Phillips Moves Forward
By Alex Restrepo
LSU soccer player Joleen Phillips has dealt with injuries her entire career. Throughout her high school playing days, Phillips battled ankle injuries she believed were a result of playing soccer in the cold weather of her native Indianapolis.
“I am from Indiana, and when it would snow, we had to play in the indoor facility,” Phillips said. “Playing on that turf I would roll my ankles a lot.”
Since high school, Phillips is sure to have her ankles taped before every practice and game in order to help prevent such injuries. However, nothing could have prepared Phillips for her most severe injury to date, which took place against Kentucky on Sept. 24 of last season.
“I was jumping to win a head ball, and I landed on the outside of my right foot,” Phillips said. “I knew it was severe because I heard a lot of popping.”
Phillips had torn the anterior cruciate ligament in her right knee, an injury that would keep her sidelined for the remainder of her sophomore season.
Unlike her previous ankle sprains that would put her out of action for one to two weeks, Phillips ACL tear kept her off the field for eight months. During that time, Phillips went to the athletic training facility as many as six days a week, and did various workouts to strengthen the muscles in her right leg during rehabilitation sessions that ranged anywhere from two to five hours.
The rehab process was difficult for Phillips, but she credits the support of her teammates for getting her through it.
“My teammates really helped. They were always there for me,” she said. “It just meant so much for them to be there.”
Fully recovered by the start of the 2005 season, first-year head coach Brian Lee moved the junior from the midfielder position to forward before the season began. The transition proved to be a smooth one for Phillips who also played forward at Cathedral High School.
“To play in the forward position, something which I played up until college, was really exciting for me,” Phillips commented.
With a new bill of health and an exciting new position, Phillips also developed a new attitude towards playing the game she loves.
“I have been playing for 15 years of my life and this injury put things in perspective for me,” she said. “I always give it my all because I know any game could be my last.”
It didn’t take long for Phillips’ new confident and ambitious attitude to show on the field.
Against UL-Lafayette on Sept. 4, the Tigers, in search of their first win of the season, were headed into overtime after a scoreless 90 minutes. With less than three minutes of overtime remaining, Phillips received a high pass from freshman midfielder Melissa Clarke. It took just one dribble for Phillips to juke the goalkeeper, score and secure the Tigers’ first win of the season.
“It felt awesome, first of all, to win the game,” she said. “It felt good to know that I was able to come back — to come back and be a goal scorer.”
Phillips has scored five goals this season and has combined with senior forward Kate Ripple for 11 of the team’s 16 goals. With Ripple leaving after this year, Phillips believes she is in position to take on more of a leadership role.
“Playing at LSU for four years, seeing what all the other seniors have gone through, I feel I can show that same senior leadership,” Phillips said. “The goals are exciting, but the goals start with the team.”