Inner Drive and Humor Get Tennis Star Back on Court After Injury

Besides tennis rackets, water bottles, and towels, Ava Brewer’s sport backpack holds a few unique items. There’s her lucky stuffed gorilla, George, who goes with her to every match, and her trusty book of dad jokes.

“I keep the joke book in my tennis bag and look at it during matches,” Ava says. “Humor helps me relax and not feel so tense in the moment.”

With her easy charm and quick wit, Ava is one of those young women of whom, when you meet her, you think “She’ll go far.” She’s composed and confident, yet humble. Her drive to succeed as an athlete, and in life, resides inside, not outside—providing a pure line of power that helps her win competitions.

Ever since the first day she swung a racket at age 3, Ava has loved tennis. “I fell in love with it early on, and I loved everything about it. The best was striking the ball and having a chance to beat my opponent,” she says.

At age 14, Ava is playing in the 16- to 18-year-old category and at the very top difficulty level. She plays for the U.S. Tennis Association and the International Tennis Federation. Recently, she played in the National Clay Court Championships in Alabama. She also travels to the Dominican Republic and Mexico to play.

Ava’s signature shot is the slice backhand, where you keep the ball low and add a spin to it. She also has a wicked forehand and a big serve.

“My goal is to become a professional and someday go to the Olympics,” she says.

Slowed but not stopped by a growth plate injury

Last year, Ava’s tennis came to a temporary standstill. During practice, she was doing sprints on loose gravel. The course was uneven, and while sprinting she slipped and slid. In the middle of the slide she switched directions and injured her tibia (shin) near the knee, in her growth plate.

Growth plates are areas of cartilage at the end of children’s bones that are soft, allowing for bones to lengthen. They disappear when a person’s skeleton reaches its full size and height.

“At 13, her tibia was growing and in the process of fusing together, so it was more susceptible to injury,” says Charles Chan, MD, a pediatric orthopedic surgeon who treated Ava. “Three to four years later, she likely wouldn’t have been injured.”

The family chose the Children’s Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Center at Stanford Medicine Children’s Health for Ava’s care.

“We went straight to Stanford because we knew Stanford from when Ava had a shoulder injury,” says Ty, Ava’s dad. “We felt a really good rapport with Dr. Chan, and the physical therapy was topnotch. We didn’t want to go anywhere else, so we committed to the drive.”

A big plus for the Berkeley family is the ability of Stanford Children’s to provide comprehensive care all in one place. They appreciated seeing a specialist, having imaging, getting a cast, and receiving physical therapy all in one location.

“There’s not many places in the Bay Area that specialize in youth sports, and 99 percent of our patients are age 12 to 20,” says Charlie Lee, PT, DPT, a pediatric physical therapist who treated Ava.

Thankfully, no surgery was needed. Ava’s lower leg was put in a cast for six weeks, and she received repeat x-rays to ensure that it was healing properly. She then spent several weeks in physical therapy to strengthen her leg, get flexibility back, and keep her head in the game with tennis-related movements.

“It’s nice to give patients movements that they use during their sport. She would bring her racket to therapy sessions, and we would use it in drills,” Dr. Lee says.

Dr. Chan believes that rehabbing isn’t just about getting kids better, it’s about empowering them to actively participate in their sport, with an eye toward coming back even stronger. “That’s how we think about recovery, that it’s part of the game,” he says. He sees a special quality in elite athletes—a unique dedication and focus to return to sport and a “spirit that is not easily defeated.” He saw this in Ava.

Dr. Lee also appreciated Ava’s motivation and drive to get better. “At a young age, Ava is mentally tough and super-motivated. I would not be surprised at all to see her make the professional tennis circuit.”

Ava’s joke book not only lightened up tournaments, it also lightened up her recovery. “It became a thing before or after physical therapy. I’d pull out my little joke book and tell Charlie and my dad a joke,” Ava says. “The pressure in tennis can get you, but if you recognize it and find something to relieve it, it helps.”

Back on the court getting wins

The family is grateful for the high level of care Ava received. They appreciated the transparency with her providers and how they were patient and diligent in helping Ava heal. The team also credited the family’s dedication for her great recovery.

Amelia, Ava’s mom, is proud of Ava’s resilience in the face of injury: “It was a pretty bad injury and very painful, but she stuck with the regimen and kept her spirits up.”

Ava is back to full practices, playing hard, and focusing on winning.

“We care about kids enjoying whatever kind of life they want to live, with confidence, courage, and a commitment to trying their best,” says Jon-Erik Pena, PT, DPT, another pediatric sports physical therapist who worked with Ava.

On her most recent physical therapy visit, Ava didn’t need her joke book. She made up a dad joke herself. It goes like this:

“What do you tell Simba from The Lion King when he is walking too slow?”

“Mufasa!”

“It was Ava’s inner drive and combined laughter, humor, and positivity that helped her get back to sport after injury,” Dr. Chan concludes.