Amara returns after battling through injuries

The road to recovery has been a long and arduous one for Placer High senior Anthony Amara. A starter on this year's basketball team and a key figure on last year's Sac-Joaquin Section championship baseball team, Amara has battled back from not one but two devastating injuries.The starting pitcher against El Dorado in the section title game last spring, Amara hurt his throwing elbow and then hurt his knee while playing basketball this past winter. While every injury is unique unto itself, there is a surprisingly consistent pattern that prevails anytime an athlete is hurt. Amara's two injuries followed this consistent pattern. First, there is the realization that something is wrong… something is hurt. Secondly, there is the pain. It can, at times, be overwhelming. Thirdly, the body and mind quickly go through a damage control report. The injured athlete will begin to see if all body parts are functioning. The fourth and most critical step is the all important question, "How badly am I hurt? How quickly can I continue playing?" When one sees an athlete who been hurt, breaking down and crying, rarely do the tears come from the pain. Rather, it is the realization that the injury is serious, and their immediate athletic future is in doubt.Amara's elbow injury versus El Dorado perfectly mirrored the above four steps. "I struck out the first three batters of the game," Amara said. "I was throwing my best game all year. In the second inning, the first pitch to the next batter was a fastball. As I was throwing it, I felt a big pop in my throwing elbow and a lot of pain. I thought I could work through it… but the pain was so intense. I decided to take myself out of the game. "As I came out I was anxious to see when I was going to be able to throw again because I had a UC Davis baseball camp later in the week."After six months of intense rehabilitation, Amara was fully recovered. But a knee injury during the basketball season further set back his senior year of baseball. This past Friday was the first game that Amara was able to catch. His return behind plate, however, was eventful. Throwing out two Colfax High runners, Amara clearly showed that he was 100 percent healthy.Carrying a 3.4 GPA, Amara has been recruited by UC Davis, St. Mary's, USF, Sacramento State, San Jose State, and Sonoma State. His top choices are, "UC Davis, St. Mary's, and USF because they all have good programs and I like where they are located."Amara's older brother Andy who played baseball at UC Irvine, helped foster Anthony's passion for the game. "I grew up with my brother going through college baseball at UC Irvine and it made me have the same goals as him," Anthony said.Amara is a continuation of the Amara family that has given so much to Placer athletics, competitive athletics, and the community of Auburn. In addition to his stellar baseball career at Placer, Andy played on the same basketball team in the early 2000s that featured Matt Renfree and Sean Jergo. Audrey, Anthony's sister, is a highly competitive runner in San Luis Obispo where she is a frequent winner. Dirk and Sandy, Anthony's parents, are a fixture at Placer athletic events. Sandy is a former school board member for the Auburn Union School District. "My dad loves basketball and plays often at ARD," Amara said. "My mom used to play every kind of sport. Both my parents bike all the time and swim a lot."With his continued health, Anthony should be playing collegiate baseball next year.