Photo by: Kevin Snyder/MSU Athletics
McKee Rewriting Her Own Story
March 23, 2022 | Women's Tennis
STARKVILLE – Maddie McKee believed her days of playing tennis were behind her.
A torn ACL at the age of 15 followed by a car accident that left her with two broken ribs and also crushed all of her racquets forced McKee out of the sport she cherished so much.
Or so she thought.
A chance encounter with one of Mississippi State's coaches last spring changed McKee's collegiate experience entirely and brought her back to competitive tennis after a 3 ½ year absence.
McKee and her boyfriend – MSU tennis player Seth Richey – were hitting at one of the recreational tennis courts on campus. And it just so happened that associate head coach Sachin Kirtane was conducting a lesson one court over and noticed how well the young lady with the long blonde hair was competing against one of the members of the men's team. Â
Kirtane inquired about her with Richey and after learning more about her background and that she was already a student at State, he extended an offer to walk onto the team this year.
"That's every kid's dream for somebody to watch them playing the sport they love and say 'hey, come play for us'," McKee said. "It was really cool. I decided because my high school career ended so badly that I was going to rewrite that story. I'm not going to let it end badly. I've got to end it on a better note than I did in high school."
So for the first time since her junior year of high school, McKee resumed her tennis career as a college junior. She competed in five singles matches for the Bulldogs in the Debbie Southern Fall Classic in Greenville, South Carolina and the ITA Southern Regional Championships in Tuscaloosa, Alabama during the fall season.
"Rediscovering tennis has been unbelievable for her because she dedicated so much of her time during her youth and childhood to this sport," Kirtane said. "For her to get back to it has been tremendous. She's always smiling on a daily basis and is a hard worker. She has a great work ethic and brings everything we could possibly ask for every day."
But just as McKee was starting to find her groove on the court again, an injury sidelined her from the sport for a second time. She suffered another injury to her right knee while doing conditioning drills at the end of practice on Oct. 23 which required more surgery.
"Towards the end of the fall, I was starting to get my rhythm again and started to get my feet under me," McKee said. "Those are things that come with time and experience. But unfortunately, another knee injury halted that."
Since then, McKee has attacked her rehab and is already back on the courts doing drills with her teammates. She is more determined than ever to not let her history of injuries define her and plans to return for the 2022-23 season.
"I just need to keep practicing and trust my knee again," McKee said. "As I do that over the summer, absolutely I will be back in the fall."
A LIFE OUTSIDE OF TENNIS
McKee comes from a long line of Mississippi State alumni so it came as no surprise that she too chose to attend college in Starkville.
The Jonesboro, Arkansas native is double majoring in psychology and biology and for two years built a life as a regular college student filled with several extracurricular activities.
"I'd established a whole life before I joined the tennis team," McKee said. "I joined a sorority and for two years I was a Delta Gamma. I also model on the Fashion Board and we meet every Wednesday. I'm also a member of several honor societies (Phi Kappa Phi, Omicron Delta Kappa, Phi Sigma Pi, Gamma Beta Phi). I'm really honored to be a part of all those things."
Being suddenly thrust into the lifestyle of a Southeastern Conference student-athlete during her third year of college, it has given her a new perspective on time management and the demands student-athletes face on a daily basis.
"I did not expect how much time being a student-athlete takes," McKee said. "I'm the perfect example because I've done both. I was a normal student for two years and now an athlete for a year. There is a night and day difference between the two…It's made me respect student-athletes so much more now that I am one. It's really hard to balance both."
A DREAM COME TRUE
Before McKee's first knee injury in high school, she was rated among the top juniors in her region and had already qualified for national tournaments from coast-to-coast. Â
Several colleges were starting to contact her. Never in her mind did she think that she would one day have an opportunity to play tennis for the very university she grew up cheering for as child.
"My dream in high school was to play college tennis," McKee said. "I didn't care what level or where, I just wanted to play. I love the game and love the sport. So in the back of my mind, this was something that I've always wanted.
"Not a lot of people get to choose where they want to go when they're being recruited. I got to choose this school and tennis just kind of fell into my lap. It's been the coolest and most unique experience ever."
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A torn ACL at the age of 15 followed by a car accident that left her with two broken ribs and also crushed all of her racquets forced McKee out of the sport she cherished so much.
Or so she thought.
A chance encounter with one of Mississippi State's coaches last spring changed McKee's collegiate experience entirely and brought her back to competitive tennis after a 3 ½ year absence.
McKee and her boyfriend – MSU tennis player Seth Richey – were hitting at one of the recreational tennis courts on campus. And it just so happened that associate head coach Sachin Kirtane was conducting a lesson one court over and noticed how well the young lady with the long blonde hair was competing against one of the members of the men's team. Â
Kirtane inquired about her with Richey and after learning more about her background and that she was already a student at State, he extended an offer to walk onto the team this year.
"That's every kid's dream for somebody to watch them playing the sport they love and say 'hey, come play for us'," McKee said. "It was really cool. I decided because my high school career ended so badly that I was going to rewrite that story. I'm not going to let it end badly. I've got to end it on a better note than I did in high school."
So for the first time since her junior year of high school, McKee resumed her tennis career as a college junior. She competed in five singles matches for the Bulldogs in the Debbie Southern Fall Classic in Greenville, South Carolina and the ITA Southern Regional Championships in Tuscaloosa, Alabama during the fall season.
"Rediscovering tennis has been unbelievable for her because she dedicated so much of her time during her youth and childhood to this sport," Kirtane said. "For her to get back to it has been tremendous. She's always smiling on a daily basis and is a hard worker. She has a great work ethic and brings everything we could possibly ask for every day."
But just as McKee was starting to find her groove on the court again, an injury sidelined her from the sport for a second time. She suffered another injury to her right knee while doing conditioning drills at the end of practice on Oct. 23 which required more surgery.
"Towards the end of the fall, I was starting to get my rhythm again and started to get my feet under me," McKee said. "Those are things that come with time and experience. But unfortunately, another knee injury halted that."
Since then, McKee has attacked her rehab and is already back on the courts doing drills with her teammates. She is more determined than ever to not let her history of injuries define her and plans to return for the 2022-23 season.
"I just need to keep practicing and trust my knee again," McKee said. "As I do that over the summer, absolutely I will be back in the fall."
A LIFE OUTSIDE OF TENNIS
McKee comes from a long line of Mississippi State alumni so it came as no surprise that she too chose to attend college in Starkville.
The Jonesboro, Arkansas native is double majoring in psychology and biology and for two years built a life as a regular college student filled with several extracurricular activities.
"I'd established a whole life before I joined the tennis team," McKee said. "I joined a sorority and for two years I was a Delta Gamma. I also model on the Fashion Board and we meet every Wednesday. I'm also a member of several honor societies (Phi Kappa Phi, Omicron Delta Kappa, Phi Sigma Pi, Gamma Beta Phi). I'm really honored to be a part of all those things."
Being suddenly thrust into the lifestyle of a Southeastern Conference student-athlete during her third year of college, it has given her a new perspective on time management and the demands student-athletes face on a daily basis.
"I did not expect how much time being a student-athlete takes," McKee said. "I'm the perfect example because I've done both. I was a normal student for two years and now an athlete for a year. There is a night and day difference between the two…It's made me respect student-athletes so much more now that I am one. It's really hard to balance both."
A DREAM COME TRUE
Before McKee's first knee injury in high school, she was rated among the top juniors in her region and had already qualified for national tournaments from coast-to-coast. Â
Several colleges were starting to contact her. Never in her mind did she think that she would one day have an opportunity to play tennis for the very university she grew up cheering for as child.
"My dream in high school was to play college tennis," McKee said. "I didn't care what level or where, I just wanted to play. I love the game and love the sport. So in the back of my mind, this was something that I've always wanted.
"Not a lot of people get to choose where they want to go when they're being recruited. I got to choose this school and tennis just kind of fell into my lap. It's been the coolest and most unique experience ever."
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