First Loves

Tonight I spent time with one of my first loves. It was only a half an hour, but that was enough to fall in love all over again. The memories were fresh and so was the passion.

Mr. Ross was there and not jealous at all. He loved seeing me so happy.

Its been years since I've played in a game, but it still felt good to strap on my goggles, toss in my mouth guard, and hold my beautiful lacrosse stick. I will always love lacrosse.

As a senior in high school, one of my friends convinced me to try out for the new Riverton lacrosse team. I then convinced my best friend, Britany and my sister Sydney to try out too. Oh how I wish I had found lacrosse sooner! We had a blast that year and many tears were shed when it came to an end. I love the relationships you can build when you are part of a team. I can't wait for my kids to grow up and find their passions so I can be there to cheer them on and support them. And so they can create lasting memories.

As I graduated high school and moved to Logan to attend Utah State University, I found their club lacrosse team and quickly joined. I was disappointed in the lack of commitment I found from my team mates and it wasn't long before the team dissolved. Lucky for me, Logan high school was looking for a coach to start a girls lacrosse team, and my club coach thought I'd be great for the job. As a new team, it was hard to fill the roster, many girls were interested but when they found out what an expensive sport it is to start, it was hard to keep them interested. But we got enough to girls to get by. I'll admit that it was hard to see the bright side when other teams would cream us, but as I focused on stats and the immense improvement each game, I found joy in watching these girls grow. I can still remember myself jumping up and down on the sidelines as we scored the first goal of a game and were "winning" for even a short period of time. I can see the picture of myself and my team as we couldn't stop smiling the first time we actually won a game. I loved being a part of those girls lives. Just this last summer I got to go to a lacrosse reunion for my Logan team and it was fun to see where these girls, now ladies, have taken their lives.

Though I no longer coach or regularly play, the legacy lives on. Each of my three younger sisters played lacrosse through high school and my youngest sister Charley is now playing for UVU. I love to watch my sisters play. I love when we get to toss out in our parents' front yard. I love when Mr. Ross will toss with me. And I LOVE watching my two year old Ellie run around the yard with my lacrosse stick in hand.

What a beautiful night to fall in love again.

I'd love to hear what you're passionate about!