gaining more speed, so I’m pretty excited to play and improve at the next level.

On a lighter note, we’re coming up to the “holiday stretch” of Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas… any fun plans for trick-or-treating, traveling for the holidays or anything else exciting?
As of right now for Halloween weekend I plan on playing in the ESPN Diamond 9 tournament in Florida, and on actual Halloween I plan on trick-or-treating as Leia with my boyfriend, who is going as Han Solo. I guess we’re a little nerdy but it’s ok. Over Thanksgiving I’m just looking forward to food and a special tradition of Friendsgiving (everyone brings food and desserts and we watch Christmas movies… it’s a great night)… and Christmas I plan on listening to plenty of Christmas music and making the trek to Arkansas to visit family. Any extra time I have over break will probably be spent making up for lost time with my friends.