I woke up on 7:30 on a Saturday.
That by itself is a newsworthy story, but on Jan. 23 I dragged myself out of bed for a good cause. As I arrived at Trinity, I was surprised at the size of the registration line winding itself around the Race Athletic Center. Hundreds of lacrosse players, both boys and girls, young and old, braved chillingly cold winds to show their support for recent brain stem stroke victim John Michael Night. The players of Mercer University (where Night was committed to play Division 1 lacrosse) traveled and gave their time to coach a lacrosse clinic in his honor.
Admittedly, when I first heard there was to be a lacrosse clinic at Trinity, I assumed it would be poorly attended and geared towards little kids. I deemed myself, a lacrosse player of 8 years, above such an activity. I was very, very wrong.
Attendees of the clinic came from a plethora of local high schools and spanned all age groups. I found myself in a sizeable group of similarly skilled and aged people, and greatly enjoyed my time learning from the seasoned college players. Both Mercer’s players and coaching staffs were extremely outgoing, inclusive and helpful. As a player, it was hard to walk away from the clinic without learning something about the game.
Two hours after the clinic’s conclusion, Mercer played the team from Rollins College in a scrimmage on Trinity’s Hubbard Field. The home section of the bleachers were packed from the opening faceoff to the final whistle. The concession stand churned out snacks while volunteers sold T-shirts and raffle tickets. The bustling energy of the game’s onlookers kept them at ease in the cold.
The day as a whole was a resounding success. Throngs of lacrosse players and John Michael supporters flooded Trinity for an informative clinic and entertaining game. Both Rollins and Mercer generously donated their time and energy, as well as travel expenses, to put on the event (meaning that all donations went straight to Night’s recovery fund).
To myself and countless others, including Night himself who watched the game live from his rehabilitation center in Atlanta, the contributions of the college players meant the world. This show of support from the lacrosse community was just one of many events dedicated to John Michael in recent weeks.
