When the doctor came back with the results of her X-ray, Shelby Eide was certain that her chances of playing competitive sports again were slim-to-none.

Now a freshman at Washington State University, intending to major in sports management, Eide spends her free time under the lights in Pullman playing the intramural game that she loves.

During a district championship soccer game her junior year of high school, Eide suffered an injury that threatened her competitive athletic career.

“The ball crossed the middle, and I didn’t even have the ball when she came up and slide tackled me,” she said. “I knew I was hurt, but it was the championship game, so I wasn’t going to go out of the game.”

Eide’s team, the Deer Park High School Stags, lost the game; however, the pain associated with the loss didn’t sink in until she was sitting in a doctor’s office the next day.

“The day after, I went to the doctor and they told me I ripped my ACL,” said Eide. “I thought sports were over. I thought my life was over, cause sports are my life.”

However, life and sports were far from over for Eide.

She was the 2013 Female Athlete of the Year at Deer Park High School and earned ten varsity letters playing three different sports while competing in her small hometown, north of Spokane.

Three of her ten letters were earned during her senior year, which was a feat for an athlete recovering from a torn ACL. Her quick and determined rehab played an important role during her comeback. She said the knee rehabilitation was a day-by-day process.

“I didn’t walk on it for the first three months,” she said. “Then I rehabilitated it, which was physical therapy. The doctor told me not to run on it, but I did anyway and it was fine.”

Unfortunately, the rehabilitated knee still did not return to its original operating level. During her junior year, Eide was receiving interest from smaller Division-I soccer teams. However, when she came back to compete in soccer during her senior year she wasn’t quite ready to trust her knee.

“I was afraid of tearing my ACL again. It ruins you,” Eide said.

 It took some time before she was back in her prototypical athletic rhythm.

“After I went through everything and my senior year of track, which was good, I finally opened up,” she said.

With a fresh start, Eide came back and ran the 4×100 and 4×200 meter relays with Deer Park’s track team.

“We came back and had the best year in track,” said Eide. “We broke records, repeatedly.”

Following the track season, Eide received the extra boost she needed to propel herself through the summer.

“After I won Athlete of the Year I knew it was time to kind of let it go and not let it hold me back anymore,” she said.

With nothing stopping her, Eide decided to attend a camp that served as a tryout for WSU’s women’s soccer team. While she didn’t make the final cut, her visit to Pullman made her comfortable with committing to attend WSU as a student.

“I wasn’t interested in WSU, and then I went to the ID Elite Camp and I loved it here,” said Eide. “Everyone was a team. We didn’t really care where we were from. It was homey, I guess.”

Once settled on campus, Eide found her way back to soccer.

She now plays for the Wolfpack, a co-ed Intramural Soccer team, at WSU.

“I did co-ed throughout high school during my off seasons,” she said. “I wasn’t really interested in intramural or co-ed. I didn’t think it was as cool, or whatever. But then Will invited me and I thought, why not try it? And now I love it. I love how it’s relaxed and you’re having fun out there.”

When it comes down to it, Eide plays for the love of the game. She might find herself back on the pitch next summer trying out for WSU’s soccer team, but until then, she has an idea of how she might stay busy.

“Hopefully I can try to walk on for the track team,” said Eide.

Regardless of what she’ll be doing in a few months, Eide can usually be found at the Recreation Center or playing soccer at Martin Stadium. If there’s an athletic opportunity available at WSU, chances are she will pursue it.