One of the toughest injuries in baseball for a pitcher is Tommy John Surgery, in which you tear your UCL — a ligament in your elbow. Junior sports communication major Michael Thomason, who is on the Lions baseball team, tore his UCL last season and is now almost fully recovered from his injury and is ready for the 2022 season to start. 

Thomason has proven to be one of the hardest workers on the team, and his coaches and teammates were devastated to see him go out with this injury last season. He was looking for a big spot in the bullpen last year, but he is now more determined than ever and has learned a lot from his recovery process. 

“It definitely took a lot of work both mentally and physically, but looking back on it I wouldn’t change this journey for the world,” said Thomason. “It’s been a blessing in disguise and I honestly have grown in ways I never would have expected.” 

Thomason has developed a lot of good thoughts even though he had to miss a season. Instead of doubting himself, he worked even harder to fully recover and become a better pitcher than before. He is determined to play a big role for the team this year on the pitching staff. He has not just improved physically, but he has worked harder mentally to overcome this injury and not just shutting down and not working as hard. Coaches have recognized this work. 

“He has been working really hard in his physical therapy and is dedicated to do anything to get out back on that field,” said team graduate assistant Ethan Darrow. “We hope for a bright future for Mike and hope to see him succeed this season for the team. Mike has been a leader for us on and off the field and we hope to see him help lead us to a title this season.” 

The UCL is definitely a major injury to come back from, but as one of the left-handed pitchers on the staff, coaches hope Thomason could be a big factor this upcoming season. Thomason said he’s ready for the challenge.

“Now I am in the final stages of my recovery and it really shows me how powerful God and hard work truly are,” he said. “I can’t wait to get back on a mound again and compete.” 

With the postseason a month away, the Atlanta Braves look to win their division despite losing their best player and other key players for the rest of the season. The Braves started out the year struggling and were stuck in 3^rd place in the NL East for a number of weeks. One of the few bright spots Atlanta was Ronald Acuna Jr., who was having an MVP season. But on July 10, Acuna would suffer a season-ending injury, which seemingly eliminated any hopes for a  playoff push. 

As well as losing their best player, they had lost ace pitcher Mike Soroka, and two big bats in Marcell Ozunaand Travis d’Arnaud before Acuna’s injury. Of the three, only d’Arnaud would return this season. But little did we know some players would step up. Austin Riley has been putting up MVP numbers this year with a .306 batting average, 28 home runs and 83 RBIs. With struggles at the beginning of the year, former MVP Freddie Freeman is back and is in form, dominating the month of July with great stats. In the month of July he would have a batting average of .375 with 36 hits including 9 extra base hits and 15 runs batted in.  Dansby Swanson and Ozzie Albies have also stepped up late to help this Braves team compete for another division championship.

The Braves pitching has had an up and down year so far. The starting pitching has looked solid for the most part. Leading the way is veteran pitcher Charlie Morton, who was signed in the offseason and leads the staff with 12 wins and 181 strikeouts. Max Fried is in second with 11 wins and 131 strikeouts. Both these guys have looked good and they hope to continue to lead the pitching staff. Although most of the starters have looked good this year, the bullpen has been a struggle for the Braves. They have blown a lot of games, especially earlier in the season. The Braves definitely need the bullpen to do well in the month of September in order to make the playoffs.

The month of August was great for the Braves, as they won 18 of 26 games thanks to some key additions before the trade deadline. After Acuna got hurt, they immediately traded for Joc Pederson to play right field. They also traded for former Brave Adam Duvall, who had been hitting well, as well as outfielders Eddie Rosario and Jorge Soler. Both have contributed so far to help the team be successful in August. They would then trade for relief pitcher Richard Rodriguez who has had a great year to help with the bullpen struggles. After all these trades, the team has looked good and has given Braves fans hope for another division title.

The Braves can win the division as long as they keep competing and playing Braves baseball. The rest of September looks hopeful as the Braves play teams who are not having good years until our last two series which are against the two contenders in our division, the Philadelphia Phillies and New York Mets. Even though we don’t have some of our best players for the rest of the year I can see us being a World Series contender if we put all the pieces together. 

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Cori Gauff, also known as “Coco” Gauff on the court, is a top-notch player on the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Tour. She started from the top 600 at the age of 15 to now being in the top 25. People may have thought that it was not a good idea for this 17-year-old American to play against the other women on tour because she might get burned out. She wanted to put a name for herself because of two athletes on the tour that inspired her. They are the reason Coco wanted to begin tennis.

Gauff made her debut in Wimbledon of 2019, coming in from qualifying to going all the way to the fourth round. She defeated a former number one player, Venus Williams, to make it to the second round, and she made a comeback, winning the second and third set after being down one match point. Another impressive thing about this run was that Gauff was only 15 years old, making her the youngest in the tournament. During her run at Wimbledon, she made a name for herself, which is where “Call Me Coco” came from.

A Cinderella story is what they called it for this young American. Coming in from winning a junior Grand Slams to qualifying in her first Grand Slam on the WTA tour, Simona Halep defeated the young American and ended up winning the tournament. Although Coco’s Wimbledon run was ended, the career for this young American was just beginning.

She was the youngest single finalist at the Junior US Open. A couple tournaments later, Gauff played in the juniors French Open, and won the tournament, only dropping one set in the finals. Gauff is a great singles player as a junior, but she was also a great doubles player. Gauff won her very first WTA title in 2019 at the Linz Open in Austria by defeating a former Grand Slam Champion and former top five player. Winning the tournament boosted her ranking into the top 75.

Gauff has won two WTA singles title and three WTA doubles titles. Catherine McNally is Gauff’s doubles partner, and they have made a name for themselves in the doubles aspect of the tour. They won their first WTA doubles title in 2019 at the Citi Open. With winning three titles together, there is no telling what this duo will conquer in the doubles tour.

The Piedmont men’s tennis team has a new leader at the helm, as Matt Williams goes from being an assistant coach to becoming the head coach this season.

“I am inspired to be a coach because I know that athletics provide a unique environment to acquire essential life skills,” Coach Matt Williams said. “Win-loss records don’t make it to tombstones, but if you’ve impacted their lives, they’ll show up to your funeral.”

Williams received his undergraduate degree from Mercer University in 2012 and received his master’s degree from the University of Georgia in 2016. He started his tennis career at Southern Wesleyan University in South Carolina in 2014 as an assistant coach. After leaving Southern Wesleyan, Williams became a graduate manage for women’s tennis in 2014-15 at the University of Georgia. Later in 2015-16, he became a volunteer assistant coach for the women’s team. Williams helped with the University of Georgia’s women tennis from 2014 to 2018, where he helped with recruiting and match day analytics.

With Williams at the helm, the team is hoping to build on its second-place finish in conference last season. In previous years, the team expectations were not as high as most of the players would have liked. But under Williams, that has changed, and players are already recognizing a difference.

“This tennis season is about the discipline and hard work we are going to have to put in,” said Cooper Kework, a senior player on the team. “I know it will pay off in the long run.”

Captain of the team, Kework feels the impact that Coach Williams is making this year. He is not the only one who feels the impact. The whole team can see the difference.

“Matt provides a major emphasis on investing in all of his players not only to become better tennis players, but better people. That says a lot about his character,” Kework said.

Williams wants the team to be closer together rather than being distant with each other. As a team he wants players to respect each other on and off the court. He also wants the team to be each other’s “safe place.” Communication is very big when it comes to teams, Williams said, and he wants the Lions to take it to another level.

“There is so much pressure on you especially if you are the last person on court and when you have that support from your team, which will help push you through the match,” Williams said. “We want the energy from our team to help encourage each other and push each other through the match.”

Not even two weeks into the season, goalkeeper Madi Wilson for the Piedmont women’s soccer team, has proven she is ready to play by being recognized as defensive player of the week from USA South.

“It was definitely a well-deserved win,” says former Piedmont goalkeeper Miranda McNalley. “I look forward to seeing more shutouts from her and more awards given this season.” 

A lot of pressure has been put on Wilson’s shoulders this season, as McNalley played her final season last spring in 2021. McNalley played a total of 14 games and 1,174 minutes last season with giving up only 17 goals after having 114 shots taken on her. After having a conference winning season, Wilson is expected to have just as good, if not better season than McNalley. Wilson is a sophomore this year and with two freshman goalkeepers joining the team, she is expected to be a leader, which she has already proved she is ready to do.

McNalley has returned to Piedmont after graduating to help the team and specifically help the goalkeepers. McNalley’s knowledge and experience from playing on this team could be extremely helpful to the team this season. Wilson and McNalley already have a strong relationship from being teammates last season, so a good chemistry of working together has already been created.

“Getting the opportunity to help out the goalkeepers is really great,” McNalley said. “After playing in goal and being able to share my experiences is an awesome opportunity that [head coach] Timmy has given me.”

Last season, Wilson appeared in five games, which four of these she started in. She totaled 270 minutes and only gave up three goals. Already this season, Wilson has played over 200 minutes and hasn’t given up a single goal. In the lady lions’ conference, for goalkeepers, Wilson currently holds first place for goals against, save percentage and losses against.

Wilson has already shown to her coaches and teammates that she means business this season. With an incredible start to the season with not only amazing stats, but being recognized so early on from their conference, is a major step in the right direction, not only for Wilson herself, but for her entire team.

“She sees the field very well and has a great relationship with her back line,” says assistant Coach Stephanie Lamm. “Sometimes she doubts herself when she shouldn’t because she absolutely has the skill to win.” 

This is Lamm’s first season with the lady lions and she already expects big things from Wilson this year. Lamm said, “I see her being a leader since she’s already seen a whole college season, not to mention under COVID, so she knows what to expect but also understands anything can happen.” Not only are her coaches expecting to see big results from her, but she will have younger eyes on her this season as the incoming freshman keepers expect to see big results from her as well.

“Being the oldest [goalkeeper] makes me feel like I have a responsibility to take the freshman [goalkeepers] under my wing and fill that leadership role,” says Wilson. “But receiving defensive player of the week was a really good confidence booster which makes me excited to compete for another conference championship this season and hopefully take the team to nationals.”

Carli Lloyd is one of the best players to join the field for the United States Women’s National soccer team. Although her parents wanted her to be a ballerina, at age 5 she knew that was not the path she wanted to purse. I bet all the U.S soccer fans out there can agree that even at such a young age, Lloyd was already making the right decisions for herself and her future by deciding to kick a ball around the yard rather than twirl around in a tutu on some stage.

Lloyd not only plays for the  USWNT but also plays for Gotham FC for the National Women’s Soccer League. She has super powers if you ask me. Lloyd recently turned 39 in July of 2021 yet still can show up some of the youngsters who have fresh legs and who are “more agile.” If you ask me, I’d be quite embarrassed being outran by someone who is almost twice my age. She is by far one of the hardest working players the USWNT or the NWSL has seen in a while, of course alongside past soccer legends like Abby Wambach and Mia Hamm.

This girl is a beast and truly has deserved everything she has ever won or been recognized for. Lloyd has appeared and played in four World Cups, which two of those she has walked away as a world champion. Not to mention she also had won the golden ball as best player in 2015 when in the World cup Final, she shot from half field sealing her hat trick. The list of her achievements continues as she has not only played in four world cups, but also four Olympics, winning gold in 2008 and 2012 and recently a bronze medal this summer in 2021. 

Lloyd is a true leader and a loyal teammate. She stands for what she believes in…literally, unlike others on her team. She wants to win and compete. She has grinded for decades to achieve the things she has in her lifetime. Lloyd will forever be remembered for her hard work and dedication to this sport. After hanging her boots, whatever she decides to do next, I know she will continue to compete and be the best. That’s an athlete and that’s someone we all should be looking up to.

Lloyd will play her last ever professional game on Oct. 26 against South Korea at Allianz Field. 

Hannah Kate Chadwell stares down the volleyball rising towards the rafters. She waits until her opponent jumps for it so that she can send their attack back the other way. She has literally broken her back to get to where she is now.

Chadwell is a 5’10” middle blocker/right side hitter, and a key player for the Piedmont University volleyball team. She blocks up front, makes aggressive kills and serves up aces to help her team win matches. She helps her teammates not only through her own performance, but also by helping to give advice on how to play their positions even better.

“She knows how to read the ball and the setter, which makes her a vital player on the court,” says sophomore outside hitter/right side player Alaina McDonald. “Not only is she a strong blocker and hitter for our team, but she also encourages everyone else to play their hardest. Even through her back injury, her personality on the court has remained the same.”

“She is always for the team wanting to win,” said her teammate, sophomore outside hitter/defensive specialist Reagan Mercado. “When she broke her back, she didn’t stop that. She just continued leading from the bench.”

In February, during an unusual 2020-2021 volleyball season in which the pandemic moved the fall sport to spring, Chadwell fractured her lower two lumbar vertebrae in her spine.

“Before she learned about her injury, she would try to play through the pain for the benefit of the team,” McDonald said.

Mercado added, “I know it killed her to be off of [the volleyball court] because she tried to keep playing, even though her back was hurting.”

The severity of the injury was unknown until about two months later before a game when she was unable to walk.

“I was restricted to my bed for about a week until I could move around kind of comfortably, and then it was just kind of like a pressure in my back,” said Chadwell. “It was rather difficult, but with sports come injuries.”

Chadwell’s injury required much rest and physical therapy, but no surgery was required. “It’s just one of those injuries where you’ve got to let your body heal itself.”

Training has been limited due to what she is able or unable to do with her back.

“I can’t do deadlifts and squats just because of the pressure that it puts directly on my spine,” said Chadwell. “I find variations of other things. So instead of deadlifts, I do Roman deadlifts. You’re training the same muscles, just in a different way.”

Chadwell said she needed to “listen to her body” and “take a step back when something feels uncomfortable” even when she wanted to become stronger by pushing herself to a new max.

When athletes face injuries, it is always as much of a mental recovery as it is a physical recovery. A big part of overcoming the mental aspect is the support received from others. For Chadwell, that support came from her family, friends, teammates and coaches.

“It was difficult because I use volleyball as one of my outlets for stress relief,” Chadwell said. “So, when that outlet was taken away, I relied a lot on my family and friends. My parents have always been supportive of me and everything I do. I know not everyone has that and not everyone has people to lean on, so I feel blessed to have those people in my life.”

Chadwell has fully recovered, and the team is excited for what she can do. However, there is still a possibility of her injury flaring back up. Chadwell is aware of the possibility she may no longer be able to play again, but she knows one thing for sure: she is going to play with everything she has as long as she can.

“It was a reality check that I am not going to be able to play this sport forever,” Chadwell said. “At the end of the day, your sport and everything that you do — that’s not who you are. Volleyball is a part of me, but I am not just a volleyball player. I needed to take a step back and realize who I am and what my other strengths are.”

The NHL offseason has been compelling, but the team the league should really start watching for is the Philadelphia Flyers. With all the signings and acquisitions this offseason, the Flyers have become one of the more intriguing teams in the league. The team has Stanley Cup potential, and fans of the orange and black should be ecstatic about this coming season.

The trade transactions and free-agent signings have shipped some of the best players across the country. Three specific acquisitions have really caught my eye: Martin Jones, Ryan Ellis and Cam Atkinson. Martin Jones has been between the pipes for the San Jose Sharks for the past six seasons. In that time, he has accumulated 18 total shutouts, 8,140 saves off 8,976 shots faced with a total 2.56 GA and a .907 SV%. Not fantastic stats on the grand scheme of things, but it provides much needed depth at the goalie position with a young promising Carter Hart — who had a rather egregious skid last year — and veteran Brian Elliott — who likes to let in a couple soft ones every now and then at the most inopportune times. Martin Jones just might be the essential veteran leadership the Flyers need to assist Hart in his young career and to be a younger viable option in place of Elliott when they need him.

The Flyers also traded winger Jakub Voráček back to the Columbus Blue Jackets — the team that drafted him — for Cam Atkinson. The first big thing this trade did for the Flyers was that it freed up a lot of much needed cap space. Cam Atkinson is a star forward with great stick-handling and puck skills. He provides a spark and a lot of offensive skill to the lineup and is essentially the equivalent of the Flyers hopping in the rocket-powered Delorean to pick up young Voráček again. From the span of 2011, when Voráček joined the Flyers, to start of 2015, Voráček has played in 290 total games, 85 goals scored, 153 assists, 238 total points and a 16 +/-. Atkinson’s stat line in the early part of his career looked nothing like this. After that span, he made big jumps of improvement and became an offensive weapon. Atkinson has a shorter career than Voráček so far, and with a cheaper contract, he will hopefully be able to provide some much-needed offensive firepower to the first line while also giving the organization more cap space to acquire more weapons.

The last big acquisition is defenseman Ryan Ellis from the Nashville Predators. He was acquired from Nashville in a three-way trade with Vegas and Philly for Nolan Patrick and Philippe Myers. Nolan Patrick was a promising young forward who looked for creative ways to score, and Myers provided a very smart, physical defensive approach with potential of being an elite defenseman. While Myers and Patrick are a big loss, Ellis is a great pickup. Ellis is a very sound all-around defender who can cover passing lanes and be physical when he needs to be. He is an above-average offensive weapon as well in the passing game; he has 122 total assists over the past five seasons. He will likely be a first-line defenseman and provide a lot of veteran leadership to the Flyers young defensemen group.

The Flyers have undergone a lot of business transactions this offseason. The organization is clearly going for the cup this year, and they don’t plan on taking their time doing so. Watch. For. This. Team.