COVID-19 will not break us, Issue 19

Molly Gilbert, Mullen Junior
Molly Gilbert plays attack in lacrosse, so she’s doing the same thing during this difficult and unprecedented time. Her spring season lasted not much more than a week, but as the Mustangs junior outlines in her Mullen Today Unordinary Times offering, she’s feeling for those who lost their seasons, turning season-enders into positives and relying on her Mustangs lacrosse team to help get stronger for the future in the face of the pandemic.  
 
The Mullen girls lacrosse 2020 season is defined by eight days: two days of tryouts and six days of practice (including a scrimmage). This is not the end to my 2020 athletic and academic year I expected.
It's not the end that anyone was expecting.

My heart feels for athletes whose summer seasons have already been cancelled, especially those going through the commitment process.

Although this season has come to an abrupt and unexpected end, a strange disease will not stop my commitment to my lacrosse family. Athletes around the world have had their seasons shattered and stolen from them. However, commitment to one's team never falters. We can utilize the time we have today to get better for those with whom we surround ourselves. We can utilize this time to get better physically and mentally.

Last season, the Mullen girls  lacrosse team made it to the second round of (the Class 5A) playoffs, where we lost to Cherry Creek. It was a harsh defeat. Losing is never a good feeling. It was the feeling of effort, sweat, blood and commitment ending. A season ending closes many doors. It changes teammates and daily regimes, but most important, is the indication that there is the opportunity to look forward to a new season.

Although a season ending closes doors, it opens many as well. I am grateful to have been a part of such a wonderful program, team and family. The end of our 2019 season is not a negative connotation. It was the celebration of a successful season with coaches and teammates who will have forever shaped my future with lacrosse and my future as a person.

This is the same with the end of the 2020 season. It is the celebration of hard work and commitment that we have all put into the team. For many, the end of this season is matched with excitement for next season, and this summer season. Although out-of-state tournaments are cancelled for the summer season, my commitment to my Mullen lacrosse team and club team will not waiver.

I feel for athletes who are not yet committed and have the added stress of recruiting placed on their shoulders. But the abundance of time that we are surrounded with right now is a gift. It allows us to put ourselves first and with the opportunity to better ourselves. I am grateful to have been able to better myself mentally and physically during this time.

I also am grateful for all the support that my Mullen lacrosse family and teammates have received during this unprecedented time. Although the coronavirus (COVID-19) is affecting the way we live our daily lives, it is not affecting our values or commitments. We are going to be a part of history. COVID-19 will not break us, but only bring us closer together. Just like muscles, we will tear and break down, but in the end we will repair and get stronger.
COVID-19 is yet another opportunity for us to get stronger for each other.
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