Long Live

The first time I stepped onto the field hockey field as a Hendrix Warrior, I was nervous, unsure, and maybe a little scared. Surely, I could never love a team the way I loved my high school time, and what's more, what exactly was I doing playing college field hockey? Oh yes, I was excited and ready to play, but I was quite certain that this was one of the more risky decisions I had made in my life.

The heat stuck to my face unyieldingly, the running workouts during pre-season were pretty miserable, and I was tired, exhausted, and living and breathing field hockey.

I wasn't sure if my new teammates would like me—I even let Katie call me Hannah for a week—and I didn't know if I was good enough.

And yet, I loved it. We lost 16 games that first season, and God love us, we only scored one goal the entire time.

The last time I stepped onto the field hockey field as a Hendrix Warrior, was today. In between that disgustingly hot August pre-season back in 2007, to the cold and icy morning of November 2010 of post-season hockey, something happened.

We came together, we fell apart, we cheered, we cried, we celebrated, we lost, we won, we wanted to quit, we wanted to win the SCAC championship, and finally, we wanted to play for each other. We made a team. It's the love we have for each other and for our team that made this happen. It has been a ride full of questions, challenges, and difficulties. When I take a minute to reflect, I wonder how in the world we got to this point. So many times we struggled. I suppose this is the nature of any team, but especially a team that is new, a team that had no foundation.

Still, with the struggles, we are here. We beat Sewanee yesterday in overtime. Down 3-1 with 20 minutes to play, the game could have been easily over. We could have called it quits, given up, packed our bags, and geared up for the long trip home to Arkansas. We dug deep, however, and clawed our way back. Next thing we knew, we were headed into overtime. When Kelly knocked in that final goal to give us a victory, I was so happy. We gathered together on the field, embracing each other, screaming. We were so happy. We loudly yelled our cheer, "It's not about you, it's not about me, it's about the team," with the parents and fans present with us in Indiana, and it was a beautiful moment. We will all carry that with us that forever.

That's what this season has been all about. We have been having moments where we just take a step back and realize that this is why we play. This is why I run the extra sprint, this is why I train all summer, this is why I fall down and get back up, this is why we stick around even when all we want to do is leave.

The win at Bellarmine, the comeback against DePauw, the 1-0 win over Sewanee at home, and finally the overtime win against Sewanee this weekend. There's a lot more too; the great moments in between. The practices, the bus rides, the travel. Everything. It's a part of the experience, and I know at this time, I would trade nothing in the world for it.

So now, we are riding home, and my time as a Hendrix Warrior is over, along with 7 other seniors whom I have come to know and love dearly.

Endings are new beginnings. I wrote that beside the leaves I gave each of the girls before this weekend, and it's true. I believe in it. As hard as this is going to be, I know that the team is going in a good direction. It's extraordinarily humbling and satisfying to know that we helped start and bring this program to the level it is now, and I'm grateful for the experience. I will cherish these times forever, I will miss it, but I will always love it. And, we will always be Hendrix Warriors, I think.

Here's to 4 incredible years of Hendrix Field Hockey. Long live.

 

Long live the walls we crashed through

Long live all the magic we made

Long live all the mountains we moved

I had the time of my life

Fighting dragons with you

I was screaming long live

That look on your face

Bring on all the pretenders.

I'm not afraid

One day

We will be remembered.

--Taylor Swift, "Long Live"