Carol Ducharme: "Still A Process" Fine intrerview. Great questions.

[RockyMTblue2]

Straight out of the gate. We still don't know where she's at.

 

[Centerstream]

As we have found out over the last two seasons, Caroline's recovery is a day to day thing. Hopefully this will change in the upcoming season (s). But just knowing that she is going to be on the court practicing is encouraging to me. Then the day or night that she is in a game will make the wait worth it. I hope it happens sooner rather than later. But if not, so be it...she will be my current favorite Huskie as long as she is on the team!
Almost time to change my avatar back to her.

 

[Just.A.Fan]

Well, the interviewers didn't do much (if anything) to get more specific information out of her. Easy questions like do you expect to be playing this coming season? What are you working on? Are you practicing against other players? But perhaps they were told not to ask such questions? And yes, like @Centerstream she is my favorite Huskie.

 

[Cuango]

Wow! That was depressing! I had visions that she might possibly be able to finally get back to the floor in a substantial way this season but that did not sound encouraging! This is probably the saddest thing I’ve seen as a UConn fan! I know we’ve had our share of tragedies with Sales, Ralph, Hunter, Doty but all of those were, while still tragic, somehow more easy to accept/understand because they were all leg injuries. This thing with Caroline seems so anomalous and unfair for some reason! At this point, I just pray that she is OK beyond the sport of basketball. Of course, I hope and pray to see her back on the court but obviously, her long term health and happiness are the main thing.

 

[Longtime fan]

As we have found out over the last two seasons, Caroline's recovery is a day to day thing. Hopefully this will change in the upcoming season (s). But just knowing that she is going to be on the court practicing is encouraging to me. Then the day or night that she is in a game will make the wait worth it. I hope it happens sooner rather than later. But if not, so be it...she will be my current favorite Huskie as long as she is on the team!
Almost time to change my avatar back to her.

A " day to day thing?" I wish that were true. She has had a year off and still sounds as though practicing and playing is a " maybe." I have felt from the outset that she should step away. Her repeated head/neck ailments are serious and dangerous. and it takes almost nothing to re-trigger her distress. Clearly she wants to play and all of UCONN nation is hopeful that she can be " good as new." But it does not sound that way. Her voice shows little enthusiasm to get back on the court. We all love her. tThat's why ( I ) hope she steps away..... before another injury forces her to do that. It just cannot bae a " day to day " thing, when it has already been a year ( or more ) of those days.

 

[Nolefan]

Watching her play and the slightest hit to her head was painful to watch .. she needs to do what’s best and concentrate on her education cause I truly believe her playing days are over

 

[Skeets]

At this late date (and morally) there is no reason to take away her scholarship. Let's take a step back and look at the big picture. She has, God willing, 60 or 70 years in front of her. I sincerely hope she makes the best decisions to guarantee those years. God speed Caroline.

 

[ashfan]

A " day to day thing?" I wish that were true. She has had a year off and still sounds as though practicing and playing is a " maybe." I have felt from the outset that she should step away. Her repeated head/neck ailments are serious and dangerous. and it takes almost nothing to re-trigger her distress. Clearly she wants to play and all of UCONN nation is hopeful that she can be " good as new." But it does not sound that way. Her voice shows little enthusiasm to get back on the court. We all love her. tThat's why ( I ) hope she steps away..... before another injury forces her to do that. It just cannot bae a " day to day " thing, when it has already been a year ( or more ) of those days.

Longtime fan got it right completely in the comments above. It's hard not to believe that Geno--probably for good reasons--understates the physical-condition issues of ailing players. Sweet Caroline's basketball prospects seem dim, for now. The other big question mark is Azzi. Her injury history does not elicit optimism for her contributions this year.

 

[jdote33]

Wow! That was depressing! I had visions that she might possibly be able to finally get back to the floor in a substantial way this season but that did not sound encouraging! This is probably the saddest thing I’ve seen as a UConn fan! I know we’ve had our share of tragedies with Sales, Ralph, Hunter, Doty but all of those were, while still tragic, somehow more easy to accept/understand because they were all leg injuries. This thing with Caroline seems so anomalous and unfair for some reason! At this point, I just pray that she is OK beyond the sport of basketball. Of course, I hope and pray to see her back on the court but obviously, her long term health and happiness are the main thing.

Well I guess one way to look at it is she announced she was ending her season sometime late January. So not a full 7 months ago. Summer Sessions seemed to be both June and July. Not a full 6 months ago. So it kinda makes sense to me. I was hoping she'd take a full 6 months off at least from full practice. I also feel like since the injury has been so quirky, I get her not wanting to set too high of expectations. Of course I wish she was super confident in her body but I get it. If two months from now, 10/15 she was in the same place I'd be a bit more concerned but I'm pretty optimistic.

 

[Zanzman]

Well, the interviewers didn't do much (if anything) to get more specific information out of her. Easy questions like do you expect to be playing this coming season? What are you working on? Are you practicing against other players? But perhaps they were told not to ask such questions? And yes, like @Centerstream she is my favorite Huskie.

It was a charity golf event hosted by former Husky Donny Marshall these things are all fluff not the time or place to dig deeper not to mention season 3 months away . In due time

 

[Just.A.Fan]

A " day to day thing?" I wish that were true. She has had a year off and still sounds as though practicing and playing is a " maybe." I have felt from the outset that she should step away. Her repeated head/neck ailments are serious and dangerous. and it takes almost nothing to re-trigger her distress. Clearly she wants to play and all of UCONN nation is hopeful that she can be " good as new." But it does not sound that way. Her voice shows little enthusiasm to get back on the court. We all love her. tThat's why ( I ) hope she steps away..... before another injury forces her to do that. It just cannot bae a " day to day " thing, when it has already been a year ( or more ) of those days.

I don't like what you have said here, but in my heart I know it is truth. I long to see her at her best again, leading or helping to lead UConn to more victories. What has happened to Caroline is so sad. It literally breaks my heart.

 

[sun]

Carol said, ".Yeah I'm feeling good, I took some time away to do some treatment obviously I didn't play all of last year, so I took some time away, and now I'm gettting back into it, feeling good, it's still a process but I'm doing a lot more than I have in the past so."

IMO all of this is encouraging news.
She didn't say anything negative which means that she's on her way back.
Until she or Geno says otherwise, she'll be back when she makes it back,when she's ready.

 

[stamfordhusky]

Sounds harsh to me. We have an available scholarship that Geno has not seen fit to use. I think most fans believe that she deserves every consideration.

Her roster spot is not impacting the team and I think all the players & coaches love having her there. I doubt that Geno would consider taking her scholarship away even if she can't play.

If she can’t play, she would still receive a scholarship. It simply wouldn’t count against the maximum number of scholarships allowable.

 

[Amston Joe]

If she can’t play, she would still receive a scholarship. It simply wouldn’t count against the maximum number of scholarships allowable.

I was under the impression that Geno only has 15 athletic scholarships to offer. Yes, UConn could offer a merit scholarship, unrelated to the athletic scholarship she currently has. I think Geno would still use one of his 15 for CD, so she could still be on the team, get medical attention, and even travel with them.

I tried to research how Keirsten Walter's scholarship was handled when she gave up her final year of eligibility. My memory could be wrong, but I thought Geno kept her on a basketball scholarship & encouraged her to stay around the team and also participate in senior night activities. It was just very difficult for Keirsten.

 

[PacoSwede]

remember, gabby williams had a period in storrs when she was dealing with migraine headaches, another puzzling brain-related ailment that can be debilitating. she in time was able to beat that, and see what she has gone on to accomplish. so, all is not lost for caroline.

but it's understandable if she isn't cheery about the situation. she very well could not even think about the possibility of recurrences. that was true for me when i had to deal with migraines. even the thought of another headache was distasteful, traumatic, depressing and, literally, sickening. in time, this stopped, the headaches becoming only a harmless memory. why? no one knows ... but thank god it did.

maybe carol will recover entirely, even if we don't understand what's going on. here's hoping!

 

[GoUconn7961]

Watching her play and the slightest hit to her head was painful to watch .. she needs to do what’s best and concentrate on her education cause I truly believe her playing days are over

I didn't want to express this opinion for fear of the backlash, but since Nolefan did it first I have to agree. Basketball is a physical game, and gets more physical as you progress to the W. I just don't see this in her future with her health issues. I really hope I'm wrong.

 

[cancontent]

Seeing a friend go through issues due to a concussion due to a fall. It's not fun to see them struggle with ongoing setbacks. That's the part which sucks the most because you see progress, thinking there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

The fact Caroline says that she's able to do more now is a positive and I'll take it. Like everyone here, I hope Caroline is able to return healthy and play if it's safe to do so.

 

[Bigboote]

Carol said, ".Yeah I'm feeling good, I took some time away to do some treatment obviously I didn't play all of last year, so I took some time away, and now I'm gettting back into it, feeling good, it's still a process but I'm doing a lot more than I have in the past so."

IMO all of this is encouraging news.
She didn't say anything negative which means that she's on her way back.
Until she or Geno says otherwise, she'll be back when she makes it back,when she's ready.

That’s the way I read it, too. Reducing workouts wasn’t working. mStepping away,for a week or two wasn’t working. So she stepped away completely for several months. She’s adding things back bit by bit.

I assume as she adds to her workouts, she’ll meet frequently with the coaching staff, team doctors, and neurologists and reevaluate her conditions. I have my fingers crossed, but my optimism is cautious.

 

[CL82]

If she can’t play, she would still receive a scholarship. It simply wouldn’t count against the maximum number of scholarships allowable.

Given that she is a recruited player, I do not believe that that is correct.

 

[oldhusky]

Sounds harsh to me. We have an available scholarship that Geno has not seen fit to use. I think most fans believe that she deserves every consideration.

Her roster spot is not impacting the team and I think all the players & coaches love having her there. I doubt that Geno would consider taking her scholarship away even if she can't play.

I think you are correct about this year. Next year it potentially could make a difference, since Caroline could return. If she doesn't it looks like we would have a second 2025 additional spot beyond presumably Somfai as a target for the first one, with no other changes.

As far as when she is ready to give it a go, I think there are two different thresholds that are important. First is if she is medically approved for practice with contact. That doesn't necessarily mean she is good to go for the season, however, because at that point what happens after a significant blow to the head is probably still an open question.

Hopefully if that happens she gets up and after shaking off a cobweb or two, says I'm good and has no lingering effects the next day, and her issues will feel more like an episode than a lifetime condition. Wishing her the best.

 

[HuskyNan]

To be clear, there are 14 scholarships being used this year including Caroline's. Her status has affected nothing with regards to recruiting.

 

[GirlBoo1020]

Carol said, ".Yeah I'm feeling good, I took some time away to do some treatment obviously I didn't play all of last year, so I took some time away, and now I'm gettting back into it, feeling good, it's still a process but I'm doing a lot more than I have in the past so."

IMO all of this is encouraging news.
She didn't say anything negative which means that she's on her way back.
Until she or Geno says otherwise, she'll be back when she makes it back,when she's ready.

Yea i read the comments before listening to the video and was shocked at all the negativity. Glad I am not the only one that thought what she said was actually positive.

This is the most optimistic I've been about Carol's return since last summer so IDK why everyone is so doom and gloom from this interview.

 

[UcMiami]

Given that she is a recruited player, I do not believe that that is correct.

As long as a student isn't on a sports team, the NCAA has no say as to whether they have a scholarship or not, just as they have no say in how many students are on a team if they do not receive any financial aid.

The situation with Caroline is distressing for everyone - fans, staff, coaches, and of course her and her family. And mostly because it is such a mystery. With a 'knee' there are clear procedures for the repair and recovery, and for measuring that recovery accurately. None of that exist for brain issues and so saying 'I am back to normal and fully recovered' isn't really an option. What she has said is all positive in a nebulous situation.

 

[Just.A.Fan]

Yes, after reading the replies of @GirlBoo1020 and @UcMiami, I watched the video again (for the 4th or 5th time) and if I bury my disappointment that the interviewers didn't specifically ask the "burning question" in everyone's mind, I can gather positivity from what Caroline said about her recovery. Her attitude was good, she smiled and laughed. All good signs for her return to good health and that's very positive! So, I will leave it at that and continue to hope to see #33 lighting them up this coming season.

 

[CL82]

As long as a student isn't on a sports team, the NCAA has no say as to whether they have a scholarship or not, just as they have no say in how many students are on a team if they do not receive any financial aid.

The situation with Caroline is distressing for everyone - fans, staff, coaches, and of course her and her family. And mostly because it is such a mystery. With a 'knee' there are clear procedures for the repair and recovery, and for measuring that recovery accurately. None of that exist for brain issues and so saying 'I am back to normal and fully recovered' isn't really an option. What she has said is all positive in a nebulous situation.

I'm not sure that that's correct. Once you are a recruited athlete you are counted in the total scholarship count. You are correct that if you never were on the team then any age you get is not counted.

In any event, if Caroline is unable to participate due to injury, I find it extraordinarily unlikely that Geno would "kick her off the team." Instead, I think he would continue her scholarship through graduation. I suspect most on the board would be in favor of that position.

You may take some solace in learning that women's basketball is about to get two additional scholarships. Since we often don't use our full scholarship allotment, there certainly seems that keeping Caroline on the team will not impose any hardship.