While playing at Nation United’s 2020 Summit games at the US Lacrosse Headquarters last month, I was asked a pretty simple question by my opponent, “What even is this team?” Without going into too much detail, I responded, “It’s a mix of girls from different club teams playing as one to promote diversity in the sport of lacrosse.”
Although what I said was true, Nations United is so much more than that! [Last month], I was welcomed into a sisterhood. For the first time, I was a part of a team where I can look to my left and right and see girls who look like me; I can look to the sidelines and see coaches that look like me. This is something very uncommon in the lacrosse world, but it is particularly important. [Last month], we made a statement and will continue to do so as ambassadors of the game. Our goal is to welcome minorities into the sport and show them that lacrosse is for everyone, although it may not seem that way.
We started off the weekend with the much-anticipated gear drop. We walked into the conference room and found our name cards. In front of the name cards were our brand-new Nike uniform, t-shirt, hat, warm up long-sleeve, itinerary, and a white cardstock paper titled “Strength in the Sisterhood.” Our remarkable coaches Artie West and Jenny Vela emphasized from the first day that the importance of the weekend was not to just play lacrosse but to build the sisterhood and embrace each other as strong minority women in the sport of lacrosse. During this meeting we met our new sisters—some coming from as far as Tennessee, Georgia, and California. We finished the night pumped to play the next day and change the game together.
The next day was an early morning. We got dressed, grabbed some breakfast, and headed to the field for our 8:30am session. We started the day with your basic warm up and stick skills. Then we got into up-field transition passing, 4v3s, and finished with a scrimmage. This was the first time most of us had played together, but everyone was focused on playing FOR each other. What may have seemed like simple lacrosse drills was accentuated by the atmosphere with the clinks of sticks and encouraging “YEAAAA nice shot!,” or “You got it! Stay with!” From the start, Nations created a welcoming environment which was evident on and off the field.
(Photo Courtesy: Nation United)
After leaving our first session, we headed to a Mental Fitness workshop hosted by Dr. Jenkins, a Sport Psychologist. He broke down a high-performance pyramid and explained the importance of not only being physically fit but mentally fit. In these times, mental health is something very serious and cannot be ignored. Nations has provided all its players with the resources to support our mental wellness to be the best athletes we can be.
Following this workshop, we had lunch and then got into our community service project. As ambassadors, our goal is not only to make our sport better but to make our world better. We formed groups according to where we’re from and began brainstorming ideas to help our communities. My group decided to hold a sports gear drive in each of our locations and then host a free clinic with the gear we collected. We want those who don’t have the opportunity to play lacrosse financially or because of their location to get the chance to play for free. We even thought of making it Halloween-themed and having a costume contest just to put some extra smiles on the kids’ faces.
We headed back to the field for a 2:00pm session coached by two special guests: Megan Douty and Gussie Johns, who are both on the U.S. women’s national team. They shared a few new drills and insightful feedback to help us improve individually and as a team. They are great players to look up to and it was a pleasure to be coached by them.
Around 5:00pm, we finished our community service ideas and had a recruiting talk. We then had dinner and were able to mingle with our new teammates.
Following dinner, we had a roundtable discussion on diversity and inclusion in lacrosse. The discussion was filled with firsthand experiences that were honestly heartbreaking; stories where white friends demoralized our blackness and instances where we became the spokesperson for all minorities due to being the only minority on our team or in a classroom. We shared our concerns with the current state of our world and discussed what we can do to make it better. We discussed how to approach these situations and educate instead of arguing. Those who were not minorities in the room expressed how they can be an ally and help us voice our message. This discussion brought us all closer together on a level that none of our other lacrosse teams have achieved. Jenny and Artie showed their support and made us all aware they would be there for us in a way other coaches may not have been.
(Photo Courtesy: Nation United)
The next morning was our last day but most importantly, game day. We got to the field, warmed up, and then it was go time! We played our first game against East Coast Select; final score, 12-0. There were some beautiful transitions and strong shot selections. The second game was against Big 4HHH and was well-fought, but ended in a tie 7-7.
These games were not about wins and losses. Nations United was broadcasted all over social media. We showed everyone that we are strong minority women, and we can play, and we play hard! A team where the minority are the majority made a statement and we will continue to change the game.
The weekend was unbelievable! I was inspired by all the women around me to be better on and off the field. We were all brought together by lacrosse, but connected on so many other levels. From community service to diversifying the game, this sisterhood will be the positive change we see in this world. Thank you for this amazing weekend and giving me the platform to educate and inspire others. Go Nation!
