By Kari Buonanno
Thanksgiving is nearly upon us and so naturally we are inclined to think about all that we are grateful for. This exercise feels slightly more difficult this year as the pandemic has taken the world by storm and taken so much from all of us. This year has been frustrating, discouraging, and left so many people feeling a sense of hopelessness. Lacrosse seasons, school years, and jobs have all been affected, and yet still there is so much to be thankful for. What has been wonderful for me to see is Tenacity girls have stayed strong and tenacious through it all.
Kasey Braun,Tenacity Class of 2018, perfectly exemplifies the strength and gracious attitude that so many Tenacity girls embody even when going through adversity and hardships. Her Tenacity story began in 7th grade when she decided she wanted to play travel lacrosse just one week before tryouts. As she fondly looks back on this conversation with her mom, it was clear that Tenacity became much more than just a lacrosse team for Kasey. Tenacity became a family and this family was there for her through 2 devastating fires. Kasey’s senior year a fire affected her high school, and Kasey’s sophomore year of college, her home in Healdsburg burned down. As Kasey shared her tragic story with me, she showed nothing but grace and appreciation for her Tenacity family. Having already graduated when the second fire took her home, Kasey recalled that Theresa still was “extremely supportive” as was her former Tenacity coach, Randy Gross. Although not being directly involved with the program any longer as she had moved on to college, her Tenacity family was still there for her. Kasey made it clear that “without them it would’ve been a totally different experience.” Kasey’s strength and amazing attitude reminded me that although Tenacity builds strong women on the lacrosse field, equally important is the mission to build strong women off the field.
Learning about Kasey’s story while in the midst of a pandemic provided me with perspective. During times like these, it might be challenging to find things to feel grateful for. The world feels unfair and unjust, yet Kasey’s story reminds me that it’s all about outlook and attitude, because there is still so much to be thankful for. We hope that for all of you, Tenacity has been and will continue to be a constant. We hope that Tenacity is a community that you can rely on during these strange times…and any that come our way in the future.. As we have highlighted the past few weeks, despite this year being an entirely different experience for Tenacity girls, the program was able to innovate, coaches were still able to inspire, and girls were still able to grow as people and players. Like Kasey, it’s important we remember these things even as we encounter obstacles and adversity. Remember to be tenacious and strong like a Tenacity athlete.
As you think about the many ways in which you value Tenacity, we ask you to please consider donating on Giving Tuesday.