February 11, 2026 | Tagged Leadership
Perseverance starts with Grit and ends with Grace
Perseverance Starts with Showing Grit and Ends with Giving Grace
At NBC Camps, we believe the toughest athletes aren’t just the ones who play the hardest—they’re the ones who persevere through every challenge with grit, mental toughness, and resilience. It’s why at camp you’ll often hear our coaches talk about competing no matter the score, pushing through adversity, and staying mentally strong.
But there’s another lesson we believe is just as important: learning how to give yourself grace through the storms along your journey. Few people embody this balance better than Ella Koebelin.
A Journey Rooted in NBC Camps
Ella has been a part of NBC Camps for most of her basketball life. She attended camp as a middle school athlete and has now spent the past five summers coaching, pouring into younger players with the same passion and values she learned growing up. Currently a senior point guard at Linfield University, Ella understands firsthand what it means to navigate adversity.
Her basketball journey has been filled with success. Ella had a standout high school career, earning multiple accolades and paving the way to play college basketball. At Linfield, she quickly earned the starting point guard role as a freshman and sophomore and was primed to help lead her team toward a conference championship in her junior season.
Then everything changed.
When the Storm Hits
In October of 2024, Ella tore her ACL and meniscus—an injury that required surgery and ended her season before it even began.
“At first I was really frustrated and upset because I had already gone through this injury before in high school and knew exactly how hard the process would be,” Ella shared. “I was especially disappointed because I felt like I had put in so much offseason work and knew our team had the potential to do something special that year.”
After processing the reality that she would miss the entire season, Ella made a choice.
“Once I processed that I would miss the season, I shifted my mindset and focused on the fact that I still had time to prepare for my senior year. Instead of staying stuck in frustration, I committed to rehabbing fully and figuring out how I could come back better and bring something new to the table.”
Leading Without Being on the Court
Even with the right mindset, the road was far from easy.
“The hardest part of the process was not being able to actually be on the floor and experience the highs and lows of playing alongside my teammates,” Ella said.
Despite being sidelined, she was still voted a team captain—a role she embraced fully.
“I took that responsibility seriously by staying engaged however I could. I became very vocal on the sideline, helped with stats, laundry, team meals, and focused on being the best servant leader that I could. I spent a lot of time mentoring younger players, especially a freshman teammate who was also going through the same injury that season.”
Unable to compete physically, Ella chose to compete in every other way she could.
Choosing Discipline Over Comfort
With so many summers spent at NBC Camps, Ella knew she had a choice in how she would respond.
“I really leaned on my support system which included my family, teammates, and coaches who all gave so much to me,” she said. “I also leaned heavily on my own discipline, especially on days when motivation was low and rehab felt overwhelming.”
Watching her team play without her was painful—but she stayed focused.
“No matter how I felt that day, I knew doing the work was the only way I would get back on the court.”
A Long-Awaited Return
On February 17th, 2024, Ella played her last game as a sophomore, scoring 10 points in 25 minutes against Pacific University. She didn’t know then that it would be 692 days before she would step onto the court in a college game again.
That moment finally came on January 9th, 2026.
“Stepping back on the court again was incredibly emotional,” Ella shared. “After nearly two years away, checking in for that first time felt surreal. I was overwhelmed with joy and gratitude just to be out there again.”
Her teammates felt it too.
“Several of them told me how proud they were to be a part of it, which made the moment even more special.”
Grit Is Only Part of the Story
Persevering through tough times requires grit and mental toughness—but as Ella learned, it also requires something more.
“The biggest part of my journey that I want to share is to give yourself grace when going through an injury or difficult time,” she said. “It’s okay to feel frustrated, sad, angry, or not 100% every day, but you can’t let those feelings take over your long-term goals.”
Her advice is simple, but powerful.
“Hard seasons don’t last forever. You just have to stay disciplined, keep showing up, and outlast them.”
Moving Forward, One Step at a Time
Allowing yourself to be mentally tough while also giving yourself grace is not easy. As Ella’s story shows, the journey will be filled with emotion, discipline, setbacks, and growth.
But no matter the pace, continuing to move forward—one step, one day at a time—will always lead you in the right direction.
And that is perseverance.
