The Branson girls varsity lacrosse team turned their MCAL season game against Redwood into a match dedicated to raising awareness for relationship abuse prevention through the One Love Foundation.
The One Love Foundation was established in memory of Yeardley Love, a University of Virginia lacrosse player who tragically lost her life to violence in a relationship in 2010. Since its founding, One Love has worked to educate young people about unhealthy relationships and use sports and community initiatives as their way to promote awareness.
The Foundation has inspired teams across the country to host games in its honor, using athletics as a platform for knowledge and change.
The idea for the game at Branson and Redwood stemmed from two ninth-grade players, one from each school, who had grown up playing lacrosse together. Their families, the Spalys from Branson and the Bucks from Redwood, saw an opportunity to unite their teams behind this influential cause.
“There have been other One Love games played around the country, but this felt like the most logical thing to do — to have the two teams come together and support this foundation,” said coach Ashton Richards.
Though this was the first year for the event, the hope is to make it a lasting tradition. “As long as I am the coach, I envision this game being an annual tradition, regardless of whether it’s held at Branson or Redwood,” Richards said.
The game itself, while just a regular MCAL league game, had a greater purpose behind it. The players showed up to school sporting blue One Love T-shirts, and there was an assembly announcement earlier that week raising awareness.
The game started off on March 20 closely contested, with Redwood holding just a two-point lead at the end of the first quarter. Redwood ultimately claimed victory with a final score of 12-5. But beyond the scoreboard, the game was a powerful way to raise awareness.
“This game showed that lacrosse isn’t only about the competition, but it can be used to build connections and support each other and the causes we believe in,” goalie Charley Goldstein, who is also a Blazer writer, said.
Chief Executive Officer of the organization Julie Myers traveled all the way from Virginia to see a West Coast lacrosse game for the first time.
She gave a talk in between the junior varsity and varsity games, and afterward, despite Branson’s loss, players from both teams gathered together and Love spoke to them about her story, why the fight against relationship abuse is so important and how monumental the event was in bringing everyone together.
“It was a very seamless mixture of both lacrosse and supporting a cause that matters to all of us,” said Goldstein. “For me, it was powerful to blend something I am passionate about with a sport that is such a big part of my life. I think a lot of the girls felt the same way, and it really helped bring our community together.”
Branson’s strong community, coupled with a commitment to the cause, will hopefully turn the One Love game into a meaningful tradition, reminding people of the importance of fostering healthy relationships both on and off the field.
