Jul 17, 2007 - 04:04:21 CDT
At 5-foot-3, Muggsy Bogues didn't let his height disadvantage keep him out of NBA.Jim Abbott succeeded as a major league pitcher, despite being born with no right hand. He even twirled a no-hitter.
While Century's Brittany Jossart hasn't made the big leagues, the fact that she's able to compete in sports is a success story just like how Bogues and Abbott overcame their disadvantages.
Jossart, a three-sport athlete, was born blind in her right eye because of a damaged optic nerve. It's a genetic trait and can't be corrected.
Despite being at a disadvantage, Jossart has succeeded in all three sports basketball, volleyball and soccer.
"I can't see my fingers in front of me,"Jossart said. "I've always been accustomed to it. I don't know what it's like to have two good eyes. I would say I've always been at a disadvantage since I can't see. I have just adjusted to it."
She was picked to compete in the Lions All-Star basketball series and the Optimist Volleyball series. The 5-foot-8 shooting guard opted to play in the basketball games.
The Class A and Class B squads for the Lions All-Star basketball series consist of recently graduated seniors. Selections were made by the coaches.
Love of sports
When Jossart was a small child her parents were advised to buy a lot of books because she wouldn't be able to play sports.
Jossart loved sports and competition so much that her parents didn't heed the physican's advice. It appears that Jossart's mom and dad made a wise decision when they let their daughter compete.
Jossart plans to take her game to the next level. She committed to Concordia University's (Moorhead, Minn.) women's basketball team for the upcoming school year. She will major in pre-med.
"I was really little when the doctor told me I couldn't play sports," Jossart said. "I wish they could see what I've done now. It's nice to be able to play sports, no matter what the doctor said."
Jossart wore goggles to protect her good eye while she played sports until she was a freshman.
"I just said I wasn't going to wear them,"Jossart said. "It was a fashion statement. I was not comfortable wearing those things."
While Jossart competed in three sports, she decided not to play softball in the summer because of her vision. In volleyball she's an outside hitter and in soccer a forward.
Jossart helped guide Century to a third-place finish at the state basketball tournament. She finished the season averaging 13 points, 4 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.3 steals a game. She canned 51 3-pointers.
Jossart was key in guiding Century to a state title in soccer and a runner-up finish in volleyball. She was named the Bismarck Quarterback Club athlete of the year for her efforts.
"Since I've been a sophomore I've been to all the state tournaments,"Jossart said. "I'm happy to end my year with a championship in soccer."
Jossart does wear glasses or contact lenses to correct nearsightedness in her left eye, but her specks do not correct her right eye.
She has two restrictions on her drivers license one for corrective lenses and the other requiring outside mirrors. She's never been involved in a car accident.
Unnoticed
Jossart's vision problems have escaped the attention of many sports fans and even her competitors. Jossart kept her situation under wraps.
"She's the kind of kid who didn't want excuses for bad play,"said Jim Jeske, who coached Jossart in basketball through her high school career. "It's phenomenal what she has done with that. If people knew what she has went through they would have better respect for her with what she did."
Jeske often forgot about Jossart's vision problems, although he was aware of it in her younger years when she wore the goggles.
Jeske never modified plays to accommodate Jossart's lack of peripheral vision.
"There's times she would make a full-court catch on a long ball and she would have to make a different adjustment,"Jeske said. "She might have bobbled a few passes she could have caught. There were times when I asked her if she preferred a different side of the court. She said she didn't have a preference. It really wasn't a factor."
Key player
Not only was Jossart in Jeske's starting lineup, but she was always on the floor in key situations.
"She became a really big go-to player for us midway through the season in critical games,"Jeske said. "She played well against good competition. She improved a lot between her junior and senior year. She was more confident shooting the basketball. She put it on the ground more and got to the free-throw line more."
Jossart was one of three Century players chosen for the Lions All-Star series. Center Courtney Fettig and point guard Andrea LaFrance were also selected. Not only is Jossart excited for one last hurrah with her two teammates, she's also looking forward to playing with former competitors, like Jessica Kielpinski from Mandan.
"Playing with her will be a little weird,"Jossart said. "I've played against her since we were fifth-graders. We were always competing. It will be fun to play with a bunch of girls that are successful athletes."
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