Spring Hill College junior and tennis player Jack Robinson overcame the setbacks resulting from spinal surgery in order to get back on the court.
Robinson, a member of SHC’s men’s tennis team, has a lifelong history on the courts. Going back to when he was only 10 years old, he knew this was the sport for him after watching Serina Williams win the Wimbledon Title.
He has played tennis ever since that moment, falling more in love with the sport as the years progressed. Robinson knew his career was not over after his high school tennis season was cut short due to COVID-19, and he was lucky enough to be recruited to continue playing on scholarship at SHC.
From the beginning of his college career, Robinson noticed severe pain in his right leg. After many doctor visits, medications, and physical therapy, Robinson was told there was nothing wrong. He returned to the sport without knowing more problems were to come. At the beginning of the fall semester of his sophomore year, Robinson planned to study abroad. Two weeks before his departure, an MRI scan showed he had a ruptured disk in his spine. The disk in his spine was pressing onto the spinal cord and nerves, causing severe discomfort and pain in his leg.
His injury progressed as the weeks went on. “It got to the point where I could not walk to the bathroom from my bed without having to sit down. On the tennis court, there were times where my whole leg would be numb and I couldn’t move anymore. That’s when I realized I really had an issue,” said Robinson.
In the spring of his sophomore year, Robinson was rushed into spinal surgery. He was unable to move or walk for a week, and that was only the beginning of the six-month recovery process. Robinson said, “It was a concern for me not knowing if I would ever play tennis again because it was such a long process getting back, and ya know, I was concerned I wouldn’t get back to the level I needed to be again.”
During his recovery process, Robinson helped coach the women’s tennis team at Spring Hill College. Robinson said, “That was the role I thought I’d be stepping into this year, but eventually I started enjoying the sport a lot more again and kept playing and playing getting better and better, and now I’m playing again.”
The recovery process was slow for Robinson, and even today he has had to make adjustments to his lifestyle. “Since surgery, I can’t depend on my body to move as much as it’s used to for hours on end. I’m having to change my tactics on the court,” Robinson said.
Robinson shared how he feels being able to make a return for his junior season. “I’m very proud of the progress I made. I’ve had some really good battles and I’m just really proud of putting myself and my body in the position to be able to work hard again,” He said. Robinson’s teammate, senior Charlie Wallace, shared how Robinson has progressed since his injury. Wallace said, “I would say he’s become more resilient since the injury. Some people would give up after a major injury, but it just motivated him to recover and he’s playing his best. He’s always worked hard, so it’s great to see the injury didn’t change that.”
Robinson had to overcome major medical procedures to continue his tennis career today. He shared his story so others can do the same. For more information on the men’s tennis team, visit their team page at https://shcbadgers.com/sports/mens-tennis.
