Girls soccer: Rangers have dealt with multiple ACL injuries

Dealing with adversity is a phrase used often by coaches that sometimes loses all meaning. Not at North Ridgeville. The Rangers have had a masters level course in the department over past year with three juniors going down with ACL tears over the last 14 months in the midst of two offseason coaching changes. Somehow North Ridgeville has persevered to enter the final week of the season with a 9-3-2 record and the 12th seed in the upcoming Division II district tournament. Forwards Addy Schuster and Gabi Betonte both rejoined the starting lineup after tearing their ACLs last year and undergoing long offseason recoveries and rehab. "Soccer has been my everything and it goes from being your life to not in a split second. It's really, really hard," Schuster said. "I put all of my energy into this sport and to not be able to do it for a long time was hard." Schuster hopes to play soccer in college, so when she suffered her injury last year in a late-season game, her mind quickly shifted to her future. Luckily for Schuster, she had a friend to help her through her darkest days in Betonte, a longtime teammate already on the road to recovery, after suffering the same injury a month prior. "Having to sit on the bench all season was definitely a mental struggle, but I was glad I was able to be out there to support my girls no matter if I was on the field on not," Betonte said of how she spent the 2024 season. "I had so many people around me supporting me that it made it easier. Being around the people you love the most really helps a lot." ACL injuries are more common among female athletes with some studies showing girls soccer players are three times more likely to suffer them than males. North Ridgeville coach Scot Santa, who took over the girls program in August after coaching the boys junior varsity team, is hoping to change the team's offseason training regimen to keep injuries to a minimum. "We're going to be getting in the weight room a lot and doing soccer-specific training," Santa said. "We don't need these girls to be ripped and have massive biceps, but their hip flexors have to be strong and stable, and the muscles around the core and around the legs have to be strong to keep us balanced and on our feet." "From the day I came in, we've been focused on injury prevention. We made sure we went out and got all of these girls foam rollers, resistance bands and yoga mats so we can make sure we're doing the proper warmups and cool downs every day." The changes didn't come soon enough for junior midfielder Julia Kudrna, who tore her ACL in August in a scrimmage against Wadsworth. "As soon as it happened, I immediately knew I tore my ACL. I was just heartbroken," Kudrna said. "I went for a tackle and my knee and body just kinda went in opposite directions. I knew right away I was going to miss my entire junior season. Having to spend this year rehabbing instead of playing with my team has been hard." Having teammates who knew exactly what she was going through has helped Kudrna get through the pain and disappointment of a lost junior season. "Addy and Gabi have been checking up on me and making sure I do my exercises. They make sure I am OK mentally and help me get though the hard times," Kudrna said. A year of quiet struggles to get back on field have helped Schuster and Betonte mature beyond their years. "They brought a lot of leadership this season. They set the tone when they are out there," Santa said. "We always joke from the sideline that we as coaches can't want it more than the players, and these girls always bring the energy and the attitude we want. We're a young team, so this junior class has gotten a head start on being the leaders of our team. They all lead by example." For Betonte, getting back on the field has been the biggest win of the season. "Being able to be back out there and show what I could do meant a lot to me. I wanted to show, no matter what injury you suffer, you can always come back better," Betonte said. Although Schuster also plays on a high-level club team, she said there is something special about being back on the field with her club team. "High school soccer has been on my mind since I was five-years-old. I wanted to play for my community and with all of my friends," Schuster said. "Being back and seeing the success we've had as a team is very rewarding." Kudrna is looking forward to next season when the trio will all be healthy and back on the field together for their senior year. "It's been a thought in my mind that I am super proud of Addy and Gabi. Seeing both of them get injured and come back like they have is super inspiring," Kudrna said. "I am so grateful I will get the opportunity to be back for my senior season. I am not going to take it for granted." Contact Todd Shapiro at (440) 329-7135 or ctsports@chroniclet.com.