Colorado Springs, CO – Pain is when you get hurt or injured. Real pain is the physical hurt from injury and the emotional one when what you love to do is taken away from you. The two happiest participants at the 2018 USA Basketball trials are two young stars of girls basketball: 2020 Elauna Eaton and 2021 Caroline Ducharme who both are coming back from knee injuries.

Both of these amazing talents are Blue Star 30 Campers and considered in the top of each of their respective recruiting classes. While both have different styles of play and live in opposite places in the country the same injury took them away from the game they love to play and especially last year’s USAB U16 Trials. Eaton from Jonesboro,AR was injured during her high school season a year ago (2017) while Ducharme from Milton, MA learned of her injury after last April’s (2017) Boo Williams tournament just a month before the USAB trials.

The usual time line for a knee surgery recovery is anywhere from six months (aggressive) to a year (patient). Since Eaton’s occurred during her freshman season her recovery is the longest, hence she is back to similar form. Ducharme is back but with a brace since her recovery and rehab time has been shorter all with the goal of playing this April at Boo again and at this year’s trials. Both players felt the heartache being away from the game.

It’s not easy getting back into your old game form as you have to “re-learn” to be aggressive and move like your old self. Both players knew that patience was important in coming back for this year’s USAB U17 trails. A part of the comfort of coming back to the trials was seeing their fellow Blue Star 30 players here. Both would have been candidates for a pre-selected Trials invite before their knee injuries.

Since this is the deepest USAB U17 trials every, the competition for a position has been raised. For both of these heavily recruited player just being on the floor, back in the game. For star players at their respective ranking levels in their class the reality of a knee injury hasn’t affected their comeback nor their play or recruiting prospect – both of whom are still on everyone’s list.

To see our coverage from the USA Basketball U17 Trials thus far, follow the links below.  Check back with Blue Star Media throughout for additional coverage, images and evaluations.

https://bluestarmedia.org/usa-u17-trials-day-one/

https://bluestarmedia.org/first-day-at-usa-basketball-u17-trails/

https://bluestarmedia.org/usa-basketball-u17-trails-day-two/