Sept. 10, 1999

By Sharon Selter
The Diamondback

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - It takes a lot to dampen Julie Nelson's positive outlook. Even when the Terrapin senior had to sit out the women's soccer season last year to recover from back surgery, she saw it not as a personal setback but as an opportunity to jump-start her collegiate career.

Nelson said she feels that everything worked out in the long run because, had she not redshirted last season, she wouldn't have had the opportunity to play for first-year Terp coach Shannon Higgins-Cirovski. She also said she's excited about stepping into a leadership role on this season's young team.

"I can't remember feeling as great as I do going into this season," Nelson said. "I have such a spark, an intensity and desire to be back on the field."

Nelson, who played defense her freshman and sophomore seasons, has been moved to a striker position and scored her first career points - a goal and an assist - in a 6-1 victory against Maryland-Baltimore County Sept. 1. As the Terps (3-2) head into this weekend's Fila Tournament at Ludwig Field, where they play Baylor (3-1) tonight at 7 and Pennsylvania (0-0) at 2:30 Sunday, she will be one of their top scoring threats.

That was not the case this time last year. Last summer Nelson had surgery for a bilateral pars repair, a procedure to repair a stress fracture in the lower back and two broken vertabrae.

"I remember during November of 1997, I felt some weird pains and aches when I played and when I walked," Nelson said. "I just thought it was a pulled hamstring. By the next March, when the pain didn't go away, I knew it was something serious."

Nelson said the toughest part of going through surgery was the emotional pain that followed. She felt helpless. Rehabilitation meant months of physical therapy, months of wearing a back brace, and worst of all, months of not being able to play soccer.

"I wasn't able to do any physical activities at all," Nelson said. "For the first two months after the surgery, I couldn't even stand up and walk without the brace.

"Sometimes I got down because I didn't want to feel like I wasn't going to stay part of the team. I always knew that I would have the potential to recover, but sometimes I was really upset. So I made sure I did everything with the team: I went to every practice, every home game and every team event."

Nelson said the support from teammates and Higgins-Cirovski was the biggest part of her recovery. She returned to practice in March, almost two months ahead of schedule.

"The team was so great to me off the field. The whole recovery took such a huge toll on me physically and emotionally, and everyone was there for me in a positive way when I needed it. My teammates would come with me to rehab and help me and cheer me on."

However, her teammates credited Nelson's strong attitude more than their support for her quick recovery.

"Her spirit is absolutely inspirational," senior tri-captain Jackie Mynarski said. "She goes through a major back surgery, wears a brace for 13 months and never questions staying by the team the entire time."

"When I look at Julie, I think to myself, if she could get through that, I can get through anything," senior midfielder Lindsay Basalyga said. "She is so strong-willed and never backs down."

Higgins-Cirovski was so impressed by Nelson's spirit that she moved Nelson to play forward.

"After a year and a half of not playing, I still saw the potential in her. She's a fighter with such a passion for the game. A personality like Julie's is suited to play a striker. She wants to score goals. Her commitment to her game is inspiring for those who play with her on an everyday basis."

"It felt so wonderful, physically and emotionally, to be able to contribute like that," Nelson said. "Finally scoring was like a weight lifted off of my shoulders. I am so happy that I finally can play with the team, and that I can be a leader on the field and an offensive target."

"It's an uplifting success story, to be able to make such progress," Nelson said. "Playing again has given me a new chance to show my potential, and to regain a positive new beginning."