This story initially appeared on Behind the Whistle, the official blog of the IWLCA, and is being republished with permission from the organization. Erica Bamford is the head coach at Yale.

AUTHOR’S NOTE: To say the last 12 months have been a challenge would be a gross understatement. Our world has been upended by a global pandemic, social unrest, violence and political divisiveness. At the same time, we have witnessed the incredible strength and remarkable resilience of people across the world. It gives me hope that we can withstand this pandemic and also continue the critical work necessary to end the systemic hate, racism and violence in an effort to unite our country.

While the gravity of the situation can be overwhelming, heartbreaking and anxiety inducing, we have come a long way in a short amount of time. To be clear, there are people who are much smarter than me making profound observations about the complex state of the world, our growth and our path forward. I have been tasked by a very persistent Danie Caro to point out the more superficial lessons we have learned living in our new remote, virtual and highly sanitized environments. So, stick with me as we share some of the lighter, more memorable (or ones we want to forget) changes that 2020-21 graciously dumped on us!

What we have learned in the last 12 months

10. We were introduced to Zoom and its elaborate rules of etiquette. Make sure you mute upon arrival. Unmute when you talk. Visibly texting on zoom is rude. Eating meals on Zoom is frowned upon (but often necessary). Show your whole face on Zoom and avoid the nostril angle. If you are sending a private message, make sure it’s not to everyone. If you have your camera on, I suggest an appropriate top with leisure bottoms. But bottoms are MANDATORY!

9. We popularized the phrases “at this moment in time,” “it could all change,” “from what we know right now,” and “be flexible and be ready for this to change.”

8. We would all be millionaires if we invested in Netflix, Uber Eats, DoorDash, Grubhub, Instacart, Amazon, UPS, FedEx, Zoom and for some odd reason, Tesla.

7. I am not speaking from experience here, BUT if you had a little “problem” with online shopping pre-pandemic, you may now be on a first (and last) name basis with your Amazon, UPS, FedEx and USPS drivers. There is absolutely NO judgement. They may even yell, “See you tomorrow!” when hopping back into their trucks.

6. We have QUICKLY determined the loud talkers in your household. Not trying to point any fingers, but let’s just say it’s not me.

5. BE AWARE OF THE TEQUILA SCENTED HAND SANITIZER. You will immediately regret pumping that poison onto your hands.

4. Our standards for daily masks have drastically changed. While we would never touch anything but the straps on the mask in March, we are now fishing for a mask in between couch cushions or at the bottom of a bag before leaving the house.

3. Who would have ever thought we would be rationing toilet paper squares?

(Congratulations, you’re almost there. Only two more to go. Here comes the sappy part …) 

2. We have found our silver linings. We now have vacancies in our crazy schedules that were once filled with social gatherings and in-person obligations, thus giving way to the gift of time. For some, that time was desperately needed to slow down their pace to enjoy the simple pleasures in life again. For others, it may allow the opportunity to safely connect with family and friends. Or maybe having time to watch your child grow up or spend extra time with aging parents. However, for those with a house full of remote workers and learners, that silver lining of family time has most likely expired!

For me, the silver linings have truly been a blessing. I have been able to spend more time with my husband and share in the joy of watching our son grow in the first year of his life. We can now FaceTime/call family and friends more often. Despite our student-athlete’s insistence on texting, I have made hundreds of cold calls only to receive an apprehensive and confused “Hello?” on the other end. I would like to think they have grown to love a good ol’ fashioned cold call from their coach, but that is still TBD. I greatly appreciate learning more about our women off the field on a deeper level, especially when opportunities are limited in a traditional year.

Whatever your own silver linings may be, I hope we can all agree that our women’s lacrosse family has been a major silver lining. Our tremendous IWLCA leadership has provided a robust menu of resources for professional development and opportunities for connection during this unprecedented time. Liz Robertshaw and Danie Caro have quickly and proficiently adapted, giving us opportunities to reconnect and rebuild, something that is generally reserved for the sidelines of tournaments throughout the summer and fall. We have set our rivalries aside and shared in our struggles while collaborating on ways to lead our programs through adversity. And as always, we are all forever indebted to Sam Ekstrand, who will always have our backs, pandemic or not.

1. TRUE HEROES have emerged among us. To those on the front lines working to keep the people in our country safe, healthy, cared for, educated, fed and operational, a simple thank you is insufficient. Our essential workers are our true heroes, and their impact will be felt and deeply appreciated well into the future.

If you made it this far, thank you. I wish you all the best of luck this season — whatever that may look like! Hope to see all of you on the recruiting trail this summer!