During the warmups of this last ACC game I was overwhelmed, for a few moments, with emotion to the point of tears. Not because of the importance of the game, or the fact I get to compete against some of the top teams in the country, but the remembrance of how this even became possible.
For a couple seconds, which felt like minutes, I saw the choices and sacrifices, the evenings and early mornings, those decisions that made the opportunities even possible. I see the weeks of continual soreness because of the desire to be exactly where I am right now, where I was when those memories flooded my mind before the game… On the way back to Chapel Hill I began to think of this moment as the awareness of “the window.”
I have a deep gratitude for the version of myself who took advantage of those “windows." The decisions made over the weeks and months are what allowed future moments to happen, which led to more opportunities.
James Allen says: “The present moment is the only moment available to us, and it is the door to all moments.”
A truth that is rarely remembered during the times of possibility while growing up, which for athletes is the offseason that must be taken advantage of. Shakespear says it beautifully as well:
“The present time’s so precious, they that waste it are the first to lack it.”
Every player is in a “window” of time, that if taken ahold of with intention, can lead to dreams and desires. However, windows missed are in the past, and potential opportunities are never guaranteed. What I have observed and reflected on as a lacrosse player from Cincinnati is that the summer was exponentially more critical for myself than those playing school lacrosse in Long Island, Baltimore, Virginia, New Jersey, and New England all spring. There is skill development and experience being gained that continues them on a linear path of growth which prepares them for college. On the other hand, there are those who play in the midwest that must take their game to the next level outside of school lacrosse, during the summer and winter, and their growth path looks less linear and more like stairs.
This was the “window” for Harrison and I. Every summer for 10 weeks we gave ourselves to long hours of lacrosse to bridge that gap. Not just on the field, but playing wall ball, and even more importantly, in the weight room.
This is our goal for the Cincinnati Lacrosse Academy over the summer. To bridge the gap, to take the next step, for athletes to become new players. In addition, doing it with others won’t just make it easier, but memorable. These “training camps,” where the focus and effort was unique compared to other months are some of my favorite memories. Harrison and I trained lacrosse with each other, lifted every day with our friend who plays football at OSU (Xavier Johnson) and hit the wall with our two best friends who played D1 soccer.
This is a community, which will be one of the most valuable things we can provide outside of top class coaching and instruction.
The upcoming summer is an incredible “window” to take advantage of. My prayer is for players to have a similar moment of awareness in the future, where they remember what had to be done, and are grateful they decided to answer with a “yes.”
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