Everything happens for a reason: Through all of his injuries, Allen has remained positive and stayed the course
LANCASTER — Injuries are never easy, especially when they happen time and time again.
As a two-sport standout athlete in basketball and baseball, it could have been easy for Lancaster senior Hayden Allen to throw in the towel after blowing out his knee, which would require surgery, at the beginning of baseball his sophomore year. Then it happened again heading into his senior season. He had a shoulder injury during basketball camp last summer, which also required surgery.
Both injuries required him to miss a lot of time in both sports the past three years, but he never once complained or asked, 'Why me?' Instead, he was there for his teammates in both sports and worked as hard as he could to get back on the court and the field, even though he had to play through pain.
“It was tough. Going into my senior year of basketball and missing most of the offseason, that was hard for me just seeing all my teammates putting the work in and getting better and I’m over on the sidelines," Allen said. "It was something I had to work through. It was just all part of the plan, and I knew it was preparing me for something bigger.
“When you are injured and something gets taken away from you, you learn to be patient. It has helped me out in a lot of other areas of my life. I just remained positive through it all, tried to relax and I knew I would get back out there eventually.”
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A coach's dream and the ultimate teammate
Mentally, Allen never let his injuries bring him down. He was locked in and did everything he could to get back on the playing field. More than anything, he wanted to be there for his teammates. He loves representing Lancaster and takes a lot of pride in that.
“I love Lancaster and I love competing against other teams,” Allen said. “I love the idea that Lancaster basketball is the underdog and teams that think they are bigger and better than you and then beating them. It is the same thing in baseball, each time we take the field, we want to bury teams and show that Lancaster is not a pushover. I love representing and wearing Lancaster across my chest.”
Allen is a standout in the classroom — he took home the Ohio Capital Conference-Buckeye Division Scholar-Athlete Award in basketball — and he is as competitive as they come.
Lancaster baseball coach Corey Conn said Allen is one of those types of athletes that every coach would want to have on their team.
“First off, he's a phenomenal kid and comes from a great family, who are high character people,” Conn said. “To be dealt the hand that he has been dealt with some major injuries that have limited some of his time, and to watch him work hard to get back has been neat to see. If you watch him play basketball, you can see he is tough as nails. Whenever we put him on the field, he is going to give 100% of what he’s got. He is an elite competitor and just a guy that you want in your corner, and with all the adversity that he has faced, he has come out on the other side.
“He is special. It goes back to the type of kid he is and how hard he works, but he also cares about, not only his teammates, but the entire city of Lancaster, and he wants to make sure he represents it the right way. I have always loved coaching him. He battles and gives every ounce to his team and those are guys you want in your corner and on the field because you know what you are going to get from him.”
It’s been an up-and-down year on the field this spring for Allen as he continues to overcome his shoulder injury, and the struggle of trying to find his groove, but the Gales are having a fantastic season with an 8-1 overall record.
Allen understands he has to put his struggles aside and be there for his teammates. It’s always been the team first. He cares deeply for his teammates, and as long as the Gales are winning, he is never going to complain.
“I always feel like things happen for a reason,” Allen said. “There are things I found positive from being injured that I don’t know would have happened if I wasn’t injured. I was able to appreciate each game and each practice more. I’m just happy to be out here with my guys in my senior year, and I know it could all be gone at any moment, so I’m not taking anything for granted with the time I have left.
“I am just relishing this last month or so that I have with my teammates because we are all going to go in different directions, so that is kind of bittersweet. I just want all of us to succeed and soak it all in.”
Tom Wilson is a sports reporter for the Lancaster Eagle-Gazette. Contact him at 740-689-5150 or via email at twilson@gannett.com for comments or story tips. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter @twil2323.
This article originally appeared on Lancaster Eagle-Gazette: Through all of his injuries, Hayden Allen has remained positive
