By Robert Sampson
WKU Athletic Communications/Media Relations
WKU junior Katrina Ott still has two years of eligibility left in a WKU uniform. But any discussions of playing soccer by Ott are now mentioned in the past tense for the Versailles, Ky. native.
Having suffered around 25 concussions over a six-year period that began when she was a freshman at Woodford County High School, Ott's playing career ended during WKU's 2012 spring season.
"I first started getting concussions when I was a freshman in high school and I wouldn't tell people about them," said Ott. "I would just keep playing.
"I wanted to play and I knew I would have to sit out if I told people."
The trend of not telling others about her concussions occurred not only during her time in high school, but also during her collegiate career -- until the spring of 2012.
"This spring is when I finally decided to come clean about the concussions," said Ott. "I went to see the neurologist and he said I couldn't play anymore."
Ott now serves as a student manager for the WKU Soccer team.
"I still get to be involved and hang out with my friends," said Ott. "I still get to be around soccer, but with a different perspective now."
THE HOAX
For long periods of her high school and collegiate soccer career, Ott attempted to convince trainers that her health was fine. The time included one of the more frightening moments for Ott that came during her sophomore year in high school.
"I remember one concussion I had, I got hit and I knew something wasn't right," said Ott. "I went out and I assured the trainer that it was fine. I went back in and got hit again. After that, I knew something was wrong because I couldn't remember things and I couldn't speak correctly. My motor skills were affected. I actually had to go stay in the hospital that night for having second impact syndrome. That was one of the more scary ones."
As her collegiate career continued, the post-concussion symptoms starting getting worse.
"I got to the point where doing a header would set off a migraine," said Ott. "I was having migraines every day. My balance was messed up. It was affecting everyday things."
A 4.0 student in the classroom throughout most of her academic career, the continued affects of the concussions eventually took their toll on her grades.
"That is when (the affects of the concussions) really started getting frustrating," said Ott. "I would sit in class, a 4.0 student and never having had any trouble in school and suddenly I am struggling to pay attention, struggling to get homework done and getting antsy during tests. It was frustrating to start experiencing trouble when I had been academically exceptional my entire life. It was a another sign I needed to start fixing things."
PROMISING CAREER
Ott enjoyed an illustrious prep career at Woodford County High School in Versailles, Ky. A four-year starter for the Yellow Jackets, Ott was a three-time All-State selection. Additionally, she was a part of the Region II Olympic Development Program team from 2008-2009, a member of the Kentucky State ODP Team from 2005-2009 while her LFC Premier Club won the State Cup in 2008 and finished second in 2009.
"Katrina has tremendous athleticism and soccer instincts," head coach Jason Neidell said in 2010 when Ott signed on to join the Lady Toppers. "She is another player who we had been actively watching and scouting for several years, so we were obviously excited when she expressed strong interest in our program. With three senior defenders graduating, we expect her to compete for playing time in the back right away."
Ott played in 20 matches with 19 starts as a Lady Topper freshman. She was part of a defense that posted eight shutouts and scored one goal, a game-winner against Florida Atlantic on Oct. 10, 2010. As a sophomore, Ott started 14 matches while seeing action in 18 games for one of the nation's top-ranked defenses.
Ott completed her career seeing action in 38 games, recording one goal and one assist as a defensive standout.
Without soccer in her life, Ott has sought out various avenues to help her deal with the void of the game she loves to play.
"I am still looking for something to fill the void because I have played my entire life," said Ott. "It was part of my identity. I am trying to find out how to replace that. I don't think there is anything that could truly replace the adrenaline, competition and intangibles that soccer provides."
One thing that has not had to be replaced is her teammates. She is still roommates in a Bowling Green area house with several of her teammates.
"The team has been really supportive," said Ott. "They have continued to include me in things. They have made the transition from player to manager really easy. They are really understanding."
The group continues to call and text when they are on the road to keep Ott up-to-date on team happenings.
Despite the continued friendship of her soccer teammates, getting away from the game she loved to play was a necessity.
"I was kind of angry with soccer," said Ott. "I definitely wasn't mad at my friends or the coaching staff. It was just painful to be around soccer for a little bit. I turned to my volleyball friends and (head volleyball coach Travis Hudson) for an outlet so that I didn't have to hear about soccer all the time... It was nice to get a break from soccer. That fostered my relationship with the volleyball players and I have a lot of new friends because of that."
"I come from a pretty religious background," said Ott. "My parents have been reassuring me that everything happens for a reason and this is part of God's plan. I believe them. I know God has a reason for doing everything and He has something planned for me now. It was hard to accept at first, but I am starting to come to the realization that there is more out there than just soccer."
FROM ON-FIELD TRAGEDY COMES FRIENDSHIP
Ott and WKU junior Taryn O'Shea have been teammates since Ott arrived on the WKU campus in 2010.
On March 28, 2012, O'Shea tore her ACL for the third time in her WKU career.
On March 29, 2012, Ott learned that she had already played in her final WKU soccer practice or game due to concussions.
"We became really close through soccer," said O'Shea.
O'Shea, who aspires to be a sports psychologist, has been a friend of Otts for some time, but the issues that both dealt with due to their on-field injuries has brought them closer together.
"It is not like I have all this wisdom that I relay on her," said O'Shea. "But I can empathize with her... We are always there for each other. I can listen and really understand and try to shed some light on how it is. We can be miserable together or happy together because we both are in similar boats."
Ott tried to encourage O'Shea through her injury, but instead taught herself something that has made the void of soccer more manageable.
"I told her, 'Soccer is really small. So don't worry about this. You have the rest of your life ahead of you. Don't be upset about this.' I thought I was being really hypocritical about this to not tell people about my concussions."
After O'Shea tore her knee for the third time, she expected her career to be over, but instead she will fight back for the chance to play with the team in 2013.
"I didn't know that I would have another option this third time," said O'Shea. "She thought about (being in) my shoes and she knew I had to realize that soccer wasn't the end all and my health is more important. She took that and internalized it and realized she needed to walk and needed to talk (in the future)."
Because of their injury status, Ott and O'Shea are unable to join the soccer team on road trips.
"It is kind of nice having someone there that is not playing that is around when the team is away playing," said O'Shea. "It is really comforting. It is one of those things where a really unfortunate event that has brought two people together. She is one of my best friends and I feel we are always going to have that connection because of these two awful things have happened. She is going to be my best friend for life.
"It is like going to rehab and meeting your soul mate."
CONCUSSION ADVOCATE
"Now that I know the severity of it and have experienced the symptoms, I stress the point of telling people about sitting out early to prevent long-term damage or lasting symptoms," said Ott. "I am definitely an advocate for concussion safety now. I don't want anyone else to go through this."
In late April, Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear completed the process of enacting House Bill 281 into law. The measure outlines education requirements of all interscholastic coaches with regard to concussion recognition and safety training.
The bill requires coaches at all levels to complete and pass the required sports safety course, including content that demonstrates proper concussion recognition and treatment. The measure extends provisions to all interscholastic levels as the previous legislation applied only to the high school level.
"This is an important piece of legislation that will help keep student-athlete safety in the forefront of everyone's mind," said KHSAA Commissioner Julian Tackett. "This was a bill we took great interest in from the start and we are very pleased with the provisions of it as it pertains to coach training at all levels, not just high school. I salute Rep. Joni Jenkins and all the members of the legislature who worked tirelessly in a very difficult legislative session to create and pass this bill along in the best interest of Kentucky's student-athletes of all ages with virtually no opposition."
Tackett says it is not up to just the coaches and administrators in Kentucky to change the culture surrounding concussions.
"It's not just coaches and administrators that have to change their thinking," said Tackett. "We have to get the participants to realize that 'getting your bell rung' is a serious thing. We have partnered with Norton Healthcare and the Brain Injury Alliance to create kyconcussions.com and house some valuable resources. Included on that site is very compelling testimony from a student-athlete who didn't realize the severity until it was too late, and now her playing days are over. However, your playing days will end soon enough, it's your living days that are much more important that extend far beyond your playing days. That's why we now require the kid and the parents to sign the permission form which acknowledges those risks. We have to continue our education efforts as this will be a necessary culture change."
Tackett and Dr. Ted Seifert are among the leading advocates of concussions safety in the state of Kentucky. Seifert, who treated Ott in Louisville, currently serves as the director of the Norton Sports Health Concussion Program.
THE FUTURE
For Ott, watching soccer doesn't fill the void of not playing.
"Soccer is really boring to watch," said Ott. "I love the sport, absolutely love to play it, but watching it is hard. I am not a soccer spectator, just a soccer player. I have been forced to be a spectator... I just liked playing and watching was really hard. I just wanted to play as long as I could.
"When I do watch now, I appreciate the physical demands of it. People underestimate the physical demands of it."
Among the things Ott misses the most are the intense competition and game day.
"The competition is what I really enjoyed," said Ott. "Game days were my favorites... Preparation starts as soon as you wake up. You wake up and you feel the excitement of the game you have that night. You don't even want to go to class because all you want to do is play. There is something about being on our field in front of people and doing what you love."
Ott is currently enrolled in physical therapy school at WKU.
"Everyone's career comes to a close at some point," said Ott. "I just have to start figuring things out earlier (than others)."
