Women's basketball: Hodgson off to Belgrade

There are a few things to note in this Gleaner piece on Kelsey Hodgson, the all-star guard from the Capers, who's heading to the World University Games in a few days. Of course, she's excited about it:

So excited, in fact that she has postponed an appointment with an orthopedic surgeon in Sydney who wants to examine her for "compartment syndrome," a medical condition in which increased pressure within a confined space in the body impairs blood supply. Surgery may be required, but Hodgson won't pass up an opportunity to represent Canada on the international stage.

Something else that jumps out:
"I'm not a big tourist anyway," she said. "I'm there to play basketball. That's my number one reason for being there."
Having never been to Belgrade, I can't say whether she's missing out on the sights by intending to focus on hotel rooms, airports, and basketball courts, but Kate Hole had a few thoughts on this:

Obviously sport is the most important—I mean, basketball is the reason we travel at all—but I believe that you’re missing out on something crucial if you don’t make a point of seeing what each city has to offer. I had a blast in Thailand at the FISU Games, but we were kept forcibly within the confines of our university campus and (besides one quick jaunt to a night market) we didn’t do any touring at all. I came back from my trip and people asked me, “So what did you see? What did you do?” and my regrettable answer was “Outside of basketball? Well… not a lot.”

Anyway, it's nobody's place to say basketball experiences are inherently lesser than non-basketball ones, and it's fair to say there's a bit of jealousy coming from the guy who's forced fortunate enough to spend his summer in southwestern Ontario.

As for the injuries, it's hard to begrudge her an chance to play for Canada, and Hodgson isn't the first athlete to postpone medical treatment in order to participate in some event. Still, given what she played through last year (and with this excerpt from Warrior Girls still hanging around in the memory banks), one hopes that this doesn't catch up with her, and the folks at Cape Breton hope even more.

Related:
Hoop star Hodgson on a high [Bill Hunt, The Gleaner]
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