Life, as with any sport, presents many obstacles to overcome. How we respond to these situations and grow from them says a lot about our character.
For DHS athlete Chris Teten, who has spend most of his senior year in therapy from a September injury, his response has shown a willingness to face difficulties, look for the good moments and support others around him.
Teten was due to finally leave the injury list on Tuesday, April 4, marking nearly eight months from when he entered.
“I was injured playing football on Sept. 9 playing the Brady Bulldogs,” Teten recalled. The quarterback was running the ball up the middle when he took a hit to the knee.
“After the opposing player hit me, I immediately knew that the way my knee was feeling was not correct,” said Chris.
The trainers and coaches assisted him off the field when he was unable to walk off on his own.
After getting an MRI, DHS athletic trainer Kyla McGary called Chris with the results.
“She told me I had torn my anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL, which was always my biggest fear playing football,” he said.
“After hearing that news, I was a little shocked and upset, knowing I would have to get surgery in order to play the sports that I love again,” he continued. “I felt like I let a lot of people down including teammates, coaches, and fans after having the football season of a lifetime.” (The season in question was the 2021-22 season in which the Dublin Lions claimed Area Championships and went to the third round of playoff for the first time in school history.)
It was a big blow, but Teten knew he’d have to endure surgery and physical therapy if he hoped to get off the bench for his favorite sport.
Chris has played football and basketball for many years but baseball is by far his favorite.
“I have played baseball since a very young age and ever since I have fallen in love with the game,” he said. “It is a good sport for me due to the fact that it is a game of failure. Being a perfectionist when it comes to sports, this game gives you something to work on.”
“The surgery that I had went great,” he said. Chris was nervous at first because it was his first surgery, but he said he was glad to not be able to remember much of it.
“Recovery was hard after surgery,” Teten admitted. “Not being able to sleep comfortably or the way I wanted to, and not being able to get up out of bed on my own were definitely the struggles that troubled me the most.”
There was also a lot of difficulty in his physical therapy.
“My therapy included getting the full range of motion I once had before in my entire leg, regaining the balance my body once had before surgery, and strengthening the surrounding muscles to prevent another tear of an ACL,” he reported.
“In my opinion the hardest part about the physical therapy routine was showing up and doing the best you can,” Chris continued, saying that lifting and working came easy as an athlete who has played sports through junior high and high school.. “Showing up and doing the same therapy a couple weeks at a time got very hard and very frustrating especially when you feel like you’re not making much progress but I knew if I wanted to come back and finish senior year playing the sport I love, I knew that I needed to do my best.”
Immediately following his surgery, Chris wasn’t able to go to work or hang out with his brothers and friends, but as he became able to walk on his own, he was able to rejoin them and vowed to make the most of this time in his last year at DHS.
“The best part about my senior year is being able to be a part of all the sports programs after my injury and looking back at the memories I have made and the friends I have made them with,” Chris said. “All of our coaches still let me sit on the bench, let me suit up for games and even let me get a three pointer in against Millsap.”
Chris admitted that sitting on the sidelines without being able to play proved more difficult than he expected.
“I was always still ready to go out there and play as soon as I could,” Teten said. “After realizing that my job was no longer going out there and playing my best, I knew that it was up to me to help teach the underclassmen the knowledge [they need] and to see them grow into better athletes that the Dublin teams now rely on. Even though it was rough sitting out, I became fortunate in watching the younger kids grow and become better athletes.”
His adaptation to a support role made a big impact on many, including DHS baseball coach Brennan Harris who had this to say: “A lot of athletes and people in general would have taken days off or stopped showing up on a daily basis if they were dealt the journey Chris was given. Even injured, he has yet to miss a baseball practice and does extra reps on the techniques he is cleared to perform.”
“I’ve never been as proud of Chris as much as I have over the past six months,” Harris continued. “He has shown everyone around him that even injured, or in a hard part of your life, you can still play a crucial part of a team by showing up, being positive, and pushing your teammates to be better. It’s easy to be the leader when things are going your way, it’s not easy at all when things have gone against you, but Chris has done that every day on either crutches or in a brace.”
“He truly is one a kind and this World needs more Chris Tetens,” Harris added.
Chris was rewarded with a big surprise last month when he was able to sign with McMurry University to play baseball with the Warhawks.
“I became really grateful towards the coaches I have there,” Teten said of McMurry. “They took a chance on me knowing that I will be out for the next 6 to 7 months not knowing if I will come back and be the same. After talking to the coaches about committing there, I knew that it was a second chance to come back and play the sports I love for another four years while also getting my degree.”
After a senior year full of ups and downs, Chris advises any athletes facing a lot of rehabilitation to never give up.
“Once you pass the finish line for therapy there is always a prize waiting for you, whether playing the sport you love again or just being able to do the things you did before only better,” he said.
Speaking to Chris about all these experiences reveal an air of gratitude for all of the good moments amidst the bad, for the friends and family he got to spend them with and to the teachers and coaches who have provided life lessons and experiences.
“These coaches here in Dublin, past or present, have all made an impact in my life and given me advice that I have carried with me throughout my high school career and I will take with me to college,” he affirmed.