Back from injury: Galbraith settles in

by Matthew Ondesko, Managing Editor

Photos: Buffalo State Athletics

Every college freshman goes through it. Going from playing all the time in high school to earning the playing time again when coming to college.

Some players can handle the transition, others struggle at times. Those who struggle aren’t used to having to earn that time all over again. They aren’t used to not getting the time they had when they were the high school star.

Those who are able to accept their role just continue to grind until their opportunity comes.

Making the transition from high school starter to a role player wasn’t a hard one for Buffalo State softball player Megan Galbraith. The Lewiston-Port High School graduate has worked extremely hard since she first stepped on campus.

While she doesn’t start, Galbraith is still there to support her teammates everyday.

“Transitioning in the beginning wasn’t really that difficult because I tried my best to put in the work to play/earn playing time,” stated Galbraith. “It is tough to change your mindset from not starting and playing but those starters had earned their spots, and you are on a team. You above all else have to support.”

When she does get her opportunity Galbraith just goes out there and plays the game like she knows how. She doesn’t go out there and try to do something different. She doesn’t go out there and try to change her approach.

Galbraith is out there to do a job. She knows her teammates our counting on her to make a play in the outfield, or to get a hit. Everyday she gets to the ballpark Galbraith is as professional as the first day she stepped on campus.

“When I go out there, I don’t try to prove to everyone that I should be a starter, I go out there and I do the job that needs to be done. My teammates are counting on me to catch that ball or get that hit,” stated Galbraith. “When I focus on starting that is selfish behavior. When I know I'm totally capable of doing all that. Cause when I make a mistake, I expect someone to pick up right after me. We win as a team. Within I focus on being smart and getting the job done for the team.”

After appearing in 28 games as a freshman, Galbraith was ready for a big sophomore year. She had already started five of the seven games she played in, but her season was cut short when she tore her ACL.

That meant a different kind of offseason for Galbraith than in years past. Instead of working on hitting and fielding, Galbraith was rehabbing - trying to get her knee right and back on the field as soon as possible.

She learned a lot about herself during the process. While going through five months of intense rehab, Galbraith was able to get her mind right. She was able to get her mindset in a better place as she came to grips of coming on an injury like this one.

“My off season looked a little different this year compared to years prior. I went through lots of rehab and physical therapy because in the beginning of my sophomore season I tore my ACL. I had gone through five months of physical therapy, and I was cleared to come back to playing right before we came back for the spring semester,” stated Galbraith. “This has also allowed me to focus on getting my mindset in a better place after coming from a setback/ injury. I prepared myself by becoming/ being an upperclassmen and being a leader for the underclassmen.”

As Galbraith gets ready for the spring season, getting off to a fast start is going to be important. After a year of not playing, Galbraith will be looking to knock the rust off. She knows getting back on the field, and running down to first, will be the mental challenge she needs to get over.

Along with getting back to playing the field, and working with her teammates. Communication is important when it comes to playing the outfield. If you aren’t communicating bad things could happen.

Knocking off all the rest early will help, and a nice spring training down in Florida should help that.

“It is important to get off to a fast start for confidence because it knocks off the initial jitters. Once I get going then it becomes more carefree and natural,” stated Galbraith. “Communication is one of the most important aspects of not just the outfield, but this includes the infield as well. If we go for the same ball and there's no communication, someone can collide and get injured. Communication is one of our precepts.”

Now that she’s back on the field, it’s back to the daily grind that includes schoolwork, workouts and games. The criminal justice major knows it can be difficult at times. She also knows time management is key.

Being able to organize when it comes to everything allows her to get herself in a routine.

“When it comes to my schedule and balancing out schoolwork on top of games, practices and workouts it is all about being motivated and having good time management. It's better to set a schedule for you to follow everyday so you make sure you are also getting to your homework,” stated Galbraith. “I have a planner that I fill out every day, so I know what needs to get done that day, so I don't fall behind. Especially with games. I have to find time on the bus to write a paper and finish other assignments in hotel rooms at games. It gets overwhelming but as long as you have a schedule it helps find balance.”