BYU junior Cooper Vest, a left-handed pitcher and outfielder on the baseball team, is eager to begin his first season in the Big 12 conference alongside his teammates.
With an outstanding performance over the summer playing for the Mat-Su Miners in Alaska, Vest is on track to have another solid season with the Cougars.
Despite his recent success, Vest's collegiate baseball career has been far from ideal. He suffered shoulder labrum tears in both shoulders on two separate occasions after diving for a ball.
Vest's first shoulder injury was a quicker recovery process, according to athletic trainer Judd Franson, because he injured his non-throwing arm. He first had surgery to reattach the torn labrum to his bone, then began recovery and rehabilitation.
Along with the shorter recovery process for his first injury, Vest said his mental state was in a better place.
'I was just working against the timeline and working to get back during the season my freshman year instead of having to sit out a full season,' Vest said. 'I knew what I was working towards and working for at that point in time, and it wasn't easier, but it was a little bit better mentally.'
Vest's second shoulder injury, however, entailed much more rehabilitation and physical therapy because he injured his throwing arm. He spent a couple of months in a sling after surgery, then began his rehab process, spending about an hour and a half in the training room with Franson every day. Franson said he was back to full playing shape in seven to eight months.
The longer timeline of rehab and recovery prevented Vest from playing with his team for a whole season, and that was difficult for him to accept.
'A lot of my best friends were getting ready to get drafted that year, so I knew that it was going to be my last year playing with them. That broke my heart to not get to play with them. That's why I play baseball, is to get to play with my teammates every day, my best friends,' he said.
Vest also had a difficult time accepting help from the people around him during his recovery, which he said led to some strained relationships with family members.
'I lost my relationships with my family because I didn't want anyone to help me out throughout that second process of surgery. So there was a lot of building to do, a lot of bridge-building and making sure I was being genuine with my thoughts and actions again,' Vest said.
Vest said his comeback after both surgeries was more of a mental game than physical, and he is grateful to Judd Franson for helping him through both recovery processes.
'He has been such a light to me throughout both processes. For me to get to do that with him was the healthiest thing mentally, and I've learned a ton about not caring about the success or results,' he said.
Franson was determined to get Vest back on the field, no matter the length of the recovery, and he knew Vest shared in his goal. Coming from a father and uncle who both played baseball in college, as well as a younger brother who is following in his footsteps, baseball was a part of Vest's life that he wasn't ready to give up.
'He didn't want to lose baseball, so he made it up in his mind that he was going to do anything and everything possible to make sure that baseball was going to be a big part of his life,' Franson said. 'He took that into the training room every single time he did rehab, and he just worked really hard to make sure he could continue to play baseball. He didn't want to lose it, and I wasn't going to let him lose it.'
While Vest's injuries did hinder his performance during his rehabilitation process, he has come back stronger than ever. He believes that his injuries have led him to become a better player and teammate.
'In the batter's box as a freshman, I was really quick and jerky and maybe too aggressive at some points. Now I'm able to slow down my mind a little bit and make sure that I'm where I need to be. With throwing, it has definitely been a little bit more of a challenge through the first fall, but through the spring was when I started to see that I was fully 100%,' Vest said.
Franson said he's seen Vest mature immensely in his baseball career at BYU, especially after his shoulder injuries.
'He doesn't play the game harder,' Franson said. 'He plays just as hard, if not harder, but he sees the game a little bit different than when he first came into BYU, just a greater respect and appreciation for the game. I think that translates into the way that he plays. If you see and respect the game a little bit differently, then you're going to play a little bit differently, and I think that's what he's done over the past year.'
As a result of his injuries, Vest has grown both as a person and a player. By spending a whole season on the sidelines, he realized that the true victories in baseball were in the relationships he built with his teammates, coaches and trainers.
'When you help your team win,' Vest said, 'or maybe you don't help your team win that day on the field, but you're able to cheer on your teammates and pick them up when they're down, I think that's the biggest gift that I'm able to receive every day.'
