For high school athletes, playing a sport for four years has great importance. The excitement of that final season is what players anticipate most. Yet this year for senior Ethan Klaiss his main concern was if he would ever be able to play again.
In July, Klaiss had a work accident and lost the majority of his right index finger and cut his middle finger severely. Klaiss was concerned how this would affect his basketball career, especially as a right-hand shooter.
“Being able to play again was the first thing I thought of,” Klaiss said. “It was one of the only things I remember on my way to the emergency room.
Klaiss has been playing basketball since he was in second grade. His love and dedication for the sport have grown over time.
This increased even more after the accident.
“For two months afterward I had a splint on my right hand and couldn’t do anything with it,” Klaiss said. “I practiced shooting with my left hand so that helped me improve coordination.”
Even before his accident Klaiss was described as a “workaholic.” To others, Klaiss’s work ethic after the accident was no surprise. His teammates knew all along that a comeback was not only possible but was going to happen.
“After the accident, there’s something different about him. He is more hungry and I would say he’s even better now than he was before,” junior Eli Buckner said.
Klaiss chooses not to let his accident define him but rather become another fuel for his passion for basketball.
“I think this has made Ethan not only a stronger player but a stronger person,” senior Brad Wickman said. “He is about to tear it up this year.”
