Author: Sheri Denkensohn-Trott
Those that follow us know that we are huge sports fans. And for the sports
that we follow closely, we understand the rules. I will admit that Tony likely knows some rules better than I do, but I’m willing to bet hands down that when it comes to basketball I’m an expert. I won’t claim expertise in others, but I won’t be screaming “Strike” when the pitcher throws high and outside in baseball.
I’ve always been interested in lacrosse and followed it from a distance when my nephew attended UVA. I remember watching the finals when our family was together at a hotel room before a cousin’s wedding, and getting excited at the fast pace. But I didn’t become a regular follower of the game.
A couple of years ago I got a bit more interested in lacrosse when my undergrad UAlbany men’s lacrosse team made it to the quarterfinals. We went to the University of Delaware to watch the game. It was very exciting even though I had no idea what the rules were. Some seemed to be like soccer, others hockey. The following year and the year after I again saw the UAlbany men play at Maryland (a big game because Maryland is known for having a good lacrosse team) and at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. It is great fun to root for your school and I began to understand a few of the calls and positions, but I was still asking questions about the rules.
Last year Tony went to watch Georgetown men’s lacrosse team play at their own field. He has a good friend who became their Assistant Coach, and it was a beautiful day. He wrote a blog and exuded excitement after that experience. That transitioned to this year when we tried to go to a Georgetown game, but the weather didn’t permit it.
However, we did a lot of lacrosse watching. The Albany men and Georgetown won their respective conference championships, and both made it to the NCAA Lacrosse Tournament. The James Madison women and Albany women also won their respective conference championships, and the Albany women made it to the NCAA Tournament. The Albany women lost in the first round to Yale and the Albany men also lost to Cornell (the team ranked number one in the nation and ultimately won the NCAA men’s championship). It was fun and exciting to watch. The Georgetown men had a tough loss against Maryland in the NCAA quarterfinals but had some exciting games leading up to that.
This has prompted me to want to learn more about this game. I’ll be better informed 
and not watching and cheering purely for the excitement factor. I will know exactly what is happening! They say you never stop learning, and in this case, it is the truth.
and our mothers were good friends (and still are) so I’m guessing that we had some kind of interaction at the infant stage. We attended the same schools from pre-school through high school, except for kindergarten. We were best friends, and pretty much did all the things kids do together. Riding bikes, playing sports, catching salamanders, just to name a few.
I believe it’s safe to say that our lives pretty much paralleled each other. I consider myself very fortunate to have had a close friend for such a long period of time, so if you do as well, you should reach out and let them know!
My answer to that question is when worry starts to consume you. When it becomes difficult to make changes, whether it be personal or professional. Recently, I’ve had to make changes related to my disability: new medical equipment, different products for my daily routine, and many procedural and administrative hurdles because of a change in insurance. To answer questions about what course to follow on each issue I have consulted others with personal experience, but it is up to me to act, make an informed decision, and move forward. And oftentimes the degree of uncertainty is overwhelming.
At some point, I realize that I must become the master of change and not worry. In most cases I don’t have a choice but to try. Believe that I have resilience to overcome obstacles.. Who knows? The result may be better. New isn’t necessarily bad. Different processes might take work, but I will figure it out. Yes, something may be out of my comfort zone because I’ve been doing it the same way for years, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that doing it will result in disaster. When it comes to serious health issues, it’s hard not to worry, but even then, it’s best that worry not master you.
the master and not the mastered. Also, coffee helps!