Inside Women’s Lacrosse – Duke in the Time of Covid

inside women's lacrosse

During the fall of 2020, most girls on my team would agree that going to practice was the most normal part of our daily routines. While almost all other programs were shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic, here at Duke University operations were being conducted smoothly. Thanks to the Keep Playing protocols put in place for athletes, we were able to get through the fall with only 6 positive COVID cases throughout the entire athletic department.

In the fall of 2020, fall athletes participated in daily COVID testing. Spring athletes were tested twice a week. Testing consistently allowed the women’s lacrosse program to have the opportunity to keep playing, unmasked, while many other programs shut down. Come spring, all athletes at Duke are being tested daily. This is a privilege that can be granted to students-athletes and has allowed the continued success of the sports programs.

This was not done without sacrifice. Anxieties around COVID run high. Online schooling on top of daily practices is hard as it is and to throw in daily COVID testing, masking and distancing around teammates, and a limited social life, we can all agree that stress, fatigue, and exhaustion are warranted.

What keeps us going?

To me, playing throughout the fall and having the opportunity to finish our 2021 season is a privilege. I think back to early March 2020 when all spring sports came to an end. It was go our year! How could it all just come to an end? Receiving the news of the cancelling of our season was surreal. In a matter of 3 days, I had packed up my apartment and said goodbye to my teammates and coaches. The gut retching feeling of it being ripped away in a matter of days is why I play now with gratitude and heart. I took for granted the days of showing up to practice and assuming I had another. Never again. COVID has shown me to be appreciative of every day and every moment I have with the people around me.

What does playing lacrosse during the time of COVID mean to you?

In their own words, Duke Women’s Lacrosse players reflect on playing at Duke during COVID.

Katie Cosgrove, senior defender

To me, playing lacrosse during COVID has been an outlet. Everyday for 3 hours, nothing else seems to matter. I can just do what I love with my best friends at Duke. We are fortunate enough to go this entire year without any positive tests. I feel extremely fortunate to have this opportunity to #keepplaying when I have many friends at other schools that can’t.

Catrina Barry, senior midfielder

Being a college athlete during the time of COVID has made me realize how grateful I am to have a built in support system of friends who love and care for me. My teammates give me a reason to continue to work day in and day out and I would not have been able to navigate this crazy year without them.

Kay Conway, sophomore defender

For me, COVID has given me a new appreciation for the sport that I love. It is easy to get caught up in the daily grind, but the past year has taught me to never take a moment for granted because it could all be gone tomorrow.

Abby Landry, senior midfielder

Playing lacrosse during COVID makes me feel extremely grateful and lucky to get the opportunity to play the sport I love during such unprecedented times. After our season being canceled so abruptly last year, I have learned to appreciate and cherish each day, practice and games as if it were my last.

Katie Calvo, junior defender

The opportunity to play lacrosse and even attend school in person has given me a newfound appreciation for my teammates. The majority of my teammates live in swift and we occupy an entire hall. I branched out and made more friends on the team. If it weren’t for COVID, I would not have made as close of connections with my teammates.

Hannah Thurston, junior midfielder

Although this year has been challenging in many ways there have been a lot of unexpected silver linings. COVID has forced me to find happiness in small moments, like going on a walk or getting lunch with a friend. I feel very lucky we’ve been able to carry on playing lacrosse this year when so many others have not been. Going to practice is a great distraction from covid-related stress and uncertainty. I am grateful for the people that have made this possible this year.

Anna Callahan, junior attacker

It’s a blessing for us to have this opportunity to be playing

Lexi Joseph, junior defender

The rules are strict, but I am more than willing to make the sacrifice to keep playing this season.

Sophia LaRose, junior goalie

Playing during COVID has been a privilege. It was heart-breaking to lose our season last March. With the opportunity to keep playing this spring, I do not take a moment for granted.

Morgan's Message

With Anna Callahan

As fortunate and grateful athletes at Duke have been, succumbing to this new way of life has been difficult and requires tremendous sacrifice. I sat down with junior attacker and lead ambassador at Duke of Morgan’s Message, Anna Callahan, to talk about the non-profit program breaking the stigma surrounding mental health and athletes.

About MOrgan's Message

Morgan’ Message is a nonprofit program dedicated to Morgan Rogers, a teammates of ours who lost her life by suicide almost two years ago. The program was started by her parents and close friends to help destigmatize mental health within the athletic community and in the community as a whole. I was working with the Director of Behavioral Health, Shawn Zeplin, to create a program at Duke that focused on mental health around the same time Morgan’s Message launched. We became the first ambassador program at Duke for Morgan’s Message. Now, there are over 200 Ambassador programs across the nation, which has been really unbelievable. This year has been really interesting with the different challenges COVID has created for mental health in a lot of different ways for student athletes, so it’s been really awesome to see the program in action.

What are challenges athletes face during the time of COVID?

A lot of the challenges that have been presented from COVID are based off the lack of social interaction. It’s been very tight at Duke. There has been a lot of rules put in place that limit that social interaction. It’s definitely changed a lot this year. There has been heightened increased anxiety, depression, and social anxiety. With the lack of interaction with professors and people outside of the team, it has definitely taken a toll.

Teammate lexi joseph adds...

It just seems like one wrong move and you can ruin the season for your friends. We have rules about where we can go, who we can see, how we can see them, when we can see them. They are strict but I am happy to sacrifice for a season and that our team is committed to the rules.

We’re all kind of scared of messing up the season for your teammates or yourself. Especially because we’ve waited so long to have our season. It is so precious and there is anxiety around spreading it to your teammates and messing up the season.

It’s a really hard responsibility, especially for 20-year-old college students. Our team has done a great job of helping each other and being flexible and trying to make it a pleasurable experience.

How Anna helps.

Morgan’s message at Duke holds monthly meetings where we talk about a multitude of different topics. This year, we focused on destressing during COVID and helping yourself and teammates. I do research before and present that. There is then an open forum discussion. Dr. Zeplin and his team is a resource student-athletes can take advantage of as well.

All eyes on athletics

With athletes, it’s an ‘all eyes on you’ mentality. If you make a mistake, you represent Duke and Duke athletics, not just yourself and your family. We have a large platform which can increase anxiety. When it comes to COVID, you have to make sure you are following the guidelines.

Playing during COVID

We could not play other teams in the pre-season like we usually do, which was weird but we definitely got better as a program and closer as a team. We could do more wholesome interactions to get to know each other on a personal level instead of the usual socially drinking environment. As a team, we have done a great job facing this adversity together. It goes to show how much our team cares for one another and the love for the sport. It is such an amazing opportunity to get to know such brilliant young women.

Importance of mental health advocacy in athletics

Mental health is really important. It can be hard to treat because you can’t see it like a broken bone or badly sprained ankle. It gets overshadowed. You have to be honest with yourself along with looking out for signs in your friends and teammates. I think it can be really difficult but in the end, it’s needed and rewarding to make sure the stigma is broken. Morgan’s Message fights to save lives.

Junior goalie Sophia LaRose locked in for the save. Battling through several injuries, LaRose showcases her talent in breakout 2021 season.

Your Inside Women’s Lacrosse digital ethnographer and website guru, Gigi Vasile (#17), bumping hips with fellow senior teammate Madi Dunk (#3) during starting lineups. Duke Lacrosse is the only team that does not do traditional starting lineups, opting instead to have all players run through the tunnel of girls after a crazy handshake with the teammate across from you.

Duke Women’s Lacrosse in huddle led by head coach Kerstin Kimel, center. The stands can be seen filled with cardboard cut-outs instead of real fans.

Duke Women’s Lacrosse team boarding chartered flight to Boston. The athletes are seen wearing N95 masks, a mandate Duke Athletics put in place to limit the spread of COVID. Although all teams at Duke have to wear N95 masks when team traveling, these protocols are not put in place at other schools.