Jack Sheehan

My name is Jack Sheehan and I am a junior on the baseball at Notre Dame. In high school, while playing basketball, I injured my right hip but dismissed the injury after having multiple MRIs and X-rays that came back negative. The pain reappeared but was manageable enough for me to ignore for the majority of my time at Notre Dame. Sophomore year, the pain became much worse and my leg would often give out. With the recommendation of the trainers at Notre Dame, I got an arthrogram to further investigate the source of my pain. I discovered that I had torn my labrum in my right hip and developed a severe hip impingement back in high school. I decided to delay my surgery until the end of the season with the hope that my hip would hold up for the spring. Four days after our season ended I had surgery in New York, where they repaired the tear and shaved off the bone in my right hip. Luckily, the surgery went very well but I struggled in the weeks after with the tasks of everyday life. I was in bed for 23.5 hours of the day for the first two weeks and struggled to sleep. I relied heavily on my parents and brother to put on the recovery machines, bring food up to bed so that I could eat, and assist me in getting out of bed. Although this has been one of the most testing experiences I have ever endured, it has helped me develop an even deeper appreciation for my family, friends, and community at Notre Dame. I feel lucky to have gone through surgery and recovery with such an amazing support system. Through this process of sitting in the dugout, I have come to realize there is much more to being a teammate than contributing on the field. The three scars I have from the surgery may be very small but they serve as a reminder of what I have gone through to become even stronger today, both as an athlete and a person.