Estancia’s Edles battles back

The words were simple, but the impact on Ellie Edles was huge.

“You can play.”

This authorization by the latest in a long line of doctors was the key that brought Edles back onto the tennis courts she had been prohibited from since November.

While Edles, a sophomore star for the Estancia High tennis team, can play again, the competition she desires is still a long intensive rehab away.

Edles suffers from pars defect, a slight fracture in a lower vertebrae. Doctors say it is something she might have been born with, but few until Monday knew how it should best be treated. At one point, it was deemed she could play with the injury if she wore a brace, so Edles played as a freshman with the Eagles, going 44-1 and earning Newport-Mesa Dream Team honors.

Shortly after the season, Edles realized it was not the correct course to take.

“I was in a little bit more pain,” said Edles, who has not played competitively since.

It has been 15 months since Edles first felt the pain in her back while competing in a tournament. Now, she finally knows what to do to feel better. There will be no more brace, only sit-ups, crunches and exercises of all sorts to work her core muscles in the abdomen and lower back.

“It’s going to be really hard,” Edles said. “I see where my body is at.”

She is not the same athlete physically she was in the fall. Without exercise of any kind, she has lost muscle. Now she needs to build to far beyond the point she was before. And the process will be slow.

“I have to be cautious to make sure my body does not get hurt,” Edles said.

She does not know exactly when she will return to play for Estancia, but she does know it will be this season.

As the Eagles’ No. 1 singles player and with Estancia moving from CIF Southern Section Division V up to Division I, the need for her to return is urgent. Still, Estancia Coach Rachel de los Santos supports the use of caution no matter the result.

“I don’t want to push it,” de los Santos said. “She thinks she is going to play this season. I want to let her and her parents make the decision. I don’t want to hurt her. Personally, I’d rather see her rest and come back for her junior or senior year stronger. But if she can play this year, the team needs her.”

The prospect of returning will make the rehab easier. Sitting out the spring and summer tournament seasons, Edles has painfully had to watch her rankings fall. But her enthusiasm for the sport could not be higher.

“To not play tennis has been kind of traumatic,” Edles said. “It has made me appreciate tennis more. That’s one thing I’ve benefited from.”

The rankings which lead to Edles’ goal of playing collegiately, can be built back up with time, much like her muscles. But some areas of her game will have to change to keep from aggravating the injury. Her back flared up initially on a serve. The extension required to serve is the movement that causes her the most pain.

“I have to modify my serve so I don’t hurt my back,” Edles said. “I don’t know how to serve without [extending].”

Luckily for Edles, her father, Mike, is the head coach of the UC Irvine women’s tennis team. In his 10 years, he has seen his share of players rebound from injury.

“She has quite a ways to go,” said Mike Edles, who added the injury will improve when his daughter stops growing. “You have to be careful. You can’t come back too soon. It’s both physical and mental dealing with an injury. She has to be diligent with her rehab. She should be fine. It’s a long haul and it has been hard for her, but there’s some light at the end of the tunnel.”

The light, as always, is tennis. Edles is anticipating the upcoming season with the move up to Division I and a switch to the Orange Coast League, featuring CIF champion Laguna Beach High.

Edles attended the team’s first practice Monday to spend time with her teammates, even though she did not participate.

“I’m really excited to play Laguna Beach,” Edles said. “I’m really dedicated and I really love the sport. I love to practice. I was really happy just to hear ‘You can hit again.’ It made me feel a lot better.”

Edles longs for her return into the competitive fray so she can help shoulder the load for her teammates.