Buckeye Trail’s Josey Rome is more than a feel-good story

OLD WASHINGTON — Stop calling Josie Roman a “feel-good story.”

While her journey to overcome the physical difficulties of childbirth was undeniably remarkable, opposing coaches in the Valley Conference didn’t view her sympathetically—they saw her as someone they needed to devise a plan to stop.

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They must do this. You wouldn’t overlook a player who leads the team with 270 points and has become one of the most prolific three-point threats in the state. Averaging 12.3 points per game, taking 69 three-pointers this season and shooting 30 percent from beyond the arc, the Buckeye Trail senior has transformed himself from a spectator to a scouting report headache. To understand this transformation, you have to understand the courage that developed long before she ever picked up a basketball.

Basics: Survival and Columbus Practice

Josie’s journey began on the hematology ward, not the gym. She was born with TAR syndrome (thrombocytopenia of radius deficiency), which puts her at immediate, life-threatening risk. Her body was missing the radius bones in both arms, resulting in shortened ulna bones and clubbed hands, but the most pressing battle was with her blood.

For the first two years of her life, “normal” meant trekking to Columbus Children’s Hospital every seven to 10 days for platelet transfusions to keep her body stable. Her father John thanked local medical teams for keeping her fighting.

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“Josie wouldn’t be here without Dr. Douglas Rush and Cambridge Medical Society,” he said.

Blazers and Florida tenure

Once her health stabilized, the focus shifted to her “orthopedic differences.” The Romans travel to Florida to find Dr. Drol Paley, a pioneer of “unthinkable surgery.” At 18 months old, Josie spent three months living in Florida and underwent groundbreaking ulnarization surgery to correct her clubbed hands. Later, at age 8, she returned for a three-month limb-lengthening surgery that lengthened each arm by three inches.

“Josie wouldn’t be where she is today without the ‘you can do anything’ attitude that Dr. Paley and my wife, Kristy, treated Josie with,” John said.

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Beyond the Body: The Mental Advantage

John is convinced that Josie may have TAR syndrome, but she will never be this way.

“Josie never wanted to be made to feel bad,” John said. “She has TAR syndrome, but that doesn’t define who she is.”

Josie attributes this to her mother Christy, who has been her “rock of strength” through the years of physical therapy and surgeries. Christy’s message was one of self-reliance – she famously insisted that Josie learn to tie her own shoes so that she would become more self-reliant.

“My mom has always been my physical support,” Josie said. “She always told me, ‘I’m not going to be here tying your shoes all the time. You need to do it yourself.'” She was great at not letting me slack off and taking the easy way out. Making sure I become more self-reliant. “

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This upbringing is why Josie never saw herself through the lens of a disability. This resistance even led her to refuse subsequent limb-lengthening surgery because recovery would have cost her a basketball season.

“I can’t miss basketball season…no way,” she insisted.

Rome Blueprint: Working hard when no one is watching

Josie has been a fixture on the sidelines at Buckeye Trail for years, a young girl chasing down rebounds and shooting hoops at halftime for her older brother, Franco. But the “little sister” tag has been retired as Roman watches the little ones sit in the stands and watch like she used to.

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That love was forged on a miniature hoop in the basement and perfected during countless hours in the backyard and in the gym, where Josie’s father, John, and brother, Franco, instilled a “no shortcuts” mentality. Franko, a 12-letter standout at Trail School who is now in his final semester at Marietta College and ran football and track for the Trail Blazers, saw his own courage in his sister.

“I am extremely proud of my sister. Watching her grow up and overcome the challenges she faces is one of the most impressive things I have ever seen in my life,” Franco said. “She never let anything or anyone stop her from doing what she loved. She was who she was and never apologized for it. She didn’t deserve that because she was such a great person.

“As her brother, I think it’s pretty unique to see a situation like hers. Growing up, I never really tried to complain too much because you could see what Josie endured. Josie was born with a disability, but we never saw her as a disabled person. Because we always knew what she could be.”

Josie credits her family foundation with her ability to handle the offensive load, averaging 1.6 assists and points per game.

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“Franco is my biggest role model,” Josie said. “He and my dad instilled in me the belief that you have to put the work all in on yourself and no one is watching when it matters and it comes out on the field. They helped me understand that if you really want to be successful, you have to put in the work.”

“I want people to see the joy and passion I have for basketball,” Josi said. “That’s where it all started… You can’t be good at anything you do unless you truly love it. I just want them to see my love for the game of basketball.”

everyone knows her name

All those hours playing with miniature hoops in the family basement with Franco and his dad, and countless hours in the gym shooting shot after shot, are now paying off in a big way.

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“This is not to take anything away from Josie, but I watched her play as an AD her first year at Trail and it seemed like some teams would be hesitant to guard her full-on,” Buckeye Trail head coach and athletic director Craig Taylor said. “But you don’t see that anymore. They attack her and have a game plan to try to slow her down. You have to get away from her quickly or she’s going to hit a three-pointer or hit a teammate with a sharp pass for a layup. She’s respected by everyone we play with. They know who Josie Roman is and what she can do.”

Franco pointed to her high basketball IQ as one of her strengths against anyone. This will also help her enter the college coaching industry in the future.

“I think the most impressive skill that Josie has is understanding the game from start to finish,” Franco added. “It’s her mental fortitude and her ability to really understand the X’s and O’s of the game. She understands the schemes and the nuances of the game of basketball.

“She might not beat everybody in the footrace, but as far as X’s and O’s go, I’d give her a run for her money against anybody. I personally think our family is proud of our work ethic and trying to be decent people. I love Josie and I love my family.”

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The future: Learn from the legends

The basketball court has always been Josie’s “happy place” and she is already preparing for her next chapter. Next fall, she will attend Ashland University where she will serve as team manager for the Eagles women’s basketball program under head coach Kari Pickens.

“I really wanted to be a basketball coach,” Josie said. “I think being the head coach at Ashland next year will be a great experience and helpful in getting there. I’ve had several good conversations with Coach Pickens about my future goals. I’m looking forward to it.”

More: OHSAA Boys and Girls Basketball State Finals Tickets Now On Sale

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More: Caldwell, Shenandoah are top three seeds in OHSAA girls tournament

Coach Taylor described Josie as a fitness freak with a high basketball IQ, telling a senior night story that proved she already thinks like a coach. When the public address announcer asked her to fill out a form about her favorite career memory or moment, Josie used the back of the form to draw an out-of-bounds play she devised and wrote, “This is going to be a good game.” Josie knew Taylor would be the one announced as Buckeye Trail AD.

“When she’s on the court, it’s like there’s another coach on the court,” Taylor said. “She sees what’s going on on the field and really understands the game. She’s going to Ashland next year to be the women’s team manager and hopes to get into coaching. I have no doubt she can be successful in that career.”

last ditch effort

The immediate focus, however, is the current state of the Warriors basketball team. Despite being a serious underdog entering the OHSSA Girls Division IV Basketball Tournament as the No. 8 seed with an 11-11 record, the Warriors and Rome look to defeat their opponents this Saturday, Feb. 21, at 1 p.m. when they make the trek to powerful second-seeded Monroe Central (18-5), ready to prove one last time that the scoreboard rarely tells the full story of a player’s heart.

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In Old Washington, inspiration is an added bonus. The true story is of a young life dedicated to the game of basketball.

KSutton1@gannett.com; X: @KSuttonDJSports; Instagram: kevinsutton_dailyjeffsports

This article originally appeared in The Jeffersonian: Buckeye Trail senior Josie Roman’s sanctuary is the basketball court