Laredo Sports Medicine Clinic is proud to announce our spotlight athlete for October 2015…Elwynn “Greg” Sherman II! The life of an athlete is not always easy. Most will battle through their ups and downs such as preparing for the season, trying to avoid injuries, and the pressure of trying to be the best athlete possible. A basketball player, more specifically, has to focus on technique, endurance, and consistency to not only stand out, but also help lead his team to victory. What happens when an athlete is suddenly sidelined by an injury? While some may think that rebounding from an injury or adversity in life is easy, that is not always the case.
In our athlete’s situation, an injury just so happened to occur while Elwynn was actually coming down with a rebound. How he overcame his injury with resilience and unstoppable determination is truly inspiring.
Elwynn, known by his friends and family as Greg, recalls his first encounter with the game of basketball at the age of five, when his dad taught him how to play. It was then that his love for basketball was born.
His love for the game would span through his high school career where he would join the United High School basketball team in October of 2011. During his junior year, Greg became a starter on the Varsity Squad. He was looking forward to helping lead his team to another successful basketball season when he faced a major setback.
During the pre-season, as he was coming down with a rebound, Greg injured his knee. Greg landed incorrectly and ended up being rushed to the emergency room.
Doctors initially believed Greg had only sprained his knee. After going to Laredo Sports Medicine Clinic for an MRI with Dr. John Puig, he was given a diagnosis of several torn ligaments, torn quadriceps, and a dislocated knee. Greg was now faced with an injury worse than he had initially thought. He was taken to San Antonio, Texas where he would have surgery to help repair his injuries.
Due to the severity of his injury, Greg would unfortunately remain out for the rest of his junior year season. While an injury like this would have stopped many in their tracks, Greg worked diligently in collaboration with LSMC’s physical therapy department to regain his strength and remain on top of his game to ensure his return to the court would make a positive impact.
Seven and a half months later, Greg was cleared by Dr. Schmidt, his knee surgeon in San Antonio, to play basketball once again. During his senior year at United High School, Greg became Captain of the Varsity Basketball team and helped lead his team to the pre-season Border Olympic Tournament Championship and on to the District championships. Greg helped lead his team to the third round of playoffs. Even though his team didn’t win, Greg was proud to have made a triumphant return and have a great season.
Aside from excelling in sports, Greg is successful in the classroom as well. Despite being active in multiple sports and extra curricular activities throughout his high school career, Greg managed to maintain straight A’s in all of his classes. He learned to manage his time wisely and study whenever possible. His dedication to academics paid off as Greg graduated in the top 1% of his class with a 4.19 GPA this past June.
When it came time to begin applying to universities, Greg worked attentively to apply for various scholarships. With the encouragement of his high school basketball coach, Archie Ramos, Greg decided to apply for a scholarship from KSA events—the nation’s premier host of High School sporting events.
After being awarded a $350 scholarship for having the highest GPA on his team, Greg’s essay, which consisted of him writing to his twelve-year-old self, was selected for a $10,000 scholarship towards his college career.
Just this past summer, Greg signed on to play basketball at our hometown university, Texas A&M International University. A new Dustdevil, Greg started at TAMIU this August and is working towards his Bachelor of Science degree in Biology.
He continues to have his plate full as he simultaneously prepares for the upcoming basketball season by vigorously working during his preseason workouts 2 – 3 times a day. He is anxious for the first game of the season, which kicks off on November 20, 2015.
When he’s not on the court or in the classroom, Greg also spends his time as an active member of FCA. The Fellowship of Christian Athletes is an international non-profit Christian sports ministry composed of athletes whose vision is to see the world impacted for Jesus Christ through the influence of coaches and athletes.
After graduating from TAMIU, he plans on continuing his studies at Texas A & M University in College Station. There, he wants to pursue his Masters in Wildlife, Fisheries & Science. Passionate about animals and science, his ultimate goal is to work with the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Committee in an effort to help protect and preserve the wildlife of Florida.
Today, Greg is thankful for all the help and support he received from LSMC, his teammates, family, and friends while overcoming the obstacles he faced. Rebounding towards success is something he is proud of doing and is looking forward to a successful basketball season with his new team at TAMIU.
He continues to work hard and stay disciplined. He aspires to be like his father, Elwynn Sr., who overcame adversity and hardship to be a great role model. He thanks him for teaching him the game of basketball all those years ago, for it is the discipline he learned as an athlete that has helped shape him in academia as well.
LSMC congratulates and is proud to recognize Elwynn “Greg” Sherman II as October’s Spotlight Athlete!