Shooting layups and dribbling the basketball occur more naturally these days for Josh Speidel.
Four years ago as Speidel was starting his senior year at Columbus North, such simple activities for a major-college basketball recruit would go unnoticed. Today, however, they are evidence of his gradual and ongoing recovery from traumatic brain injury.
These simple basketball moves give Speidel hope that his dream of competing again on the basketball court can be realized.
Having invested more than three years into physical therapy and rehabilitation since he was seriously injured during an auto accident, the University of Vermont student reports that he is making significant progress — and stays closely connected to the varsity basketball team.
[sc:text-divider text-divider-title=”Story continues below gallery” ]Click here to purchase photos from this gallery
“He continues to look more healthy and is moving around a lot better,” Vermont coach John Becker said. “He continues to work out and get stronger. Unfortunately, he still has that tremor in his arm that has prevented him from taking that big step forward from a physical standpoint. Hopefully, we can get the tremor under control.”
Until then, Speidel is still not cleared to play in games or participate in full practices with the team.
In his final season at Columbus North, Speidel was averaging 25.6 points and 9.3 rebounds on a team that had aspirations for a possible run for a state championship. Speidel had become Columbus North’s all-time leading scorer that year with 1,512 points and its all-time rebounder with 699.
Those statistics would earn Speidel — who had already committed to a basketball scholarship at Vermont — recognition as The Republic Boys Basketball Player of the Year and a spot on the Indiana All-Star boys basketball team.
But the traumatic brain injury Speidel suffered in his Feb. 1, 2015 car accident near Taylorsville disrupted his life considerably and abruptly.
Becker, who flew to Indianapolis to be with his basketball recruit and the Speidel family within three days of the accident, made it clear that he would honor the scholarship offer regardless of whether Speidel was able to get back on the court — and he has been true to his word.
The road back
Right after the accident, Speidel was placed in a medically induced coma for nearly six weeks to help his brain recover. About 10 weeks later on April 17, Speidel spoke his first word since the accident: “Mom.”
The athlete’s will to recover continued with rehabilitation to rebuild his strength and endurance. He used a walker to take initial steps with the help of medical staffers, and was able to return home to his family in Columbus on May 28, 2015, about a week before his scheduled high school graduation — where he rose to his feet from a wheelchair to accept his diploma.
“For him to be able to walk across the stage, stand up and accept his diploma, it’s a miracle,” senior classmate Michael Behling said at the time.
Speidel stayed home for the first year after high school, continuing his rehabilition schedule with family at his side. With the physical progress he was able to show, Speidel continued his journey back the fall of 2016 in Burlington, Vermont, where he began classes and supported his Catamount basketball teammates on the sidelines.
And as opportunities allowed, Speidel has continued to work on regaining his basketball skills — at college and when he’s back home.
Over the summer, Speidel started playing basketball three days a week with a group of guys from First Christian Church.
“They’ve just opened their arms and allowed him to come in and play,” said Lisa Speidel, his mother. “It is really encouraging to him and to those guys that get to see him back on the court.”
The pace of play is far slower pace than that of a full practice or game, but it’s more evidence of progress.
“He runs the court with the guys. He will dribble, make passes and he does his layup,” Lisa said. “He’ll venture out there and do a jumper.”
It also gives Speidel’s family hope that they too will one day see him on the court in a team uniform.
Approaching the midpoint of his third year at Vermont, Speidel is a redshirt-sophomore. The NCAA granted Speidel a waiver to practice and be on the bench with the team without it counting against his four years of college basketball eligibility.
He works individually with trainers and assistant coaches in his efforts to improve.
“This year has been a great year,” Speidel said. “I’ve been working hard and using all of my resources, whether it’s through the coaches or (athletic trainer) Eugene (Santos). I’m trying to improvement myself as much as I can, as quick as I can.”
Speidel will be with the team for all of its home games and practices this season. He will travel with the team to away games as long as it does not interfere with his academics.
Classroom success
Speidel has excelled in the classroom and is now taking on a full-time student academic workload. He holds a 3.3 grade-point average and is taking 12 credit hours this year, three more than last year.
He has decided to do an Individualized Major Program at Vermont, which gives students the freedom to create multidisciplinary majors that explore topics of their choosing.
“Classes have been going great,” Speidel said. “I wanted to focus on working with the kids primarily through sports and then minor in coaching. I’m still in the process of picking which specific classes to take for next year and the classes I’ll have to take in the future.”
Speidel lives off campus in a house with his teammates, where he is adjusting to everyday college life and becoming more independent.
Becker said Speidel brings a lot of positive energy when he is around the team during practices and games.
“He’s always very friendly to everyone, but I know at times, he’s frustrated that he can’t play,” Becker said. “He’d love to be able to help the team on the court.”
Speidel’s perseverance to battle back from his brain injury and his kind-hearted personality have earned him the respect of the university community, Becker said.
Like his old friends from Columbus, his newer friends in Vermont are pulling for him to beat the odds and achieve his personal goal play competition basketball again.
“There’s not a day that goes by that somebody doesn’t say, ‘How’s Josh doing?’” Lisa Speidel said. “As a family, we wouldn’t be where we are without our community and our friends and without God. It’s just amazing that we get to watch this.”
[sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”Pull Quote” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]
"He continues to look more healthy and is moving around a lot better."
— Vermont coach John Becker on Josh Speidel
[sc:pullout-text-end]
