Cotter shoulders the pain for her college team

STOUGHTON -- Christine Cotter wants to play college basketball so much, it hurts -- literally.

The former Stoughton High School star, a 20-year-old sophomore guard for Springfield College, injured her left shoulder a year ago as a freshman. ''I ran into a screen and it knocked me out of the game." On the sideline, the training staff popped the shoulder back into place, and she was back in the lineup the following game.

Despite the tender shoulder, she did not miss any of Springfield's 31 games -- one of only five players to see action in every contest. ''The shoulder bothered me, but it really didn't affect my play," Cotter said.

But, in the final game of the year, at the University of Southern Maine in the NCAA Division 3 Elite Eight, everything changed -- and Cotter began a chapter in her life in which playing through pain would become the norm, not the exception.

While going for a rebound, her arm was pulled the wrong way. ''I saw stars," she said. ''Right away I knew something was wrong."

Her mother, Stacy, was there. ''They took an MRI and found she had a torn labrum," said Stacy Cotter, who knows the game. A former high school and college player, she is head basketball coach at Notre Dame Academy in Hingham.

The Cotter family lives for sports. Christine's father, Gerry, is a hockey referee. Her older sister, Petra, was a standout basketball player at Stoughton High School. And her younger brother, Danny, was a Hockomock League all-star and captain of the Stoughton soccer varsity. He also attends Springfield and plays for the Pride's soccer team.

The family often makes the 98-mile trek from Stoughton to Springfield to watch as many of Christine's games as possible.

But this year, it was questionable whether Cotter would play at all.

In June, she underwent surgery. Doctors placed two metal anchors in her shoulder to keep the ligaments and muscles in place. The operation was the easy part. The longest days were ahead -- rehabilitation. It was the first summer in a decade that she did not play any basketball.

''That was hard. I went to physical therapy three times a week, but I spent the summer basically sitting around the house," said Cotter, a communications major who hopes to become a high school athletic director.

Recovery dragged on. When basketball practice began in October, she was not ready to play. Finally, in early November, she played her first basketball in six months.

''I was a month behind everyone. It took a while to catch up. Before I could resume playing basketball, I did what I could to get into shape. I rode the stationary bike and did all that, but nothing prepares you for game action except game action."

No matter. She played 22 minutes in the season opener at Hamilton College in New York and scored 11 points in an 82-53 victory. And she has been an integral cog in Springfield's season.

''She's a great kid. I'm excited she is in our program," said Springfield coach Naomi Graves. ''She is the epitome of a solid player. She has great intensity, great focus. She puts herself last when it comes to things. She put herself on the floor in a lot of pain. And she still remains a force for our program."

The Pride is 17-5 in its first 22 games, but because of the shoulder, Cotter has not been able to play in every game. Rarely does she even practice with the team.

''What's difficult for Christine is she has to take herself out of games if she's hurting," said her mother. ''If her shoulder is bothering her, she has to tell her coach to take her out of the game and that's something Christine never wants to do."

''I remember the first time I took myself out. I was in tears," Cotter said. ''Right now, I can't even practice with the team regularly because of the shoulder. Some games it doesn't bother me too much. Other times it does."

When she does play, however, she finds it very difficult to move her arm the following day. As the season has developed, her shoulder has deteriorated. Cotter sought medical attention and doctors discovered that one of the anchors in her shoulder had come loose.

''There is a 95 percent chance I can't hurt it any more than I already have," she said. ''I'm going to see a third doctor because one doctor said I need surgery. Another doctor said it can be repaired by arthroscopic surgery. If they cut me open, I won't be ready for the beginning of next season. If it's fixed with arthroscopic surgery, it won't take that long to heal and I'll be able to play this summer."

She knows she will undergo surgery at the end of the season. Whatever course of action she takes, it will be painful.

Cotter has a prescription for painkillers. ''But I don't take any two days before a game. If I take a Percocet, I can sleep. If I don't take the painkiller, it's difficult to sleep at night."

Even on good nights, Cotter has to prop pillows around her shoulder and wedge herself into a position so that she doesn't sleep on the ailing shoulder.

Through it all, she perseveres and has done surprisingly well. On Jan. 31, in an 86-80 overtime victory over Mount Holyoke, she scored a career-high 26 points.

''We're excited what she can do for our women's program," her coach said. ''We'll take care of this shoulder situation so she can truly bring her skills to the level she can."

It is an important season for Cotter and her teammates. This year, Springfield will host the NCAA Division 3 tournament and the Pride would like to win it in front of the home crowd.

And Christine Cotter simply hopes she is still playing basketball.