An Untold Journey Of Grief & Basketball

Moorhead, Minn. --- He stands head and shoulders above everybody else on campus. 

Standing a tall and sturdy 6-8 and donning khaki pants and a Concordia jacket, Isaac Anderson sticks out from the pack. 

Forget the fact he is from California and is going to college in the middle of the Midwest. Forget that he is an immensely tall human that walks into retail stores and asks to buy the shoebox because it will fit his foot better than the shoe itself. 

The fact he's even at Concordia makes him unique in his own right. 

Anderson attended Dassel-Cokato High School for his junior and senior years - but home is nearly 2,000 miles away. 

When Christmas break rolls around, Anderson hops in a jet that takes him to paradise. He steps off the plane, on to a beach and he is home. 

Anderson was adopted into what is now just known as his family in Scotts Valley (Anderson's parents moved six hours north from his previous home in Ventura recently). To say his family means everything to him would be an understatement. 

Growing up with a basketball in his hands, Anderson found a passion in the sport he was talented at. Blessed with quick hands, a large frame and springy limbs, Anderson's basketball career was on a highway to somewhere but he hit a bump in the road between his freshman and sophomore years at Ventura High School. 

Going up for a rebound in practice, he came down and landed awkwardly on a teammate's ankle. Anderson went to the doctor's office and the initial X-rays showed no serious damage. Sent home with a splint and crutches, doctors were confident it was just a sprain but he came back in a week later to find out his ankle was shattered. 

Anderson had surgery immediately and after months of rehab slowly made his way back onto the court. He wasn't as nimble as before, but the feel for the game was slowly returning.  

Primed for a big junior season at Ventura, he was playing in an open gym before the season started and noticed a nagging pain in his ankle and went to see the doctor. 

Broken, again. But this time much worse. 

The talus in his ankle did not heal correctly the first time after surgery. Anderson was informed if surgery and rehab weren't successful this time around, he may not be able to walk correctly again, let alone play basketball. 

Doctors recommended that he should see a specialist in the Twin Cities so he made the trip to Minnesota for the procedure. 

Following surgery, he stayed with his grandparents who happened to lived 90 minutes from the Cities. Making the move to Minnesota meant he would be able drive back and forth for rehab sessions in an effort to make his way back onto the floor. 

Anderson became comfortable in South Central Minnesota and decided to finish his junior and senior years of high school at Dassel-Cokato as a Charger. 

Before the injuries sustained in California, his God-given tools found himself receiving recruiting interest from colleges and universities back home, including NCAA Division I schools such as UC-Santa Barbara and UC-Davis.  

With the second broken ankle and the move to the Midwest those schools ceased recruiting Anderson. 

He wasn't the same athlete anymore. Anderson described himself as slow and unable to explode off the floor as he could before the surgery. He played his senior year of basketball relatively injury free, and though the Division I schools weren't at games, other schools took interest. 

With Anderson's frame and background, he became a desired recruit for many MIAC colleges. Concordia assistant coach Matt Petersen was hot on the trail, and convinced Anderson to come visit and he instantly fell in love with the place. 

Anderson committed to be a Cobber with the hopes of a fresh start but the injury bug followed him to Moorhead. 

In his senior year of high school Anderson dealt with a labrum injury in his right shoulder he sustained in practice. During his freshman season at Concordia the injury continued to plague him. After the conclusion of the season he was diagnosed with a torn labrum and had another date under the knife. 

The shoulder surgery turned out to be the least of his problems his freshman year. 

With a history of prior heart problems, Anderson was in for a routine checkup when he received staggering news. A condition found in taller athletes, Anderson was diagnosed with left ventricular cardiomyopathy, a thickening of the left ventricle wall. 

For the second time in as many years, Anderson was told he may not be able to play basketball for the rest of his life.

"It was really tough," Anderson said. "It really distracted me from a fresh start and didn't allow me to accomplish the things I wanted to here (in Moorhead)." 

All of the worry and traveling proved inconsequential as tests came back negative. It turned out that the initial test had a significant error and Anderson's career would continue on the hardwood. 

Anderson returned for his sophomore year set for an uneventful season but tragedy struck he and his family. 

When Anderson moved to Dassel it was his cousin Kris who made the transition from California to the Midwest smooth. The cousins had similar personalities and one would have thought they were brothers. 

"It was Sept. 30 when I got a call…," Anderson trails off. 

Typically, his uncle was not one to leave a voicemail. He left one this time. 

Anderson called him back and the news was devastating.

"It was so tough," Anderson said solemnly. "I was always close with this part of my family but when I moved to Minnesota he (Kris) really took me under his wing. He was my best friend, a good guy, and got taken too young." 

The death of his cousin hurt his development his sophomore year - both academically and athletically. Anderson considered taking a break from school to get his emotions in check and take care of his family but his Cobber basketball family was there for him every step of the way. 

In spite of the grief and pain Anderson endured through the rest of his sophomore year. He even found his way onto the floor by the end of the season. 

In the month's following Kris' death, Anderson began to get his life on track, both on and off the floor. 

Anderson came to Concordia aspiring to be a nursing major but the missed class time due to frequent trips to the Twin Cities for his health issues made school challenging. 

While taking a sociology class as a sophomore he found interest in Communication Studies and people as a whole. Going into his junior year he decided to switch to a Communication Studies major. 

Fast forward 18 months. 

Isaac Anderson has found his way. 

He has taken the tragedies and adversity from his personal life and utilized its lessons to not only better himself, but those around him as well. 

This past summer he worked at CCRI, a company in Moorhead that provides person-centered services to people with disabilities - and he loved it. 

Anderson commented about his new-found passion, "It's something I can make an impact on other's peoples' lives and it's the best thing ever. Seeing the smiles on their faces and the progress they make is inspiring." 

On the court he is finally a major contributor for the Cobbers. This year he is averaging 8.4 points and 3.3 rebounds in 13.7 minutes per game. In his first three years at Concordia he averaged 3.0 points, 1.9 rebounds and had only scored in double figures once in his career. This year he has already bettered his career in points and has recorded three double figure scoring games. 

The destination after Concordia, and after basketball, is unclear for Isaac Anderson.

But the future is bright. 

"It's been great so far this season. I finally feel comfortable in my body and I'm ready to get after things. It's a great position to be in and I'm almost there. I can't thank the people in my life enough for helping me along the way."


Written by Sports Information Intern Austin Hawkins