By Maggie Hammer, Grand Valley State University 2023 @GVSUWLAX I never thought I would be able to graduate college. My freshman year at Grand Valley State University consisted of frequent visits to my coach’s office, generally with tears flowing down my face. I didn’t think that I could do it. It’s painful but also gratifying… Read More The Lasting Impact of Lacrosse
By Nicholle Marshall, James Madison University ‘24 On Wednesday, October 12 at Sentara Park, two rival teams, James Madison University (JMU) and the University of Virginia (UVA), came together for something greater than just a lacrosse game – we came together to break the mental health stigma by playing in honor of Morgan Rodgers and in support of Morgan’s Message. You might… Read More Fighting the Stigma of Mental Health
By Mike Lee Hairston, Virginia Wesleyan University ‘21 My name is Mike, I’m a goalie and I’m transgender. I know there are so many other players who’ve had or are having similar experiences as me. My story is important because it inspired one of the young women I coach to speak at a school board… Read More Finding the Medicine Again
By Brittany Hartmann, Head Coach, Pacific University @PacificLax Just Some Love and Support Fall 2018. It is the end of week one at my new position and the nerves are finally wearing off. I don’t have to pinch myself to prove that it is real. I am back at my alma mater, working two full-time… Read More Just Some Love and Support
By Abby Wolk, Wesleyan University ‘22 Anxiety and trauma have no hierarchy. Everyone is entitled to both their feelings and the help and space to manage them. Unfortunately, not everyone has the support they need. I’m lucky – I did and do. In August of 2018, I arrived on Wesleyan University’s campus excited at the… Read More Persevering Through Trauma
By Paxton Boyer, Head Coach, Alderson Broaddus University @ABWLacrosse When you tell someone that you are a collegiate lacrosse coach, they almost always think that you just coach and that’s it – blow the whistle, and then go home. No one outside of the coaching community understands the stress, excitement, frustration, and everything else that… Read More A Young Coaches’ Perspective: What They Don’t Tell You About Coaching
By Taylor Sindall, Head Coach, Frostburg State University @FrostburgWLax I was extremely fortunate to be offered my very first collegiate head coaching job last summer in the midst of the global pandemic that we have all come to despise, COVID-19. I had so many plans, ideas, implementations, etc. and absolutely could not wait to get… Read More Learning and Growing Through a Pandemic
By Julie D’Esposito, Assistant Coach, Haverford College @HCFords_WLax Eight months ago, my life came crashing down. I lost one thing after the next, all within months. The pandemic this past year was obviously challenging for everyone in many different ways. While I was fortunate enough to keep my job, working from home and not being… Read More How Coaching Saved My Life
By Brittany Bill, James Madison University ‘22 EDITOR’S NOTE: This entry was written as James Madison University was engaged in raising awareness regarding mental health issues. The team supports Morgan’s Message, an organization that works to “eliminate the stigma surrounding mental health within the student-athlete community and equalize the treatment of physical and mental health in athletics,’ the… Read More Emerging From the Dark
By Megan Whittle, Assistant Coach, Stanford University @StanfordWLax “And be sure to keep your light bright and shining – you never know just how many people you may be a lighthouse for. You never know how many people find their way home, even in the wildest storms, because you are there.” – Cleo Wade Within… Read More Mental Health and Vulnerability – Finding Inspiration in the Midst of a Pandemic
BEHIND THE WHISTLE 