Missing Lacrosse
Jaylin Rodriguez is 12 years old and has been with Bronx Lacrosse for over a year.
Lacrosse is a major part of my life. During my time at Bronx Lacrosse, I have created many memories with my teammates and made great friends. I have improved my skills and physical strength. But sadly our season was cancelled because of COVID-19. The things I miss the most are practicing, working out in the dance studio, and team study hall sessions. Another thing I miss is our trips on weekends. We had many trips planned to different places this spring, like The Harvey School in Connecticut and tournaments in different parts of New York. In addition, this summer, we were supposed to attend Mullaly Park camps and the Adirondack Overnight Camp. Unfortunately, we won’t be attending them this year!
I had many hopes for our team this season. One of my hopes was to win more games than we did last year. I noticed a great amount of potential in our team this year because everyone improved in many ways. During scrimmages and at practices, I saw how much effort my teammates were putting into getting better. In my opinion, our defense improved so much! Another one of my hopes was to reach the championships and play at Fordham University. Last year, we got the chance to see the Highbridge Green girls and boys teams win the titles, and that was so motivating to me. I just wished that my team and I would make it this year and win. I guess we won’t have our wish come true. But that has not stopped me--I know that next year we can go for it.
During quarantine, I’ve been finding many different ways to stay positive and invested in the game of lacrosse. One of the things I’ve been doing is completing all of the weekly workouts posted on the Bronx Lacrosse Instagram page. Also, I’ve been attending all of my weekly video conference calls. I enjoy seeing my coaches and teammates, even if it is by google meets. On Mondays, I have a group call with Coach Mitchell and fellow 6th-grade teammates. On Tuesdays, I have Camille, my High School Buddy. She helps me with my school work and we talk about lacrosse and my future goals. On Wednesdays, I have an individual meeting with Coach Mitchell. On Fridays, we have guest speakers. It’s exciting because every week it’s a new person. The guest speakers that I enjoyed meeting the most were members of the Manhattan College Women’s lacrosse team. Sometimes when the weather is nice and warm, I like to grab my stick and lacrosse ball, and I play wall ball in my backyard. I show my family members how to play. Well, they try. But it helps me stay motivated and keeps working hard.