Every basketball coach says it.

“Talk out there.”

It's important for players to communicate on the court. Call out picks, set up plays, yell for the ball - basketball isn't a quiet sport.

But for Southern Cayuga's Rose Mandel, talking isn't always easy.

The junior is rebounding from two throat surgeries to correct a breathing problem. While she's on her way to a successful recovery, Mandel has limited speech.

“(After the first surgery) I was unable to breath very well,” Mandel said. “My air wave was closed a third of the way it should be and we were unaware why. My second surgery, my intubation paralyzed my throat and vocal cords.”

But Mandel soon returned to practice with the Chiefs. She's had to adjust to a lack of breath, but she's doing just that - adjusting.

“We have little signals she does if she feels out of breath,” Chiefs coach Ed Heslop said. “You don't screw around with breathing.”

Mandel has already played in a few games this season, and Heslop expects she'll be a significant contributor once she's back at 100 percent.

“She will make us a better team this year,” Heslop said,

To improve her breathing and her stamina, Mandel has been spending extra time in the weight room, while also trying to stay in the team's scrimmages as long as possible.

“Mentally, I just keep telling myself it will happen, it just takes time,'” she said.

Mandel was first introduced to basketball through her friends in sixth grade. Since then, she's been involved with several AAU teams while playing basketball at school.

“I just really enjoyed the game,” she said. “I had a lot of good coaches that taught me things to make me better.”

And her current varsity coach couldn't ask for a better team player.

“She will be fully contributing for us next year,” Heslop said. “She's a great kid, comes from a great family, is a hard worker and athletic.”

Both sides are currently trying to learn everything that is involved with the surgery to further the recovery process.

“She seems to be getting better,” Heslop said. “Sometimes she's not tired, but just out of breath. We're all trying to learn this.”

With nine players on their roster, Southern Cayuga's team chemistry is strong on and off the court. And Mandel is a big part of that.

“She fits right in for us,” Heslop said. “Whether she's on the bench or court, she's always cheering her teammates on and pushing them. She leads by example.”

Heading into the season, Mandel's goal was to be able to play a normal amount of time without experiencing any troubles, but that hasn't been the case so far.

“I'm not at all close to where I wanted to be at this point,” she said. “Nor do I know if I will reach that this year.”

Whether it be this year or next, Southern Cayuga knows that Mandel will be a big part of its basketball success.

“We'll be a better team with her healthy,” Heslop said.