Squalicum High School freshman Addison Kettman leapt in the air for the ball during an AAU basketball game in March 2023, landed on an opponent’s foot and partially tore the MCL in her right knee.
It would have been a devastating injury for anyone — even more so for Kettman, whose right leg was amputated below the knee as an infant.
Addison, 15, began playing AAU in fourth grade. But last spring, near the end of her eighth-grade year, she was facing her biggest obstacle yet.
After tearing her MCL, her team would go on to make the state title game, losing by one point. Addison was most worried about letting her teammates down.
Doctors gave her a brace that fits over the top of her prosthesis, making her more stable while running, jumping and cutting.
It was a week before she could even put her prosthetic leg on, followed by two months of rehab before slowly getting back on the court. She’s had no issues since.
“The biggest challenge is the injury I had,” Addison said. “My brace helps me be more confident.”
In November 2023, Addison tried out for varsity and made it as a freshman. Second-year Storm coach Jenalyn Brown had known Addison for a year by that point. She said it didn’t take long for her to see what kind of person Addison was.
“She’s quick-witted, tough as nails, funny, really kind, reads the room well, intelligent,” Brown said.
She’s been an impressive force on the court.
A 5-foot-10 post player, Addison is one of the first off the bench each game, and plays equal minutes with the team’s starting post player. She recently helped the Storm win the Trojan Storm Winter Classic on Saturday, Dec. 30, scoring a team-high 10 points to go with six rebounds and three steals in a win over Stanwood in the title game.
“She is just a tremendous human being who has the potential to be such a huge role model her entire life,” Brown said. “I look forward to seeing how far she goes with it.”
Something wasn’t right
Ryan and Shannon Kettman first found out something was wrong during a prenatal ultrasound that revealed fibular hemimelia, a rare non-genetic condition where the fibula in Addison’s right leg didn’t develop.
When Addison was born, they found her tibia severely bent and some toes missing.
They were given two options: Dozens of reconstructive surgeries and limb-lengthening procedures to try and salvage Addison’s leg, or amputate it.
It was their first child, and after tough discussions, they decided Addison would have the amputation. She was 11 months old.
“There was a ton of emotion built into the decision, but we tried to remove it and make as good of a decision as we could and stand behind it,” Ryan said.
First steps
Addison began learning to walk and stand while still in a cast. A couple months later, she got a prosthetic leg.
Ryan and Shannon began teaching her basketball when she was 4 years old. Both had played for Sehome, and Ryan had helped the Sehome boys win their first-ever state championship in 1996. He also played 111 games at Western Washington University.
Now it was time for them to share their love of the game with Addison.
“It was kind of an experiment,” Ryan said. “How is she going to do playing sports? Pretty quickly we found out she could still run with everybody. She just took it from there with her personality. Basketball became what she liked.”
She soon discovered basketball was her outlet.
“I really started to enjoy it,” Addison said. “It was tough at first, but I just got used to it. I embraced it.”
For the love of the game
Over a decade after first picking up a basketball, Addison has no regrets about the life she was given and doesn’t see herself as having limitations. Instead, she sees it as an opportunity to better herself.
She has figured out her own unique ways of doing things, like left-handed lay-ins, which are more difficult since she can’t plant well with her right leg.
And, of course, she has her bad days.
“In middle school, kids would say hurtful things, like saying I can’t do certain things,” Addison said. “It doesn’t affect me. It just motivated me more.”
But for every mean kid, there are even more people who are encouraging. Often parents or refs will tell her how cool it is to see her play at a high level.
“It feels good, just to be able to have the acceptance, like I could compete against everyone else,” Addison said.
More than anything, she said her friends — Carli Kiesau, Lexi Robbins and Tiana Thompson — have been her rock from day one. All three are on varsity with her.
“They have been so supportive of me through everything,” Addison said. “I don’t know if I’d be the same person if I wasn’t playing with them. At state last year, they were always there for me.
“I keep playing because I want to prove to myself I can do anything anyone else can. Even if I mess up, I know my best friends will always be there for me. I’m happy I’m able to forge those friendships.”
Inspiring others
She has never played with or against another athlete with a prosthetic leg. No statistics show exactly how many amputees are currently playing youth sports, though children with disabilities are four times less likely to participate in physical activity, according to a 2021 study by the American College of Sports Medicine.
Addison hopes her story will inspire others in the same position. Her dad thinks she’s already doing that.
“We’re super proud of her and we’ve always tried to support her in everything she wants to do, and not give her a reason to think she can’t do something,” Ryan said. “We’ve never used the word disabled in our house. Ever.”
Addison hopes she can lay the building blocks for others who come after her to realize they can also persevere past their limitations in life — and use them as tools to become a better person.
“I would just say that you can do anything you put your mind to,” Addison said. “If you work hard and don’t let the negative thoughts get to you, anything is possible. Obviously, there’s going to be ups and downs, but just don’t let that stuff get to you.”
