My Perspective: Alexis Brandolini
10/31/2003 | Women's Lacrosse
Oct. 31, 2003
I've thought a lot about how I could possibly sum up so many experiences into a tiny, one-page perspective. The one word, I feel, that really encompasses being an athlete at the University of Richmond is pride.
When I arrived at U of R as a freshman, I felt proud of the accomplishments I'd made to get me to Richmond. I was nervous but ready to show the world why the University of Richmond chose me to represent them as a student-athlete.
As the days of pre-sunrise team lifts and post-sunset practices wore on, I developed a sense of pride in being a part of those moments when a group of people becomes a team. I was proud to be among this group who made me smile during even the most grueling of practices. Proud to wear the red and blue while treading on our opponents' home turf. And proud to be among my teammates - my friends - when my lacrosse-playing career ended at the Atlantic-10 Championships. I want to thank all of my teammates for persevering through the hard times, emerging as even more competitive, more elite, more professional, more caring, and more PROUD to be a lacrosse player for the Richmond Spiders. I also want to thank my coaches, "Coach" and Barb, for providing a goal and a sense that hard work really can pay off. Their knowledge of the game, of managing a team, and their life lessons remain with me each day. Finally, I want to thank the team of people that make up the athletic department, in particular, Jim Miller and David Walsh, for giving the lacrosse team exactly what they deserve - the best. And thanks to our strength coach, Jim Roney, for always pushing our limits beyond what we thought was physically possible.
I urge those of you who are currently amidst life on "Spider Time" to take a minute each day to look around at all the support offered by the unique individuals that make up the athletic department in our Robins Center. The atmosphere has been full of a desire to give student-athletes all they possibly can to help us succeed both on our respective teams and in our lives. I wish the future of Richmond Spiders Lacrosse to always remember where we started - never forgetting those who also had the dream to make a successful program, but never got to enjoy what it's like to really be a winner. And most importantly, always have a passion to play... and then some!