Hold the Rope

“When you can look at every member on your team and say to yourself that they would all hold the rope, you are destined to win a lot of lacrosse games.”  (Hold the Rope Poem- Anonymous)*.

‘Holding the Rope’ has great significance because it is the final component to making this season the best in program history.  If we do this one thing, we have all that we need to be a winning team. 'Holding the Rope' means that we are all on the same page when it comes to the amount of work that we put in. 'Holding the Rope' is about being a family and being there for each other. It is more than just working hard but it is that place deep within yourself where you remember that it is not just about you, but it is about the whole unit, the nineteen other teammates that are right alongside you. 'Holding the Rope' is for them, it is a way of remembering that you will hold it for them and that they will hold it for you. It’s a form of trust, respect and integrity.

As a team bonding exercise we all explained to one another what holding the rope means to each of us. Here are a few teammates quotes from our bonding exercise.

Erin Campbell 17’ explained what ‘Holding the Rope’ means to her, “During running, if I feel like slowing down, I say to myself ‘hold the rope.’”  This means to not give up and push through whatever tasks we are given, because we know it is about more than just us as individuals.”

           

“This team is my family away from home.  It is as if I have a family on campus, which is very important to me,” says Ebie Lowery 17’during one of our team bonding nights; and she is completely right. 

 “Holding the rope is a way of life for our team. I would do absolutely anything for these girls because they are my sisters,” says Ashley Edwards 14’, a senior captain. 

Each of us has an actual piece of rope that we wear on our bags and on our sticks to remind us daily of 'Holding the Rope'. We want to be there for one another through it all and we want to live out ‘Holding the Rope’ for one another. When a teammate earns an A on a Chemistry test, we are just as excited as they are. When a teammate is having a hard time at home, we are all there for her with whatever she may need, whether it’s driving her home or just being a shoulder to cry on.

We have such high expectations for this season and we know that every single person on this team is going work as hard as they can to make this team successful because we are all holding the rope. 'Holding the Rope' is when you can say that every member of this team will not let you fall off the ledge and we believe that every member is willing to hold that rope through it all. 'Holding the Rope' is more than a phrase it’s a way we live out being a family. 

*“Hold the Rope” is a poem that was written by an anonymous author. We do not claim ownership for writing this poem as it is just a poem we use for team encouragement.

Randolph Lax Gives Back!

This past Sunday, our team helped out a local private school town, the Virginia Episcopal School for their event Lax for Alzheimer’s Play Day. The head girl’s lacrosse team for VES, Justine Button, organized this event for middle school and high school girl’s lacrosse teams to play at.  Some teams came from an hour and a half away to participate in this day so we were very excited to work with them.

The first horn was blown at 12:30pm to kick start this amazing day off.  Throughout the day there were four games that play at a time; each lasting for 20 minutes. During these games, our jobs were to coach, ref, and cheer on the girls.  One of our favorite parts of the day was coaching because we really got to connect with the girls and answer their questions, as they were willing to learn and improve.  

One of our seniors, Nushaa Kaz ‘14, has coached some of these girls before on the JAB club team and was great with them at this play day. In her own words, “Coaching for JAB is always a blast; from the great energy the girls bring on the field to how excited they are just to be playing that day. They always work so hard and show such a passion for lacrosse, even the little ones, it just makes it an overall enjoyable time for all of us. Even being able to just catch up with them and see what they have been up to, and see how much they are growing on and off the field is a great reason to participate in this activity.”

Besides coaching, some of our teammates got to referee games.  It was a great experience for us because they had official referees there to correct us.  This will help us with our own game of college lacrosse because it allowed us to see the game from a different perspective.  

At the end of the day a few of our players held a clinic with our coaches, Coach Wagner and Coach Windsor.  We did a shooting drill and a 2 vs. 2 drill as well as our favorite one, box drill.  This enabled us to work one on one with the girls and help them work on things that they individually needed improvement on.  This also gave the girls an opportunity to ask questions, which they had plenty of.

Overall, we had a great time.  Not only was it great team bonding, but we got to help our community and support a great cause.  We look forward to doing it again next year along with holding our own Fall Classic on November 3^{rd *}.  We hope to see some of you out there for that!

 *If you are interested in attending the 2013 Fall Classic, please contact Coach Wagner at awagner@randolphcollege.edu*

1st Ever Legacy

Growing up listening to my mother’s stories of her years at Randolph Macon Woman’s College, I always pictured myself attending Randolph, but I never dreamed I could play lacrosse here. Back when my mother attended, sports were not that big of a deal at RMWC – I do not think there was even a lacrosse team! Thankfully, sports have now become a major part of life at Randolph, and Coach Wagner has built a fantastic lacrosse program. I have loved and played lacrosse for seven years, but I had never thought I would actually be able to play in college. To my delight and surprise, Coach Wagner and the team were extremely welcoming and encouraging. I am thrilled to be able to play for the Wildcats!

Despite my excitement, I was still quite nervous coming into the fall preseason. Having, obviously, never played at the college level, I was not sure if I could handle the intensity and balance lacrosse with my academics. But my fears were quickly calmed once the other first-years and I bonded with the team and got into the swing of things. After four weeks of practice I felt prepared (though still a bit anxious) for our fall ball play day. Despite the multiple injuries we suffered, I felt the play day and entire fall season went extremely well. We laid a good foundation upon which I am excited to build during our regular season next semester. Lacrosse is such a big part of my life here, and I could not have asked for a better group of teammates and coaches. I am honored to play lacrosse for my mother’s alma mater.

-Sara Woodward '16

Coaching at the 2nd Annual Fall Classic

It was a gorgeous November day, and I couldn’t help but think how lucky we were to be having a play day tournament in the afternoon. The Randolph Women’s Lacrosse team had hosted two get together last year that were a huge success; so everyone wanted to keep up that tradition.

Our team met for brunch earlier in the day, and as coach assigned everyone jobs, we all talked and made plans for the next few upcoming hours. I was given the position of being in charge of one of the middle school teams as a coach along with two of my teammates, Nushaa and Melanie. However, some of us were assigned roles as referees, as concession venders, or as workers to help the players sign in.  As the younger girls began to arrive, everyone seemed to be anxious to start the day dedicated to the sport we all love.

By 12:30 everything was in full swing. Games were being played and parents were cheering on their children while we made sure everyone was having a good time. There was even a stick-trick competition for the younger girls with prizes for the top three competitors!  As the day came to a close, each team choose about three or four girls to play in an All-Start game which was held at the very end of the tournament.  Once the horn blew to signify the end of that game, we said our goodbyes to the visiting players; all who promised to attend our next clinic as well.

                              Me with my AMAZING JAB Middle School Team

All in all, the day took a lot out of us; from running around, coaching, refereeing, and making sure everyone was having a wonderful experience. Yet, although we were physically weary, we were overjoyed that we hosted a tournament that was a huge success. And that was the most important feeling of all. I can’t wait until we host another play day next semester; and I know my teammates feel the same way!

Samantha Fagone '15

FALL BALL FROM A FIRST YEARS EYES

As two of the five first year players on the Woman’s Lacrosse team at Randolph College, we, Carrie McCane and Taylor Riccardi, described the 2012 fall ball season as a success! Being first years, the nerves one feels before their first college game are like no other. Four short weeks of practice had all come down to this. Knowing that the you’re up against is a division one club, a division two team, and two strong division three teams made us more up for the challenege of the day. Our coach, as well as, our teammates had warned us about the size of other teams, but actually seeing and playing against them was shocking. :)

All of that stress and anxiety had vanished when I stepped onto that turf. As the whistle blew, every fear had faded away. We were in the zone. Of course I still felt the pressures of impressing my teammates and making Coach Wagner proud, but the overall experience of my first college game was amazing. It was terrifying and exhilarating and everything I hoped it would be.

Despite having three injured teammates, for us it was a learning experience. I was able to see where my weaknesses were as well as what work I need to put in during the off season. I was about to see how the team works together and what I need to do on a personal level in order to play to my best ability with my teammates.

Fall ball allowed me to dip my toes in the water of college lacrosse in a more relaxed setting. I also think that the experience showed me the importance of putting time into the sport we love. My favorite part of the entire fall ball process was growing as a family with my team.

Coach Wagner is always talking about how tight we are but actually playing through the four week season you get to experience it firsthand, how much we are a family not only on the field but also off. You get a preview of what the season has to offer. Fall ball opens your eyes to how your teammates play, how your coaches coach, and how much work you as a player need to put into your game. We are both VERY excited for an amazing 2013 season this spring!


-Carrie McCaine '16 & Taylor Riccardi '16

2012-2013 Randolph College Women's Lacrosse Team

Missing: Ashley Stevens & Sarah Reed

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