Published: July 01, 2008 11:43 pm         

Wisdom learned the hard way

Woodrow’s Reynolds taking her time in comeback from knee injury

Erin Reynolds is content to sit and watch her Woodrow Wilson High School teammates play summer league basketball.

“I don’t plan on playing any games until November, when (practices) start,” the standout point guard said.

That’s wisdom learned the hard way.

Reynolds, who drew attention from several Division I schools while a sophomore, injured her right knee June 2 of last year while playing in the City of Beckley League at Park Middle School.

She babied a partial tear in her anterior cruciate ligament the rest of the summer and fall, then attempted to go full-out in preseason practice with the varsity.

Disaster struck in a Nov. 26 scrimmage game: Reynolds tore the ACL completely.

Two weeks later she had surgery, ending her junior campaign.

“I think I came back too fast,” she said.

Reynolds now sits at the scorer’s table during Woodrow’s summer games, keeping the scorebook or running the clock while the knee takes its time to heal properly.

She walks fine, and can do some running, jumping and shooting. Later this month she’ll be released from a doctor’s care.

But this time she’s not taking any chances.

“It’s real hard, but I know I have to sit on the sideline and be as supportive as I can,” Reynolds said. “I cheer them on and hopefully let them know I’ll be back this coming season to play with them again.”

Actually, she does more than cheer. She does a little coaching.

“Alexis, run something!” Reynolds called out to incoming freshman point guard Alexis Allen during a recent game.

With the team trailing late in the contest she yelled, “You all, pressure! You’re only down by six!”

It’s good practice for what might be her future profession.

“I hope to be a coach one day,” Reynolds said. “I tell them some things to keep them inspired. I let them know I’m paying attention and care if they play good.”

Last year she sat with the Woodrow coaching staff during games. She picked up strategies and sometimes they’d ask for her opinions and suggestions.

It made her still feel like part of the team.

“That helped me a lot,” she said.

Come November, she’ll be back on the floor — a little older and a lot wiser.

“I think I can do all the stuff I did before,” she said of the double-clutching, jaw-dropping lay-ups with which she entertained fans and demoralized opponents.

“But I look at my game as a whole lot different now. Before I got injured I felt I was a little out of control, just chancing a whole lot of things.

“Now I’m going to try to work on getting my teammates open and more involved.

“It’s not just about driving in wild. I’m still the point guard.”

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