Derrick Webb, Staff Writer
Southern Ohio Sports Authority is presented by OhioHealth.
MINFORD — There’s at least one bus ride that Mychal Cron will remember for the rest of her life.
CREDIT: Derrick Webb/SOSA
September 27, 2021.
That’s the day when Mychal’s life path and soccer career took a detour, and she felt that premonition on a road trip to Leesburg Fairfield.
“If you know where that’s located, you know it’s almost in the middle of nowhere,” Mychal said. “I remember feeling odd on the bus ride, like something wasn’t going to go right about the game. My mom wasn’t able to attend but she made sure to tell me to stay safe and not get hurt.”
At the time, the Minford junior read the text like any other. She wasn’t aware that her mom’s message was a foreshadowment of what was to come that evening.
The Falcons ended up dropping a 6-2 decision that night, but that wasn’t the only thing they lost.
In a physical match, while fighting for possession of the ball with an opposing midfielder, Mychal fell to the ground hard. And when she got up, she knew something had gone awry.
“I was pushed down before getting a chance to even touch the ball,” Mychal recalls. “Instead of tucking and rolling, I fell backwards straight on my wrist. The pain I felt in that moment is pain I never wish upon anyone. My coaches and dad noticed as I stood up that it wasn’t good. My wrist was dangling as I held it tight against my chest. The closest Urgent Care was 40 minutes away, so we splinted it with a shin guard and headed that way. My thoughts were everywhere. The last thing I wanted was my season to be taken from me.”
Unfortunately, two days later, that fear became Mychal’s reality when she underwent season-ending surgery to repair her injured wrist.
“A plate and eight screws were permanently added into my wrist. The first thing I did after waking up from surgery was ask my mom if I could call my team, who at the time was at practice,” she said. “My teammate Sydney Mougey answered the phone along with my coach Shane Tieman. ‘Coach, I’m coming to practice tonight. I’ll be there soon.’ That was my first comment. I even told him I would drive myself there as I was dozing back to sleep. Dr. [Jarod] Bentley informed me I would be set out for the rest of the season. I was absolutely defeated. Soccer was my outlet, it was my therapy.”
A game that Mychal had poured time, sweat and tears into had been stolen from her, and it happened in the blink of an eye.
Her heart was in pieces.
But instead of sulking and focusing on a personal setback, she decided to shift her focus towards her teammates and coaches.
The Falcons’ captain wasn’t on the pitch. But that didn’t mean she couldn’t still be their fearless leader.
“I had to transition into being a captain off the field. Being on the sidelines gave me an opportunity to lead in a different aspect,” Cron said. “I found a new respect for coaches, watched things happen on the field from a different angle, and became the player who knew to never take a practice or game for granted again.”
The injury that had been such a disappointment became, in some ways, a blessing.
And, as Mychal’s first phone conversation after the wrist injury may suggest, while she was learning how to be a better leader on the sidelines, she was also laser-focused on getting back to full strength.
As soon as the opportunity presented itself, she jumped head first into that endeavor.
“I started physical therapy after the season, preparing to be ready for the next season. As a girl, one of my main goals was to be able to brush my own hair again,” she said. “I started with a personal trainer in February. Lexi Downing helped me gain strength back in my wrist, be able to lift weights I never had before, and gain confidence in my wrist and body.”
The confidence came quickly. But when she was cleared to return, admittedly, she struggled.
The physical pain was done and over with. Mychal’s wrist was healed. She had full mobility, she could brush her hair freely again, and she could fight opponents for possession again if need be.
However, there was one more obstacle to check off the list.
The mental hurdle of returning to normalcy presented as large, if not larger, of a road block as the injury itself. But Mychal, being Mychal, once again whipped adversity’s tail with elegance.
“Fears of re-injury flooded my mind that first game back,” Mychal said. “If I’m being honest, I let it get to me. That was definitely my worst game. I knew I had to change things. So I took control and owned the situation to ensure that my injury didn’t have power over me. Rather than playing with a brace, I settled for tape. During one game, I felt so at home and comfortable on the field, it felt like it used to, and I ripped the tape off. I focused on the present, not thinking about a future outcome.”
Her future was, and is, ultra-bright.
She’s been able to play throughout her senior season’s entirety with no significant setbacks. And she’s helped the Falcons put together one of the best seasons in school history.
Heading into the postseason, Minford sits at 14-2 overall and has already won its first Southern Ohio Conference title since 2014. Mychal has been an imperative piece to that puzzle, scoring nine goals and passing out a team-high 19 assists.
“Just being a part of this team is a blessing. Our bond is unbreakable. If you’re on the team, it’s your second family,” Mychal said. “Even if we didn’t have the record we have, it would still be a magnificent season. We haven’t done anything special. We’ve just played how we’ve been taught. I give credit to our coaches for showing us the skills and knowledge needed to play at a level like we play.”
She may not like to boast of it, but Mychal has certainly done something special. When she was in between a rock and a hard place, she found a way out. She persevered.
CREDIT: Derrick Webb/SOSA
A year later, on Senior Night of all evenings, she celebrated the fact that she’s an overcomer. She’s overcome adversity, overcome a significant setback, and overcome the odds.
And she’s learned from it all.
All of that made her into who she is today — an elite soccer player, but more importantly, a courageous human being that’s filled to the brim with grit, wisdom and vigor.
“Senior Night and my surgery anniversary landed on the same day. I walked across the field knowing how I persevered,” she said. “As much as my injury took away from me, I’ve gained more than I could have ever imagined. It became a true blessing. Your coaches, teammates and fans will remember how you carried yourself during your hardship. Every injury is different, everyone heals differently. Just make sure to look for the silver lining.”
When the tournament begins, Minford will be a No. 2 seed in the Southeast District.
The road to a district title won’t be easy. But Mychal has been down rigged roads before.
She understands the mountain of potential her team has and she fully plans on helping to keep the season alive by any means necessary.
“This team has the potential to go far,” she said. “It will just be up to us and how much we want it. After having half a season taken from me last year, I want to help take this team as far as possible to make up for what I missed.”
And, whenever the run may end, Mychal and each of her teammates will have an army behind them.
“My Minford community is the strongest support system I know,” Mychal said. “The continuous love they showed me throughout the injury is indescribable. My family and teammates were there for the hurting, crying, painful moments, and celebratory moments. My coaches, simply checking up on how I was doing, means so much when you feel degraded by a setback. This injury showed me how lucky I truly am to be a Falcon.”