PEABODY — Bishop Fenwick junior guard Jaxson Nadeau had a lot to smile about when she wrapped up her sophomore season last winter. Nadeau, a Wakefield native, improved her offensive game, earned a key role on the Crusaders, and helped the team reach the Division 3 North final.
But during the summer offseason, Nadeau’s progress on the court came to a screeching halt. She suffered a leg injury playing in AAU basketball game in June, but couldn’t pinpoint the exact damage. An initial diagnosis didn’t show much either but further examination revealed Nadeau had torn her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in her left knee.
“I was shocked because I didn’t think I tore it at first,” said Nadeau, a two-sport athlete who also plays soccer. “The doctors didn’t think I tore it either. I was shocked and I didn’t want to miss basketball season, especially after missing the entire soccer season. I was very sad about that.”
Nadeau underwent surgery in July to repair the damage and was forced to sit the first 14 games of her junior basketball campaign, in addition to missing the entire soccer season this past fall. She was cleared to re-join the Crusaders on Jan. 29, and took part in her first live basketball action in nearly seven months.
“It felt great. It’s hard working the kinks out, getting the timing with everything and getting back,” Nadeau said. “Overall it’s been pretty hard because I hadn’t played a game in seven months, but it felt great to be back.”
Although Nadeau felt she wasn’t at full strength during her first practice, Crusaders coach Adam DeBaggis found himself pleasantly surprised with how strongly she performed.
“The first day she practiced I couldn’t believe how normal Jaxson was,” DeBaggis said. “She was stealing the ball from players, driving to the basket. I couldn’t believe she was healthy that quick. She worked really hard at rehabbing. She was working hard, doing everything she could do before she came back. It’s amazing that she’s back almost 100 percent this early. It’s a testament to how hard she wanted it.”
Perhaps even more impressive is that Nadeau, a team captain, didn’t waver on her leadership responsibilities. DeBaggis believes she made the most of her time watching from the sidelines.
“She loves playing basketball and there was that sense that she could be out there helping the team win,” DeBaggis said. “I think she used her time wisely on the bench, improving her mental game. She’s a captain this year. Even while she was out injured, she improved her mental game and leadership abilities.”
Now Nadeau’s focus is to pick up where she left off as a sophomore. In 23 games last season, she averaged 11.9 points per contest with 4.5 rebounds, 3.7 steals, and 1.8 assists.
“Sophomore year was big for me,” Nadeau said. “I was just starting to get into the flow of things in basketball. I had to miss most of this season. It’s hard to get back into the flow of things.
“I feel pretty good now. I’d say I’m 90 percent to 100. That first week coming back, I wasn’t totally there yet. Now I’m feeling pretty good, back to myself.”
While she works to get back to full strength, the Crusaders are in the middle of a late-season push for a state tournament berth. Nadeau, who has played three games this season, re-joined the team at its most crucial point of the season. Fenwick, 9-8, has three games left in its regular season and needs one more win to reach the tournament. Fenwick visits St. Mary’s tonight (6:30).
“We’re working well as a team,” Nadeau said. “We lost our best player last year, Sam Mancinelli, and we lost two other seniors. We have a few players who came up from junior varsity and they’re fitting right in. We’re very mentally focused. We don’t yell at our teammates or get frustrated at one another. We’re always positive.”
Nadeau isn’t the only Crusader to return to the team after being sidelined with an injury. Fredi DeGuglielmo suffered a foot injury in the preseason and Elizabeth Pica was sidelined with a concussion. They’ve each now played in seven games.
“It’s unbelievably crucial,” DeBaggis said. “We also had two other players come back. We had our first full-team practice on Feb. 1st. It presents other challenges with gaining chemistry and finding a flow in our rotations but it’s great timing. I think we’re dangerous if we can get into the playoffs.”
Although rehabbing through the injury wasn’t an easy process, Nadeau credited her support system for staying close to her every step of the way. She also offered advice for student athletes who find themselves in a similar predicament.
“I would say that you’re going to get through it, it’s not the worst thing that can happen,” Nadeau said. “You just have to be positive and look at the bright side. One day you’re going to get cleared and get back to playing the sport you love to play. You’ll have people with you right by your side every step of the way and they’ll help you get through it.”
