To the class of 2005,

By now, two months deep into your new life in the “real world,” you have probably experienced every emotion known to humankind - cocky irreverence, utter loneliness, uncertainty, confidence in your dreams, massive doubt in your dreams, excitement and dread and relief. The list can go on. I assure you, as your life begins to truly take form, those emotions won’t fade in the coming years. They will, however, become more tolerable.

But as you navigate through all those emotional ups and downs and the realities of life outside college, there is one thing you can still turn to, as least temporarily, to quell those fears and anxieties: Lacrosse.

When I graduated college in 2001, the hardest part about leaving school wasn’t leaving behind the classes, the professors or even the over-all college lifestyle - the hardest part about graduating was leaving lacrosse behind. And there were so many reasons I mourned the end of my lacrosse career, even as it was a less than stellar one.

For one thing, there was the competition. I wasn’t sure where I would be able to find that adrenaline rush again. Elbowing and wrestling people for a spot on a train in the morning during New York City rush hour provides its own kind of rush, but it mainly is just infuriating - far removed from the kind of exhiliration lacrosse provides.

I knew I'd miss the two-hour practices. As grueling as they were at times, those two hours always provided an extended moment to fold all my other responsibilities and comittments away in the back of my mind and just play a sport under the fading Massachusetts sun.  For two hours a day, I didn’t have to be a student, or a girlfriend, or a friend, or a daughter, or a sister, or an employee. I was just a lacrosse player. It's amazing how much I had come to expect that release every day at around 4 o'clock in the afternoon. After having played one sport or another after school for most of my childhood through college, it makes sense that I now start to get fidgety and ansy at my desk at around 3pm. My body is still gearing to run suicides or indian runs in anticipation of an after-school practice that never materializes.

Most importantly, though, I knew I would miss being a part of a team after I graduated. With a team comes a built in circle of support and goofiness. My teammates knew me best in every way because we spent the most time together. We all saw each other at our highest and lowest points and still were able to provide a trail pass on offense and help on defense… in lacrosse and in life.

When I graduated college, I knew it would be the first time in my life I would not be on a sports team, and that scared me.

But, class of 2005, you don’t have to graduate with fear that your lacrosse career is over. Since 2001, the club scene has grown tremendously, and in most of the major cities in the country, you’ll be able to find a team to play on.

Don't get me wrong, it will take time to adjust to your new life as well as your new teammates. And you’ll find that the level of competition may vary from what you’re used to. No one is receiving a scholarship to play and there is no major championship to pursue. The season is more fluid and the practices are probably not as frequent. But you’ll be playing with women who are there for the exact same reason you are. And you’ll find that you’ll be able to rely on lacrosse as something that is always consistent, always there to turn to, during the most inconsistent and tumultuous years of your life.

You have a built in network of women who are also in the process of launching their careers and their lives that need the thrill of sport and the support of a team.