We Are Survivors!

The Randolph College women's lacrosse team has been through a lot over the past three seasons. But they're not gonna talk about it over the internet...because they're better than that. One beautiful afternoon in September, as a team bonding activity, the women's laxers took to WildCat Stadium to make a music video about a song that shows that they're still here, and they're survivors. Wishing them the best, because their mamas taught them better than that! I'm a survivor.

European Adventure

Coach Alexis Wagner, Ashley Edwards, Courtney Kellogg, Coach Sue Ketcham

After meeting at the airport in Newark, New Jersey, we started a ten-day adventure that would end with eleven new friendships for the both of us and an experience that I will keep for a lifetime. Our first stop was Edinburg, Scotland. We tried not to waste our time doing that thing people call sleep, so we toured as much of Edinburg as we could starting the minute we stepped off the plane. Despite the jet lag, I couldn’t help but become instantaneously awed by the extravagant castles and vintage architecture throughout Scotland. We stayed in a relatively nice youth hostel that was located right in the middle of the city which was perfect for us because we could see different parts of the city without having to worry about transportation. We got to experience the nightlife and create lots of memories. The coolest thing about the trip was that we were able to tour a foreign country and play lacrosse at the same time. At dinner one night, we pointed out that even though we had only known each other for a couple of days, it felt as though we had been teammates for years. We all clicked from the very beginning, which could be seen by the way we were playing. It was great for us to be able to play with girls from different Divisions to see their playing styles. I’ve always heard that travelling really brings people together but now I can be a testament to that.

England was the second stop on our trip and we played a game on the day we got there and we played in a tournament the next day. Our first game was a bit tough because we got right off the bus and played before we even went anywhere else. We didn’t have refs so the coaches took out their whistles and stepped on the field. We struggled to come into our own that day but we made up for it in the tournament. One of my favorite parts about England was our tournament in Liverpool. We ended up winning two and losing two but we managed to have some fun while doing it. We really lucked out with the weather during our whole trip (with the exception of our first day in Scotland) and we played in exceptionally beautiful weather for this tournament. We played against some really great athletes here and we quickly noticed that we had to adapt to their style of play because it was a lot more physical than in the states. The referees really let us play and tried to call only the most obvious fouls. This was good but it also had a downside because we’re so used to playing in a completely different fashion that it took us a game or so to adjust. The tournament was an all day affair but we walked away with a medal. We were able to have refreshments with some of the other teams at the conclusion of the games. It’s customary in Europe to trade gifts with the other team after the game, during the refreshment period, which I thought was unique. It was nice to be able to chat with some of the other girls and learn a little more about the country. Everyone was super friendly! Some of the refreshment choices were a bit odd to me because I was looking to chug a glass of water but there were only sodas and juice available! We were also able to tour the Manchester City soccer stadium on our last day in England, which was an awesome experience. We got to sit in the coaches’ seats in the front row of the stands and we went into the players’ locker room. England is where we played the most so we kind of took it easy the rest of the time and just enjoyed being there.

I’ve always wanted to go to Europe, but I never imagined that I would be able to play lacrosse on a U.S team over there. Traveling to Scotland and England was amazing, but it was Ireland that I completely fell in love with. The fact that I got to go with one of my best friends made the trip even better. There were thirteen of us from all across the country and we all became close extremely fast. I’m so glad I had the opportunity to go on this trip, not only because I love lacrosse, but because of the eleven new friends I made. I will always have a connection with these girls because we shared this amazing experience. From the moment we landed in Scotland, we became friends and instantly got along. Ireland was our last stop on the trip and we only had one game. We definitely ended on a high note and beat the Irish national team. After each game we played, we exchanged gifts with the other team. We also celebrated after the game with food and drinks. The teams were very friendly, sociable, and they always thanked us for traveling over there to play them. In the UK and Ireland, the refs definitely were not as strict as they are in America. They let us play and they rarely called the whistle. It was interesting to see and it was a nice change. Most of the girls didn’t even wear goggles. I have loved lacrosse from the moment I picked up a stick in seventh grade and I love it even more now after playing overseas.

We played eight games in a matter of ten days, but lacrosse isn’t the only thing we did. In each country we were lucky to have free time and in Ireland we got to go to the Guinness factory. We toured the entire factory and the last stop led us to a glass terrace with the most spectacular view I’ve ever seen. We could see the entire city of Dublin and it was beautiful. Aside from playing lacrosse this was my favorite part of the entire trip.

- Ashley Edwards and Courtney Kellogg