A Time of Healing: One Team One Heart One Love

Both the UVA men’s and women’s lacrosse teams have won the first round of the NCAA championship. The men’s team won Saturday evening in an 18-4 win over Mt. St. Marys. The women’s team just won a narrow 14-12 victory over Towson State. Yeardly’s mother and sister were present at the game and her mother was awarded the winning ball from the game.

Both games started with a tribute and moment of silence to Yeardly. Her number, #1 was worn on the uniforms. The teams have begun to heal. The Love family was asked about continuing the season after the tragic death of their daughter. They encouraged them to not only play but play to win–to win for Yeardly.

According to yesterday’s NYdaily.news:

“A lot of mixed emotions,” Clausen said. “The field’s provided a sanctuary. I wanted to soak it all in one last time.”

An hour later, the public address announcer requested a moment of silence for the “tragic loss” of Love, and Clausen remained still. The words “One Love” were written in orange script on the back of the players’ navy blue warm-up shirts, and black patches with Love’s initials and jersey number dotted the front of their white game uniforms. Clausen, a defenseman, wore her initials on his eye black. He embraced teammates with hugs.

The pall that has hung over the program since former midfielder George Huguely was charged with first-degree murder for his alleged attack on Love, a member of the women’s lacrosse team, 12 days ago lifted for one night. By vanquishing No. 16 Mount St. Mary’s, 18-4, Virginia (15-1) coasted to next Sunday’s quarterfinals at Stony Brook.

“You witnessed a team that was happy to be on the field again,” said Virginia coach Dom Starsia.

Supportive messages were scrawled on signs and enmeshed in shirts with the words “One Team. One Heart. One Love.” Two teammates wore orange ribbons in their hair and one had the No. 1 etched on her white wristband. Eleven men’s team members, led by senior tri-captain Mikey Thompson, marched up the stands as the game started.

The same faces that followed Love’s family to the funeral last week reunited for the games. Love’s mother, Sharon Donnelly, arrived in the bleachers five minutes before the game, with her oldest daughter, Lexie, by her side. The two wore bright pink outfits and dark sunglasses. Next to them, university president John Casteen III sat among the team’s families.

UVA President Sends Strong Message on Toxic Relationships and Domestic Abuse

Candleight Vigil for Yeardly Love
Candleight Vigil for Yeardly Love

UVA President John Casteen III delivered a chilling, emotional speech to those gathered at the candlelight vigil for slain lacrosse player Yeardly Love. His message should be repeated over and over in middle schools, high schools, colleges and universities, churches, libraries–just about anywhere there are women.

Casteen told the mourners  that we are all responsible for getting people help who are entangled and trapped in toxic, violent relationships. We can not longer just tell our friends, relatives and acquaintances to ditch a toxic relationship. We have to step forward and perhaps make some of those unpopular calls. Doing so might just save someone’s life–someone like Yeardly Love’s life.

The fraternity of silence and the culture of hiding abuse can no longer be tolerated.

President Casteen’s  remarks at the candlelight vigil for Yeardley Love:

There are profound ironies in our gathering here tonight for this purpose. This is the spring time. It’s the time of year for renewal, for new beginnings. And yet we have come here to grieve the ending of a young life, of Yeardley Love’s life, one full of promise and high prospects—and one not unlike yours.

I want to talk tonight about Yeardley Love, and I want to talk about you, and about this community—about us. Some of what I have to say is very hard. Bear with me, and listen.

Read More

UVA Loses 2 LaCrosse Players: An Update

There is more to the UVA Lacrosse story than the death of Yeardly Love. Tragic as it is, the entire UVA community, and especially its athletic community has been dealt a horrible blow. I called down today to life-long friends who live 2 blocks from the murder site. They were all devastated. University towns very much personalize their tragedies. Yeardly was a well-loved campus icon and the teams, both hers and his, were headed to the national finals.

There is another side to this story that transcends personal tragedy:

Multisource political news, world news, and entertainment news analysis by Newsy.com

This murder sent shock waves across the nation. This story is just another perspective.

Yet when all is said and done, someone’s child is dead. Someone else’s child faces many years in prison if convicted. And sports teams come and sports teams go. The Duke lacrosse team recovered and so will UVA’s. Friends and family and the school in general, however, might not have that luxury.

Do student athletes lead a different life? Are they under more stress than others? Do they party harder to make up for the intensity of the sport they play? Is being BMOC or BWOC more difficult?

My father was a student athlete at UVA during the Great Depression. His family had no money to send him to school. He was fortunate enough to land a scholarship. There was no free lunch. He played 3 sports. Football, basketball, and baseball, and excelled at all three. Until his dying day he bore resentment towards sports and the amount of time they took out of his life. Maybe these kids felt the same way. And maybe it got too much for them.

Regardless, maybe this week we are all Wahoos.

That good old song of Wah-hoo-wah,
We ‘ll sing it o ‘er and o ‘er.
It cheers our hearts and warms our blood
To hear them shout and roar.
We come from Old Virginia,
Where all is bright and gay.
Let’s all join hands and give a yell,
For the dear old UVa.
Wah-hoo-wah,
Wah-hoo-wah.
Uni-v, Virginia,
Hoo-rah-ray,
Hoo-rah-ray,
Ray! Ray! U-V-A!

The Cavalier Dailyhas copies of affidavits and more on the story and crime scene