Basketball and school aren’t the only things Ricarsha Johnson enjoys. She is extremely active throughout the community and is a member of FCCLA, the yearbook committee, and has participated in Delta Debutante. Johnson was also the Homecoming representative her freshman, sophomore, and junior years. This year, she returned to Homecoming Court and won the title of Homecoming Queen. Johnson also finds time to work at the Everett Milton YMCA in Thomasville, where she helps with the children aged 3-5 who participate in the Y’s programs. “I really enjoy working with the kids. Every day is something different with them. They are just precious,” she says.
Last year was supposed to be another excellent season for Ricarsha Johnson, the Thomasville Lady Bulldogs’ point/shooting guard. A varsity starter since her ninth grade year, the former Phenomenal Freshman helped lead Thomasville to a region championship and the Final Four as a sophomore. It was supposed to be a steppingstone to something even greater. Then, last year, the unthinkable happened. Against Brooks County, Johnson landed on her leg wrong and tore an ACL. Just like that, her season was over. Instead of sitting around and crying about her misfortune, Johnson went to work almost immediately, working out and rehabbing the bad knee until she was ready to play again. During the rehabilitation process, Johnson found much more than motivation and inspiration – she may have also found her future career.
Ricarsha Johnson began playing basketball because, quite simply, she grew up around the game. During her formative years, it was all she knew. Her father played in a local league in Tallahassee and she was always in the gym, watching him play and hanging out on the sidelines. Johnson may have started because she watched her father but she kept playing because it was fun and because she was good at it. “It’s a unique game. It became more fun the more advanced I got. Then when the points started coming, it was even more fun. Defense came after that,” she says. Johnson has made a name for herself by looking after her teammates, moving the ball around, playing solid defense, and scoring when the opportunity arose. Johnson averages about 11 points per game and is obviously an integral component in Thomasville’s game plan.
Which made it all the more difficult when she injured her knee. Once she was diagnosed with a torn ACL, she immediately went to work. Johnson still had some unfinished business on the court and she did not want to miss her senior year. “At first, the rehab was really tough. But once I started getting some strength back in my muscles, it started getting easier. I wanted to get back on the court badly,” she says. Johnson worked through the spring, summer, and fall. Finally, on Oct. 26, right before tryouts, doctors cleared her to play.
For the 2014-2015 season, Johnson wanted to pick up where she left off the previous year. “I want to lead my team and at the same time 
take care of my knee. I want to be the player I was before I was hurt. The injury has definitely made me stronger,” she says. When I spoke with Johnson, it appeared as though she was on track to accomplish her objectives. She was once again one of the best players on the floor, and she was doing exactly what she did in previous years. With the region tournament looming, the Lady Bulldogs were in a great spot – third in the standings, ready for the tournament, and looking forward to getting back to the state playoffs. “I think we’ve accomplished what we wanted to so far. We’ll accomplish the rest from here on out,” states Johnson confidently.
Johnson’s injury has certainly been a major event for her basketball career. It may also figure prominently in her plans after graduation. During the rehabilitation, the work that her trainer did grabbed her attention. Her trainer made a tremendous difference in keeping her focused and working toward getting back on the basketball court. She liked the rapport they developed and began thinking about athletic training as a potential career. “I was very close with my trainer. I enjoy helping people, and my ACL injury helped me realize that I could help others as well.”
Getting into an athletic training program ought not to be too difficult for Johnson. She is an excellent student on pace to graduate with honors. School has always come naturally to her and she loves math and science. “They are my favorite subjects. They combine in a way and together explain a lot about the world we live in. Plus I like the knowledge I get from studying math and science,” she says.
Johnson plans to study athletic training while she is playing four more years of basketball. She has at least one offer on the table but she’s holding out for an opportunity to play at Valdosta State University. “I like VSU. It’s a great academic school and it’s close to home. I feel like I could have a great college experience there and not be too far from my family,” she says.
Favorites:
• Team: Atlanta Hawks
• Player: LeBron James
• Last book you read: Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
• Superpower: Read people’s minds
• Superhero: Batman
• Sport you wish you could play: Soccer
• Person to meet: K. Michelle
Academic Athlete/South Georgia/March 2015
Ricarsha Johnson
Thomasville High School
Thomasville, Georgia
Robert Preston Jr.
Thomasville point guard finds motivation and a future career through injury
