BOZEMAN — Lindsey Hein has had a tumultuous college career.
She became the first player from Forsyth, boy or girl, to sign an NCAA Division I letter of intent for basketball, but her time at Montana State has been filled with ups and downs.
“I remember in (physical therapy), I knew where I needed to be, and I was not anywhere close to there. I just remember thinking, 'I don't know if I'm ever going to be back there,'" Hein told MTN Sports. "Initially I was really trying to have the mindset of controlling what I can control — controlling my nutrition, my rehab, and doing everything possible to heal up right.
"I think it's just really frustrating because I came in with these big expectations and in my mind what it was going to be, and then having it be nothing like that, I think it makes you grow up and mature and grow as a person. I think I'm a lot more independent and I found my identity outside of basketball."
Hein has battled foot injuries since her high school days, where she helped Forsyth to a split of the Class B state championship in 2020. She went into MSU with a clean bill of health and earned a starting nod early in her career, but repeated broken bones in both feet throughout college really only left her with one choice: to medically retire.
“I think it's the little things that you don't necessarily think about that are a big challenge. Even going to the grocery store. My roommates would have to go to the grocery store with me because I couldn't carry the basket on my scooter," Hein said of the difficulties she faced on a day-to-day basis. "The handicap pass is nice, especially at Costco. And the on-campus parking isn't great, so that was nice, but I'd still way rather be able to walk."
She’s remained part of the Bobcat basketball team throughout the season, but without the strenuous workload of playing she’s got a jump on the next stage of her life, having passed the LSATs as she prepares for law school.
“If I was playing this year I probably wouldn't have been able to do that. I'm a year ahead of where I would be in that way," Hein said. "So looking at it that way — I've always wanted to go to law school — at the same time, I'm on the same track of what I wanted to do, but it's just been a lot more of a rocky road than I thought it was going to be."
Hein was dealt some rough breaks throughout the past several years, but things have a funny way of working themselves out.
