Mira Busch will be cheering on her Foxes lacrosse team from the sidelines this week when her teammates
fight for a deep run in the WPIAL Class 3A playoffs. Last year, she was an all-section player who helped the
team finish as finalists in the championships. Things are different this time.
Last year, Mira suffered a serious back injury that left her at a standstill and unable to play either field hockey
or lacrosse, other than about 10 minutes on lacrosse’s senior night. But even those few minutes were a victory
after six months of adversity, physical therapy, and rehabilitation. If there is something Mira learned over the
past year, it’s that an injury does not have to be the end of her athletic career or dim her love of the game.
Mira also found that a positive mindset and resilience were key to her recovery, moving forward with her life,
and even opening new doors of opportunity.
A field hockey and lacrosse player since childhood, the senior has been an athlete almost her entire life. While most of her family members are avid golfers, Mira decided to follow her own path and picked up both field hockey and lacrosse in elementary school. Over the years, she put a lot of time and sweat into perfecting her games.
Coach Kellee Cribby says she respects the way Mira has handled her circumstances and is an example for others.
“We definitely miss Mira because she was a great asset, a super-fast and skilled attacker, and a great teammate,” coach Cribby says. “I admire how she has approached her injury with positivity. Her attitude has been that she will enjoy what she can and make the best of the situation. She has been doing anything she can to show her support for the team, even if it’s just passing balls to players during practice.”
Mira explains her thinking during that time. She says, “I put a lot of time into those sports and was in a really good place. When I finally came to terms with my injury, I decided to focus more on myself and academics.
There are also many hobbies that you can pick up, and being a part of a team is a lot more than just playing.Even on the sidelines there’s a place for you.
“I’m there for moral support. Something that I’ve learned is how supportive the team is. Everyone is always cheering on each other, but sometimes it’s hard to hear it while you are on the field. But, it’s definitely there.”
She might not be on the field, but she still is considered a member of the team and helped out in any way she could while undergoing rehab. All along, Mira says the players were there to support her.
“A bunch of the girls were screaming, ‘She’s back!’ when I was able to return to practices,” Mira says. “That
was a great thing to hear from my teammates and friends. I have two really great friends on the team (seniors
Lila Valkanas and Sydney Schutzman) and both of them have constantly reminded me of how proud they are
of me for overcoming a really difficult injury. I definitely wouldn’t have my positive mindset without my
teammates and friends.”
Mira also found that setbacks make room for growth.
Always a good student, Mira hit the books even harder, and her efforts paid off. A history buff who takes
advanced placement courses related to the social studies curriculum; Mira will receive a social studies honors
award at the end of the school year. She also earned a 4.7 QPA last semester.
Big Benchmarks
In her recovery, Mira has now advanced to jogging every day and is permitted by her doctors to work out in the weight room without supervision. Although she’s not totally back to speed as a competitive player, she feels great now that she’s been able to return to more physical activities. Her progress also has inspired her to fulfill her goal of playing club lacrosse at Syracuse University next year.
“I know first-hand that it is extremely hard to sit out, but there is so much you can learn from being injured,” Mira says.