Six-eight forward junior Ben Ritter played on the varsity basketball team as a sophomore, but he will begin this season on the bench. After suffering a stress fracture in his back, Ritter must wear a back brace until Oct. 3 which could cause him to possibly miss the beginning of the 2015 season.
“The injury shocked me, and I really didn’t know how to feel,” Ritter said.”I knew when I fell that it wasn’t good.”
In the beginning of the year, doctors told Ritter he would never play basketball again. A few days later, the doctor called Ritter into the office and informed him of the correct rehabilitation and physical therapy that he requires.
“Keeping my back straight is going to be hard,” Ritter said. “It can be aggravating but I know its for the best.”
During a spring game, he jumped up for a dunk and fell down hard on his back. He had never encountered an injury until then. After the injury occurred, other than the initial pain, there was no immediate discomfort. It came a week later, like a knife in his lower back, Ritter said. Because of a long recovery, Ritter worries about the upcoming season that starts in November.
“I feel like I will be out of shape,” Ritter said. “Mentally preparing and getting my feet back under me is going to be the hard part.”
Ritter wants to return and play, but he will remain in the back brace until October. Although Murdock accepts the injury, Ritter will be required to re-earn his starting position after he finishes his rehabilitation.
“It was deflating; like a death in the family,” Murdock said. “He’s gotta earn it back.”
Ritter accepts the challenge and believes he will be back on the court for his junior and senior year.
“I’m ready to get back to the weights, workouts, and the normal routine,” Ritter said.
