This article appears in the November edition of USA Lacrosse Magazine. Join our momentum.

My name is Anxhelika Deda and I am a 14-year-old high school sophomore in Connecticut.

I have always had a passion for writing, but I recently became more interested in poetry. With poetry, I like to channel my thoughts, feelings and experiences into words that cultivate a message. I love taking life's simplicities and turning them into an art that can be applied to almost any area.

I finished my first season of high school lacrosse last spring. It was an interesting experience. Some teammates were not the nicest to me. It felt lonely sometimes. I love this sport so much. Why should I let a few people ruin my experience?

However, the kindness of one teammate made me realize how much I matter to the team. While lacrosse is an important piece of my life, I only have three more seasons. There are so many more challenges and obstacles waiting for me, just as it is for everyone else.

I hope this poem brings a special message to you.

We wear a numbered jersey
Not to represent our value
But our efforts to be a part of something greater;
A team

So as we scatter past the field
To attain our position
We know our goals
And what we stand for
As we get ready to move

Then why do we lose sight
As we step off the field
Into the greater field of life?

Amid the traffic, we find ourselves
in this broader field
Where we can channel our goals
from the game of lacrosse
Union and leisure
Into our lives

To work as a team;
Instead of against one another

To pick each other up as we fall;
Instead of leaving the course of action to the ball
 

To realize that it is vile
To let
Any chaos
Make us think that our existence is futile

Because the goal
That wins us gold
Is knowing that we belong

© 2022 “The Gold” by Anxhelika Deda

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Calling all aspiring artists and writers. USA Lacrosse welcomes your submissions for publication in this magazine. Send your lacrosse-themed work to freeplay@usalacrosse.com.