I am a love child of the Power Five (now Power Four -- RIP Pac 12) and DII. I grew up in the backyard of the University of Florida, and my childhood is summarized by the new Netflix series Swamp Kings. I played 4 years at UVA-Wise. I spent summers in college interning at Virginia Tech and now serve as an Assistant Director at the University of Maryland. Maybe sports have always been in me but they've abolutely always been around me and I wouldn't have it any other way. I played everything -- softball, flag football, soccer, volleyball and if I wasn't on an official team I was running to join the game at recess.
Ultimately my sports journey led me to lacrosse, when (no surprise here) the University of Florida announced they would be adding the sport. What started as struggling to play catch, led to 1:1 coaching lessons and running training (which I probably could use a refresher in). Middle school games led to high school tryouts. And getting a shot on varsity led to competing at tournaments for my club team. And after the recruiting process came scholarship offers. And after the rings and trophies came a career.
I've said many a time that when people think of me, I hope they think of you (lacrosse, or more generally, sports) too; that will always be my hope. The fact of the matter is, I am the woman I am today because I played sports. In the moment, I never could have guessed all that I would learn about life from playing sports.
I learned to communicate under pressure.
I learned to push myself to get a little better each day.
I learned how to get along with people who couldn't be more different than me.
I learned how to play to my strengths.
I learned how to sacrifice my short-term wants for the long-term goals of a team.
And I learned that the real competition is the person looking back at you in the mirror.
I wish that I could go back to give the young girl who didn't make the middle school volleyball team a hug and whisper in her ear all of the amazing things she would become, all of the feats she would accomplish, and all of the connections she would make along the way.
But I can't do that. I know that doing so would rob her of the agency, independence, and autonomy she so desperately needed to learn on her own. She had to fail to grow into all that she has become. She had to put her blood, sweat, and tears into it. Without it, the story wouldn't be hers.
Without it, the story wouldn't be mine.
I am a girl who played sports and became a woman who leads.
My story is unique, but it is similar to one that I hear from women who dedicated themselves to a sport. How lucky am I to be a part of such an incredible sisterhood of women who pushed their bodies to the limits and came out on the other side better versions of themselves?
We are girls who played sports and became women who lead.
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