Jamie Carey: Heartbreaking Loss

When Jamie was in the 7th grade, she knew the only school she wanted to play basketball for was Stanford and never waivered. Although it is not unusual that she had this dream as a 7th grader, it is remarkable that she knew what needed to be done to make the dream come true. Knowing that she needed to match her skills on the court with performance in the classroom, reached the highest possible level in both areas. Jamie Carey finished her prep career as a consensus First Team All-American and Valedictorian of her High School Class in Thornton, Colorado.

Jamie was “easy” to recruit. She wanted to commit to Stanford as a junior, but because of Stanford’s high academic requirements, had to wait until she was officially admitted as a senior to make her choice public. Jamie arrived at Stanford as Coach VanDerveer’s first “only child.” One might consider a recruiting class that included one 5’4” player to have limited potential for making an impact. But what Jamie lacked in height she made up for in heart. And, even though she came with a considerable reputation, she neither boasted nor preened…she simply produced. Wasting no time, Jamie made her Stanford debut as a starting guard against the U.S. Olympic team. It was clear from the start that this freshman feared no one, played with the poise and instincts of a veteran and made her teammates and her team better.

Yet, her freshman year was fraught with frustration. Although the team had improved from the previous year, and would go on to an impressive 21 win season, this was not the standard for the team of the 90’s. For Jamie, there were also nagging injuries that plagued her entire season. Concussions and chronic ankle sprains relegated to the sidelines during most practices. She endured. Playing an average of 31 minutes a game, she finished the season as the team’s second leading scorer, broke Vanessa’s Nygaard’s single season record for 3-point goals and was voted Pac10 Freshman of the Year. But Jamie paid a price for these contributions. Think what she might have done if she had practiced more than a couple dozen times with her teammates, if she hadn’t needed to leave the gym after and between games limping and often on crutches, if she hadn’t had to worry about the risk of another concussion.

Now we will have to wonder for a long time what a healthy Jamie might have done for our team. After a summer of rehab from surgery on those legendary weak ankles, Jamie cleared to play basketball with her teammates just weeks before the season 2000-2001 season began. This new year held so much promise for the young basketball maven. Jamie had a whole lineup of new faces to make look good with her uncanny passes and vocal leadership.

A week into practice, Jamie went down after what appeared to be a mild collision with a teammate. She was quickly diagnosed with another concussion and sat out of practice for several days before returning to her team as she had after every other concussion. Her shot looked a little off, but she was still dishing out passes like pancakes. But this time, the symptoms continued to torment Jamie. After rigorous examination and reflection, it was determined that the risk of neurological damage was simply to great to continue playing basketball. Making the decision was easy. While we would give anything to have Jamie playing for us again, we are concerned only about her health and want to do whatever it takes to help her get well. Learning to adjust to that decision will take more time. While we are sad for Jamie and sad for our team, we do not "feel sorry for Jamie." This is a talented and capable young woman who will make a real difference in the world. Though one door appears to have closed, many others are open to her, not the least of which is the chance to take full advantage of the education she can receive at one of the most prestigious universties in the world.

Heartbroken, Coach VanDerveer is trying to adjust to a season without Jamie. But there is one thing certain about Jamie’s uncertain future, she will remain an important part of Stanford basketball. When asked recently if Jamie was missed, Freshman point guard Susan King replied that even though Jamie was not on the court she helped King in other ways. On the bench, Jamie gives helpful suggestions and encouragement. Jamie is at practice every day, helping run drills and cheering for her teammates. So, even though you won’t see Jamie on the court this season, we want you to know that whatever we accomplish will be, in part, because of her.