Mia Galella is a special talent, a 2025 first baseman and power hitter who is committed to Boston College. When I last ranked the 2025 class, she was in the Top 25 overall and came in at No. 3 at her position.

Mia was also selected as a high school All-American last year for her tremendous season at Holy Cross (Dunmore, Penn.) High team when she batted .480 with an incredible .708 on-base percentage thanks in large part to 42 walks… most of them intentional! The slugger hit 10 home runs and, impressively, had 33 steals.

But this year, Mia—who has crushed pitches with distances over 300 feet—hasn’t been able to match her previous numbers for a simple reason: she’s been sidelined with a torn UCL (Ulnar Collateral Ligament (UCL) injury) on the inside of her right elbow.

Fortunately, as Mia says:

“It was a successful one.”

The 5-foot-9 standout who plays club ball for the Virginia Glory National – Willemssen travel team had her surgery yesterday and shares her experiences pre- and post-surgery with Line Drive Softball with the desire to education and inspire other athletes who must go through the injury process including rehab.

“I feel like this is something I have to do,” Mia begins, “for younger players, especially, when they get injured. I’ve been through it all and really feel so much stronger. I am able to deal with adversity so much better now.”

Mia is writing a three-part blog to chronicle her experiences and share what she’s gone—and going—through.

*****

Operation “One Day Forward”

A few months ago, at the beginning of my school ball season, I had a sore arm.

I continued to work through the pain and didn’t think much of it. After I played a few games, the pain continued to worsen, but I still continued to put my work in with my own individual throwing program, along with school practices and games.

Then during the game, my arm just gave out… it couldn’t take anymore. I went to the doctor the next day and he did an ultrasound which showed a torn Ulnar Collateral Ligament of my elbow. He prescribed an MRI which confirmed that I did have a torn UCL and I ended up being shut down for the remainder of the season.

I went to one orthopedic specialist who attempted to do a non-surgical treatment plan, which did not work. 

Then the best thing happened.

A friend of my dad, whose son plays baseball in college, tore his UCL two years ago. He had something called an internal brace procedure, which no one in my family has ever heard of nor anyone we know, for that matter.

He recommended the New York Yankees surgeon, Dr. Christopher Ahmad, in New York. The minute I met Dr. Ahmad I knew I was in the best hands possible.

He did my surgery this week, Wednesday, June 26, 2024, and was able to do a UCL repair which is the internal brace procedure and not a Tommy John reconstruction. The thing with this procedure is certain criteria needs to be met like having a healthy existing UCL and the tear need to occur at the end where the ligament meets the bone, which is where mine was.

This was the best news I could receive, and my surgery ended up being a successful one. Dr. Ahmad told me I would return to play at 110 percent after I follow all the protocols with my recovery plan.

I know I have a road ahead of me, but I do see the light at the end of the tunnel which in approximately six months I will be at full return to play mode. 

Six months, however, for players like me seems like an eternity, especially not being able to play with my team this summer and watching them on live stream. I could’ve easily just felt sorry for myself, but that’s a choice which I was not willing to make.

The choice I made is to take a “One Day Forward” approach to my recovery, and I want to show to especially young athletes how sustaining an injury is not the end. It’s how you pick yourself up after being knocked down. 

This will be all about my mental toughness, my mindset, and how I deal with this particular adversity.

It will be a one day at a time approach because I know this road will not be such as simple one.

That is why I am naming this journey back “Operation One Day Forward”. Each day forward will bring me closer to the end of this tunnel and I cannot wait to see that light burning bright.

This is Part 1 of Operation One Day Forward… stay tuned!

— Mia Galella/2025 Boston College commit