During her sophomore and junior seasons playing softball at Mahar Regional, Skylar Dodge hit home runs with regularity while playing first base, third base as well as the outfield.
She did all this with an ACL tear and a tear in her medial meniscus in her right knee.
An offseason surgery by Dr. Suzanne Miller out of Waltham has her on track for a return to the field next spring for the Senators.
Dodge will miss time with her travel softball team, North County Spark.
Using a hamstring autograft to repair the ACL, Dodge underwent surgery in June.
“I wanted to push through the school season because I had already played on it,” Dodge said. “It wasn’t bothering me that much while I was playing. My parents supported to me. There wasn’t much pain. I was a little sore after games here and there after games so I just went home and iced it.”
One aspect of her game that faced apprehension was sliding into a base.
“Playing wise it didn’t really bother me,” Dodge said. “It was just a weird feeling in my knee.”
Dodge traveled to Waltham for the surgery. She had a full support team by her side.
“Going in was kind of scary,” Dodge said. “I woke up and thought I had just taken a nap but I woke up with a big brace.”
Dodge hurt her knee playing dek hockey at 202 Sports in March of 2018.
“As I was running my foot landed differently,” Dodge said. “As I landed I heard three pops in my knee and then I was down. I was scared because it was right before softball and I didn’t want to be out the whole season.”
X-rays taken at Athol Hospital the next day did not show any broken bones. Subsequent doctor visits and an eventual MRI in the next year revealed first the meniscus tear and then the ACL rupture.
Dodge did not get her MRI until January before her junior season.
“That’s when I heard it was the meniscus. I didn’t think it was that bad. When I heard it was possibly the ACL, I cried,” Dodge said. “I’ve never had surgery before.”
The difference in recovery time for a meniscus tear compared to the ACL tear is significant.
Knowing that Dodge had some discomfort in her knee, coach Jerry Duguay let her decide what she did on the field.
“When we first started the season she said it was sore so we took it easy she but she still ran everything out,” Duguay said. “You wouldn’t have known the way she turned on the ball and pulled it. We kept her at first base and was cautious. She knows her body better than anybody. For her to play on that I don’t know how she did it.”
Dodge is now focused on her rehab, working with Mike Gamache at Professional Physical Therapy in Orange.
“I am working on getting my motion back,” Dodge said. “It’s going really well right now. He (Gamache) said my progress is moving quickly. The whole recovery is six to eight months. To be fully back in nine months so that’s before softball season.”
Dodge is throwing, spending time with her father having an outdoor catch here and there.
“I wasn’t stepping or turning,” Dodge said. “I had my brace on just to be safe. Just little throws.”
Even after her surgery, Dodge traveled to Virginia Beach to watch her travel softball team.
“Shows her dedication to her teammates and her sport,” Duguay said.
