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VYPE-U: Finding A Purpose
We naturally devote ourselves to things that draw our attention, inspire us, or trigger an emotional connection. Oftentimes, those things include a club at school or, in this case, a sports team. Jennifer Lopez is a Varsity Panther for Bridge Lacrosse and has been playing for almost three years. She is a prominent senior at Irma Rangel Young Women's Leadership School in Dallas, TX, one of our Varsity captains, and a strong offensive player.
For Lopez, Bridge has always been a safe space. A place where she could work with people who instantly welcomed her and who only sought to give her that safe space. "I remember coming to my first fall ball practice in 2018 and was instantly welcomed with a warm smile from Coach David and everyone else. Lacrosse in itself showed me a deeper side of teamwork. There's something about working with people on the field compared to a group project that really builds relationships and confidence." said Jennifer.
She credits Kenia Rico, a current Varsity Panther, for her decision to join lacrosse. At first, she was a bit skeptical of the sport as a whole and even questioned why anyone would want to play lacrosse. It wasn't until she furthered her knowledge about Bridge and what it stands for that she wanted to commit to it. The ability for an organization to provide connections, academic resources, and, most of all, lacrosse really grasped her attention.
Bridge Lacrosse | Jennifer Lopez 2021 - Fall 2020 - Uncommitted youtu.be
Throughout her years with Bridge, Jennifer has grown, not only as a player but as a leader for our team. She is always the first one to start cleaning up the field or the loudest cheerleader on the sidelines during our scrimmages. All of the characteristics one can think of when it comes to being a leader, Lopez has them. Jennifer believes leadership comes in many different forms, but to her, it means showing up, giving it your all, and being vulnerable to making mistakes— she's done just that; so much so that she is currently our Varsity Captain.
During this interview, I asked her an important question that correlates with her identity and with many of our teammate's identities.
When asked, "How has being a Latinx/Hispanic student-athlete impacted or affected your athletic life in any way shape, or form? What advice would you give other Latinx/Hispanic student-athletes?" Lopez responded, "Like many Latinx/Hispanic lacrosse student-athletes, I think we are often bombarded with the question, ¨ What's lacrosse?¨ and it makes me much more aware of the disparities in the sport. Even when being the largest minority group, the accessibilities to the sport and equipment generally jeopardize not only communities like myself but also the rest of minorities alongside. My biggest piece of advice for Latinx/Hispanic student-athletes would have to be to take up space everywhere you go and feel comfortable with your presence because you offer much more than skin color and assumptions." This is extremely important to talk about because a large majority of our teammates are people of color who are underserved, and it is my intention to inspire others to never give up on their dreams.
As we all know, the pandemic has taken a toll on all of us, but that won't stop Lopez from continuing her leadership and academic work. She is hard-working, dedicated, and has the fate that everything will work out in the end if it's meant to be. Jennifer said, "I don't really like to think about the future as a whole because it's really overwhelming but ideally I would definitely want to give back to an organization that gave so much to me. Career-wise I'm planning on studying kinesiology or exercise science to hopefully become a sports and conditioning coach or what comes along my way in the field."
Aside from experiencing that rush of adreline Jennifer gets when playing lacrosse, she has been able to find her purpose, and expand her social and emotional intelligence through the sport. She has grown into a strong, and confident leader on and off the field, and has developed a keen sense of focusing on how she can improve as a person and as an athlete.
"The one and only thing I wish I could change from my journey would be, had I known lacrosse and the Bridge family made this much of an impact in three years, I would have joined a lot sooner."
-Jennifer Lopez '21
Want to know more?
Follow Jennifer on Instagram: @jlo.oo
VYPE-U: The Astounding Kimaari Mondy
As an athlete myself, I understand that, sometimes, there are players who essentially risk it all for the game and the position. During practice, we are often reminded about the importance of acknowledging that, in lacrosse, our goalies risk their entire bodies to defend the goal. They may throw themselves on the ground, they may get on their knees, or risk some essential part. Kimaari Mondy is a Junior at Townview Magnet Center who has been playing for Bridge Lacrosse for six years now. From watching her play, I can one-hundred percent agree that she is one of the most hard-working athletes on the field. During games, you can see the drive she has in her eyes, and how important defending the cage is to her.
Mondy has not only played goalie but has also played on the field. Her first year with Bridge she was an attacker who moved the ball well but after that season their team no longer had a goalie so she decided to step up and try the position out. We can all agree that it went very well for her; a destiny meant to be. VYPE-U got to speak with Kimaari about her career with Bridge and the transition from attack to goalie.
When asked, "How has playing for Bridge Lacrosse impacted your life?" Mondy said, "I can say that playing lacrosse has helped me with stepping outside of my comfort zone. Most of the day I'm kind of to myself and quiet, but once I hit the field with my team, I feel like I can be whoever. There's no judgment with Bridge; anybody who comes is truly welcomed with open arms." I find this extremely true, because whenever there's a new player, whether they come at the beginning or middle of the season, we make sure we introduce ourselves and take the time to work on the basics so they can get a grasp of those skills. Kimaari herself was very welcoming when I first joined the team, and now I'd like to say we're good friends; she's one of the funniest people I know. For Mondy, Bridge is like a second family to her. She appreciates the dedication Bridge has for things other than lacrosse. For example, they provide SAT/ACT prep books and prep classes, internships, travel opportunities, and Coach David is essentially a college advisor.
Bridge Lacrosse | Kimaari Mondy 2022 - Spring 2020 Highlights - Uncommitted youtu.be
I asked Kimaari a bit more about her reasons for success, and the way she worked towards this level of play. Mondy said, "I'm sure many people have said this before, but I truly think it takes grit and a certain level of self-trust that is needed in order to be successful. And to be frank, I don't think I did a specific thing for me to build up these skills, I just let time do its thing. I'm a true believer in change over time so I think through time and experience I was able to pick up these skills." I definitely think this is a very unique way to approach success because we always hear from others that it takes "very hard work" or "working every hour of the day" but Mondy simply believes in being a very patient athlete.
As a follow-up question, I asked Kimaari about the coaches that have changed her athletic career, and she gives credit to "the great Coach David" for her success. Mondy learned from Coach David that being a good lacrosse player isn't always about your skill level, but rather your mental abilities, building relationships, leadership, and what you can do off the field rather than on it. Although Mondy has incredible strengths such as her courage, nobody is perfect. Being able to understand your weaknesses is an important asset to being an athlete, and Mondy knows that she still has some work to do with her confidence. Which is one-hundred percent okay, because life is a work in progress.
As far as her career after high school, Kimaari is still deciding if she'd be best off playing lacrosse in college or not, but regardless of what that decision comes down to she knows she wants to simply be the best version of herself; enjoy life and accomplish her goals.
"If I make the decision to play, I simply want to break records and be a major inspiration to others. If I don't continue my lacrosse career, I want to be successful in college so that I'm able to pursue my dream career." -Kimaari Mondy