NDC Forward Lizzie Imrie has had quite a road since her days growing up in Nordonia, Ohio.
"From an early age I developed a huge passion for basketball because of my dad, I grew up a naturally competitive person and played all sports like soccer, volleyball, and track. However I specifically stuck to basketball because of the shared interest both my dad and I had for it. We developed a deep bond over the sport, and he taught me everything I knew about it as a child. He sacrificed so much for me and as I got older and continued to play, I always remember that and go harder for him.
"Her teammates at NDC, and fellow classmates Guards Nadia Jackson and Marina Adachi stated this. "Lizzie and I clicked instantly, when we met I knew I found a friendship that is going to last a lifetime," Jackson explained.
"I never met anyone stronger before especially with having so many injuries. She is always chasing her goals and dreams even when things get complicated. She inspires me to be better and motivates me every day, "Adachi said. "I believe not many people know her like I do. She is very honest and truthful to everyone and has a reason as well as a purpose for everything she does on and off the court. I can see she is one of the few people in my life that are always so real and supportive on and off the court."
Jackson talked about the drive of Imrie:
"She has a drive like no other. I have never met someone so strong in my life."
Adachi talked about being her roommate during the recovery process:
"I was her roommate during the whole process of her recovery. She inspires me ever
y day because she is such a strong person, and even though she has had two ACL injuries she is always thinking of her goals and why she is doing what she does."
Jackson told me this about why she thinks Imrie is so refreshing:
"She is someone who I never heard complain about a thing other than wanting to be on the court, she worked out everyday and was always at practice with a smile on her face. During the season she was always positive during games no matter what the outcome was. She is the best person to go to for advice as she will be brutally honest with you. She has a great attitude and is always encouraging others."
The recovery will take a toll on anyone, and Imrie is no different as she said:
"As anyone who goes through the same surgery twice you know what to expect in both the highs and the lows. Personally the second surgery took a lot longer to recover from because my right quad and the muscles around my knee had a hard time waking up and contracting. I got very frustrated because of the comparisons to my first surgery. Even 6-8 months out the pain and soreness level were extremely high. Also I had two more years of wear and tear on my body since the first surgery. I trust my physical therapist so much. He is like my second dad and without his guidance I would not be where I am today. He knows me and my work ethic, and how to push me and trusts me to do my exercises as well. I still email him with my workout schedule and he is always there for me. He visits me at speed and agility when he is off."
Imrie told me that the biggest year for recruiting is junior year of high school. Due to her injury though, she was not able to participate in the regular high school season or the AAU season. But interest in her only quieted for a short time, "It was super frustrating and stressed me out initially but I came to terms with the fact that God has a plan for my life and where I was meant to play, " she said. Coach (Lauren) Macer reached out to me my senior year at Nordonia High School to let me know they were infested in me. I live less than 25 miles from the college and never pictured myself going to school that close to home. She (Macer) came to a few of my games that season and we stayed connected after the season ended where she then offered me to play at NDC.
A player whom Imrie has always admired and modeled her game after is current New York Liberty star and former Oregon Duck , Sabrina Ieonescu.
"I really enjoy watching her hoop and how she impacts the game in so many ways, not just scoring. My dad always emphasized being a team player and mentioned the best player is not always the leading scorer but the person who makes everyone on the floor better. I try to do that same thing with my game the best that I can."
The Nordonia product talked about the long road it has been:
"After enduring both injuries the toughest part is to keep faith in God's plan for you. I work hard so to lose it all not once, but twice can defeat you both mentally and physically. It is easy to question the plan of events and say "why me." However in times of doubt, and the struggle of processing the situation, I would try to remind myself that God has never failed me before. There is a reason for all of this, and I have one of the best support systems , however at the end of the day the ACL and injury journey is one you have to face alone many times. You have to be the one to do the tedious leg exercises at the beginning, listen to your physical therapist, eat the proper nutrition for recovery, stay mentally checked in, and continue to push through regardless of the type of day you have. No one can do it for you, which makes the comeback much more special because you know the work you put in to get to where you are again and how you earned everything."
Imrie told me that she always was supported the whole way:
"I really was supported every step of the way and I could not have done it without my support system. There was a random day when I would be walking to class and get a text notification from Nadia or Jada (Marone) encouraging me to keep going. It was the little things that made me want to continue to work hard. My teammates also asked for my thoughts and advice on the sidelines, which continued to make me feel included and impactful even though I wasn't on the court."
Adachi talked about what Imrie provides at both ends of the court:
"Lizzie is a really good player both on offense and defense. On offense she can do things like attack, score, pass, dribble, anything you can think of, she can do it all. It is hard to defend a player like her because you never know what she will do and she is very hard to read. She can guard anyone from point to post which is very helpful to the team. She is also a great teammate because she always supports you no matter what. Even when you make a mistake, which everyone does, she tells you to keep your head up. She is always the one on the team who is talking on the court if we are losing or need more energy."
Adachi talked about what it is like to play for Coach Imani Gordon and Assistant Coach Chanel Green:
"Coach Gee and Coach Green both want to win and I think that's what motivates the players to practice every day when it gets hard. They also have fun with us on and off the court which makes every day more enjoyable."
Jackson agreed:
"We have a great time off the court but when it's time to play it's all business."
Imrie spoke of the coaches:
"Coach Gee and Coach Green are both coaches that value personal relationships just as much as winning and basketball in general. I believe that is really special because as young women dealing with everything that college throws at us they are always there to talk. The relationships they have off the court are lifelong. Off the court they are great role models and I admire how much they have accomplished at such a young age and how hard they have worked to get to this point. During the recovery process I appreciate how much trust they put in me and my physical therapist. I worked hard with my physical therapist back home constantly making new schedules and making adjustments throughout my recovery. They never pushed me to an uncomfortable setting and have always been super encouraging to me which I appreciate so much."
Imrie told me that she expects a great season from herself and the team this year. "I have spent the past year preparing both mentally and physically to become a new player and trust to be extremely confident in the work that I have put in. As a team I think it is important that we learn our individual roles and play together. She told me that when you lose the game for as long as she did you truly appreciate everything even the small moments between practices and games. "I am excited to be on the court with my best friends again, playing the sport that has created so many memories for me. I am also excited to see the player I have become being confident in the work that I have put in. As a team I think it is important that we learn our individual roles and play together. When you lose the game for so long you truly learn to appreciate everything. Even the small moments between practices and games. I am excited to be on the court with my best friends again, playing the sport that has created so many memories for me."
Imrie talked about what she has learned in her time at NDC:
"Throughout my time here at NDC I have learned the importance of clapping for others when you're progress is at a different pace. It can be difficult at times as a female athlete to not compare your journey to someone else's. With my injury I learned this quickly and how God's timing is different in every situation. I want to see the people around me win and clapping for them during those achievements doesn't take away from my progress and wins. We all have our own story, encounter our own adversity, and the story has been written by God so it is with your own faith that you have to trust in his plan."
Jackson talked about accountability:
"This year as a team we must hold each other accountable to reach the goals we want, we have a lot of new girls coming in so we have to set the tone early. We just need to stick together as one and we will get everything we want and more."
Imrie talked about her relationship with Adachi:
"Marina and I have gotten very close. She is one my best friends and someone I can count on both on and off the court. She shares so many similar values, beliefs, and morals with me which is why I think we get along so well. We were also roommates sophomore year where a lot of lows happened in my life. She has been there every step of the way and listened to my stories. I love her more than she knows. I have only played one (COVID) season together with her and I enjoyed playing with her so much. She is a pure basketball player who knows how to impact the game on both offense and defense. She puts herself in position to knock down shots and then gets back on defense and guards the length of the court. We have an instant connection and I look for her on the court. She wants to win but also doesn't take it too seriously and wants to have fun which is important for me as well."
She then spoke about her recruiting class:
"Nadia was in my recruiting class which started with nine people and now has three. She works hard and is my workout buddy. She wants to get better and achieve the goals she sets for herself. She is also a smaller guard who knows how to compete. She always has a fight in her that is contagious whether it's practice or a game."
Then practice was talked about and how competitive it gets:
"Practice is fun and competitive since we have so many players who want to win. We have a great relationship with each other that allows us to push one another but also enjoy the game and make fond memories of college hoops. Preseason can get really intense especially when we lift, have open gym, conditioning, team practice... However, we all lean on each other and help one another to get through it to become better to achieve our ultimate goal.
Imrie closed with these thoughts:
" Last season was an eye opening experience because the first time I injured myself I tried to stay away from basketball as much as possible. I was mad at the sport and what it had done. This time I really invested myself in the mental aspect of the game and tried to improve my IQ off the court. The most frustrating part was feeling like I had no impact because I was on the sidelines. As a player, I am known for my emotions and consider myself to be passionate when playing. At times when my teammates were down I wish I could've run out there to pick them up and hold their head high to keep them going because that's what teammates are for."
It all begins for Imrie and NDCWBB when they travel to Gannon on 11/12. They play an exhibition game in Columbus against Ohio State on 10/31.
Comments