This story initially appeared on Behind the Whistle, the official blog of the IWLCA, and is being republished with permission from the organization. Jada Foy is a 2020 graduate of the University of the District of Columbia. Foy has been hired as the graduate assistant coach at Albertus Magnus College and is starting this week.

Let’s talk about it. I didn’t see myself making it this far. I began to play lacrosse my sophomore year in high school, with intentions of it just being a sport to keep me in shape during the spring season. Basketball was my first sport. As time went on, lacrosse and basketball only seemed similar, yet different. It all started when a few of my friends began playing lacrosse and were in need of a goalie. I picked up the stick and haven’t put it down since.

Transitioning from playing basketball to lacrosse, what I enjoyed the most was expanding my athleticism. One component that never really seemed easy to adjust to was playing a sport where most players didn’t look like me and the “that’s a white girls sport” remarks. My instant love for the game grew despite that I didn’t see myself as your average lacrosse player. I am originally from Orlando, Fla. Not your typical hotbed for lacrosse … and that only seemed like the first obstacle to overcome if I wanted to continue to play this game at the collegiate level.

As we all know, the college recruiting process is not easy nor taken lightly. There aren’t many girls of color who have the opportunity to play club and have the exposure to the tournaments and the college coaches. To be quite honest, I was given the opportunity to play club lacrosse, and that’s how I began my recruitment journey. That case is not the same for most of my peers. There is a lack of resources, networking and advocating for players of color. My first large recruiting tournament was the US Lacrosse women’s national tournament in 2015 at Lehigh University. This was yet another obstacle that I encountered on my journey, the impact of racial identity in the world of lacrosse.

I was fortunate enough to make one of the Orlando teams, and being one of the only black girls was unsettling, but at this point it seemed almost normal. It was when I got to the tournament on a large scale of competition that I truly thought this sport wasn’t for girls of color. All that was going through my mind was that I didn’t have a chance of having a future in lacrosse because I was outnumbered and did not look like the norm. I would have to try ten times harder to be considered in the recruitment process just because of the color of my skin. Despite my uncomfortable surroundings, I knew playing lacrosse brought strength and diligence out of me, and I wasn’t ready to end my journey just yet.

Rounding off my final year of high school, I decided to attend the University of the District of Columbia, the only Historically Black University with a NCAA Division II women’s lacrosse team. Ideally, I was given the opportunity to play the sport I loved amongst girls with similar roads traveled, and I took it. Playing a predominantly white sport throughout high school and my club lacrosse experience and being the only black person on the field with both teams involved, I felt as if I was never given the chance to excel. It was a refreshing start. Not being an outcast gave me a sense of community. But in reality, as I embarked on my collegiate journey, I only felt as if I had a larger target on my back. A target in a sense that this journey wasn’t going to get any easier.

I know there would be your everyday common struggles — class/practice balance, homework, study hall and sleep. But being a player of color at an HBCU playing what is a predominantly white sport was yet an additional struggle. From being called names on the field, to the racial slurs and negative remarks, it didn’t make playing the game of lacrosse any easier or enjoyable. I became very discouraged, as I felt that although I found a sense of community within my teammates, when it came to competition, I was back at square one. Playing against predominately white teams, it always seemed as we were frowned upon, belittled in a way. Despite whatever my teammates and I would’ve endured, every game we left our hearts out on the field.

As I look back on my experience, everyone always asks me, “Why did you keep playing?” The climb, the work ... I enjoyed playing lacrosse, and I love the process. I’ve learned many lessons along the way. I experienced hardship, I went through slumps and things were unfair at times. And when those things happened, my love for the game carried me through. An outlet, captainship, stress reliever, happiness, my sanctuary. Seven years of play have taught me nothing but resilience, hard work and dedication.

Conversations are starting to create attention and make news as many athletes of color in the sport of lacrosse discuss their experiences and the lack of diversity in the game. The following are some initiatives that I believe can be taken to end the controversial topic of race in lacrosse and introduce more diversity and inclusion. The demand for these uncomfortable conversations is vital. So, why not take action?

PLAYERS:

• See/hear something, say something

• Don’t let a lack of representation intimidate you

• Create a welcoming and positive space for your teammates

• Take the initiative to be empathetic to everyone’s background and situation

• Keep playing; there is a need for representation. We need to see more faces of different races

COACHES:

• Have those uncomfortable conversations, get to know your players on a personal level

• Be open and engaging

• Ask questions. We know you can’t read your players' minds, nor can they read yours. Create those relationships

• Support, advocate for players, seek to understand … less talk, more action

• Encourage your players to have these conversations amongst each other

THE LACROSSE COMMUNITY:

• Have more lacrosse clinics/camps in areas that are predominately minorities/people of color, expand to the underprivileged

• Intentionally get to know players of different demographics

• The change starts with US

Dear Lacrosse,

There is a lot of work to be done. I am anxious to see what the future of the game may look like knowing these many conversations are being started. It’s these small initiatives that will make a vital change, starting here, right now. As I continue my journey in the lacrosse world, I hope to advocate for incoming girls of color who choose to play the game or who are currently playing the game for the now and future generations. This isn’t a moment, this a movement. The change starts with us.