Inside Senior Forward Katie Morrison’s Rehab: ‘It was more of a mental game’

By Dorian Alerte | Published November 17, 2022

As she walked through the lobby of Harwood Arena and greeted her friends, Katie Morrison could not help but have a massive smile on her face.

It is Oct. 20, but the night before is one that she will not forget. Morrison’s friends congregate around her as she speaks about the unforgettable experience: The Junior Forward just played her first soccer game in almost a year and a half after suffering a career-threatening knee injury. 

At an away game against New Jersey Athletic Conference Rival New Jersey City University, in which the Cougars defeated the Gothic Knights 4-1, Morrison logged 7 minutes played.

“Getting back on the field was surreal,” Morrison says.

It was a 17-month journey of recovery and rehab.

In the shortened 2021 COVID-19 season while warming up for a game, Morrison made a wrong step, and immediately knew something was wrong. It was not until May 3, 2021, when she received the MRI report, that she discovered the severity of her injury: A tear of the MPFL of her knee, the ligament that attaches the kneecap to the inner part of the knee, and a partial ACL tear. 

When told that she had sustained a “career-ending” injury, Morrison could not believe that there was a chance that she could never play soccer again.

“I refused to believe it,” Morrison says. “I didn’t understand how you could just not play.”

Following two surgeries to repair her knee, Morrison began her rehabilitation process. She spent the next year learning about herself. 

Her subsequent activities and rehab included having to relearn how to walk and she was not cleared to begin jogging and running until the summer of 2022.

Once she was cleared to work out again, Morrison started an Instagram fitness page @fitwith.mo, documenting her recovery process. She spent the subsequent months in the weight room and fell in love with lifting.

“I’ve never counted how many, but I would guess hundreds of hours were spent doing rehab,” Morrison said. “It’s hard not to learn about yourself and your body in that much time. It was more of a mental game than anything, and I definitely learned the small goals are sometimes a lot better to have than just one big one.”

A major stepping stone in her recovery happened on Aug. 19, 2022, when for the first time since her injury, she was able to plant her injured leg and shoot a soccer ball.

Although rehab was rigorous, Morrison fell in love with the process that would not only get her back to playing soccer but back to being herself. 

“Once she got here [for preseason], I was pleasantly surprised,” Women’s Soccer Head Coach Brian Doherty says. “That was a really big surgery for someone to come back from, especially with the pandemic. I was happy to have her back around the team. Regardless of playing, Katie’s energy for the team is really good and she was a real leader for us, whether she was playing or not.”

Morrison was able to participate in much more practice than initially anticipated, proving that she made significant progress in her recovery.

“As her teammate and one of her best friends it was really hard to see her struggle mentally and physically, especially when I was able to play the sport we love and she had to watch from the sideline,” Senior Midfielder Celine Brady says. “Katie showed me what it meant to be a hardworking and dedicated athlete. There was not one practice, meeting, game, or session Katie wasn’t at cheering on the entire team.”

On Oct. 11, Morrison played in a scrimmage and finally felt like herself.

“I got off the field and said ‘wow, that felt normal’,” Morrison says smiling. “The trainer told me, “yeah, you look like a soccer player.”

All of this led to Morrison ultimately playing in two games this season, including one start in which she recorded one shot on goal. She played a total of 76 minutes this season and was honored on senior day.

When Morrison was inserted into the game against NJCU, it was not only a big moment for her but everyone in attendance.

“The energy on the field changed entirely when she went,” Brady says. “Players on the sideline, girls in the game, and parents in the bleachers all screamed and celebrated seeing her play again. After all the hard days I’ve seen her go through, being able to be on the field with her again was one of the best moments of my career.”

Morrison did not let fear stop her from stepping into the moment. At that point, statistics were secondary. The hard work that she put in to get back to playing and the progress she made were enough for her.

“Just not even being able to run in the beginning of preseason, and now I’m playing soccer games, it’s crazy,” Morrison says.

Morrison’s return was 17 months in the making. The process was a lesson in learning about herself and ultimately life after sports.

“As crazy as it sounds, I think getting injured really helped with the transition to the ‘real world,” Morrison says. “I learned how to define myself not just as a college athlete, which is something a lot of people struggle with post-graduation. I lost a part of my identity for so long that I know who I am outside of sports. Now I can focus on getting better in every aspect of life, not just sports.”

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