West Point, to thee
Thank you, Army lacrosse.
To the world,
If you didn’t know, this 2020 team was special. We were 45 women, with a spectrum of personalities, fighting day in and day out to be champions. We were 7-0 before our season ended and we were determined to break more records. Our draw control win percentage was ranked first in the nation, our defense was tied for second nationally after allowing only 7.29 goals per game, and we were one of eight teams in the country that remained undefeated.
We also were the best in the country in the intangibles from my perspective. Our team cohesion, our grit, our resilience and our humor all should have won us at least a few trophies. This team had insane potential, and we were ready to put our names in a few more places in the Army record books.
It’s unfortunate that our season, and some of our careers, were suddenly cut short, but I am glad to have gotten in at least seven games before it all ended. It was too good to be true, I suppose. Next season, this program will reach a whole new level and will create a splash in the world of lacrosse. I am already counting down the days to cheer them on from the stands.
Being together made anything unpleasant, fun. We knew how to have fun anywhere.
To the seniors,
I love you all. The thousands of hours we dedicated to this team over four years was worth every second. From the early morning bus rides to fall scrimmages, to the late-night practices and long conditioning sessions, we made so many memories. The walks up and down the hill with teammates through every season provided its own facet of the experience, including balancing extra trays of food walking past the iced-over Lusk Reservoir, and down the perilous icy ramp behind Scott just to deliver extra food to the CCQ for our companies. Being together made anything unpleasant, fun. We knew how to have fun anywhere. No one will forget the squat party or the fun Fridays. Our legs certainly will not forget. Nevertheless, these moments only brought us closer.
As only the second year as a Division I program, our freshman year was a rollercoaster. 300s tests in the fall, morning practice, and getting used to being a cadet and a college athlete. Our first game as college athletes was awesome. Playing Marist on a cold day in February with the field lined in banks of snow. The game itself was a nail-biter as we battled back and forth the whole contest until we finally secured the victory with a four-goal run at the end.
The next most notable game of our freshman year was us beating a Patriot League team for the first time in our program’s history. On a cold and rainy day, we battled with Colgate for a full 60 minutes on the road and won by two goals. We then proceeded to ignore the cold weather and dump the whole bucket of Gatorade on Coach Waags in celebration. Sophomore year we won four league games and junior year we won six, including a win the quarterfinals of the Patriot League Tournament. Our class will always have the honor of helping build this program from the ground up. Being a part of the very start and going through many losses to build the program to this undefeated season is humbling.
We are so lucky as a class to have been able to help establish a winning culture and a family mindset. We are a strong and committed class and it has been so incredible experiencing it all with you. I love you all.
To the underclassmen,
I have learned so much from this team. One of the biggest lessons I can impart on you in both lacrosse and in life is that this team is only as much as you put in. In any relationship, it must be 50/50. If you do not show up to team bonding or do not come up early and work on your game, it will not magically get better. The more you pour your heart into this team, the more the team will pour its heart into you. Plan team movie nights, team bonfires, team pancake breakfasts, and more. You will look back and smile at all the new memories forged in nights watching Shutter Island, some romance movie, or stalking each other's high school interviews. As a firstie, it will be even harder to dedicate time. Weekends are full of "lasts”, last home football game, last Army-Air Force game, last Halloween, etc. This is when it’s important to dedicate time, no matter what, to the team. Believe me, you can balance both. Give it to the team, and the team will give back.
Get on the wall. We have no time to waste. We can and will be national champions. This starts with extra work. Coach Gilroy knows and is probably annoyed at the number of individuals I did over my career. Do not take a pre-practice nap, ladies. Get up the hill and get working. Lacrosse showed me that hard work translates, and this work ethic is something I can take with me for the rest of my life. You'll regret not putting in more work and reaching your potential before retiring from the most incredible sport in the world.
Have fun! Some of the best times I had were simply in practice. Behind the cage with the goalies or in the 8-meter with the defense. Have fun playing the sport that you love. Smile. Nothing is more beautiful than Michie Stadium on a spring afternoon. During a Thayer week, you might get caught up in the "woe is me," while thinking about all of your WPRs and essays you have to turn in, but no matter how much you think about them at practice, they aren't going anywhere. No matter what happens down the hill, keep lacrosse as a safe space for laughter and release from the stressors of the Academy. Have fun in everything you do up the hill and down the hill. Believe me, it will make your West Point experience fly by.
Finally, thank you. Thank you for being the most inspiring and loving teammates. Thank you for accepting me and all of my quirks. Thank you for being such amazing people who I continue to learn from daily. Thank you for the laughs, the cries, the dancing, the hugs, the bruises, and the love. Carry on the legacy, I love you all.
To the coaches,
I do not know where to start. First of all, thank you. Thank you for finding me in high school and introducing me to this mysterious place. You changed the path of my life irreversibly for the better and I will forever be grateful. It did not end there. For the past four years, you have all been rocks for us to lean on. You showed us you loved us in so many ways. From how you pushed us in practice, to the team dinners you ensured we had, to the well-placed dodgeball games when you noticed we needed a pick-me-up, words of wisdom, and more.
Your mentorship and love shaped us into the leaders we are today. This program has also gone leaps and bounds because of your leadership, and that made this experience that much better. You all put in hours away from your family and friends to be with us to prepare to make us better and it did not go unnoticed. This team would not be what it is today without you all and I cannot thank you enough. Also, thank you for putting me back in cage even after I had a rough day. I appreciated your trust in me. You all had such a big impact on me as a person and a player. Thank you.
To my parents,
Thank you for supporting me on this unusual journey. Thank you for signing me up for this sport over a decade ago and always encouraging me to achieve greater things. If I could do it all over again, I would do it in a heartbeat.
Thank you Army Lacrosse!
Maddie Burns