I grew up in a household where other than my mom, we consisted of all males.

My mom and
dad had four boys including myself during their time together. Being a male, it was a given that I
learned the essence of helping others early. This lesson occurred not only through assisting my
mother’s needs by doing things such as chores, but also by setting an example for my younger
brother and being what my grandmother would call “my brother’s keeper”. Per my
grandmother’s description, this title came with the responsibility of watching over my brother at
all times, aiding him in his time of need and protecting him from danger.

Being my brother’s keeper even transitioned into the game of basketball which I grew to love to
play. My values were established as I continued to learn the fundamentals of team sports. As a
point guard for my Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) basketball team, I valued getting teammates
involved in the game and making sure that everyone had a chance to at least touch the ball.
Something about learning how to play with disparate people who shared the common goal of
winning offset my drive to help us reach that goal diligently. This eventually allowed me to have
a strong penchant for players such as Derrick Rose, a revered top-notch point guard who
soared high in his career path trajectory, winning MVP at 21 years old.

Unfortunately, an unprecedented event occurred in my role model’s timeline where he tore his
anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) during a playoff game. This horrific injury caused a horrendous
rehabilitation process that forced Rose out of action for close to 2 years. By the time he
returned, it was evident that he was not the same player prior becoming injured. There were so
many questions that lived in my mind rent-free after witnessing the effect that this injury had on
Rose: why does it take 2 years to bounce back from a knee injury? Why do some players return
quicker from the same injury? Why is his performance subpar compared to his MVP season? A
spark of desire to fully understand Rose’s injury was ignited and fanned with Rose’s return to
basketball. Players like him performed at a shell of themselves while players like football star
Adrian Peterson, who acquired the same injury, returned to his best season ever reaching over
2000 rushing yards. I couldn’t wrap my mind around how the same injury between two athletes
who both thrived off athleticism seemed affect one player’s performance and not the other

The rapid questions occupying my mind did not just stop at Rose’s ACL. Soon enough it
became Brandon Roy’s bone bruise in his knee. Then, it was Kobe Bryant’s achilles injury, and
so on. I became infatuated by learning the skeletal structure of the body and understanding the
importance of practicing injury prevention. I found it amusing that I was able to predict recovery
length times for certain injuries just like the reporters and doctors of professional sports. My
general love for the game of basketball and my newfound desire to help people prevent injuries
greatly influenced my decision to pursue physical therapy. I have always yearned to remain
around team sports since my experience with AAU, the starting grounds that built the foundation
of my values: “hard work beats talent” and “you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”

I find it ironic that I found my career choice as soon as an athlete essentially almost got his
career taken from him. Nevertheless, pursuing physical therapy as a career choice allows me to
potentially help and protect people of various ages from osteopathic and muscular injuries.
Whether I’m being a brother’s keeper to my actual brother, teammate, or patient, the joy in
helping others is instrumental