Team Love

Anyone who has ever been a part of a team knows what I am talking about when I say Team Love. Team Love is that intangible dimension that defines a group of athletes. It's waking up at 7 a.m. for practice, it's making that final sprint down the field in the last seconds of the game, it's fighting to the very end no matter what the outcome. It's what brings you together during times of defeat and what puts it all together in order to be victorious. It's doing everything you can to the best of your ability, not for yourself, but because you want to do it for your teammates.

This past week two teams at Harvard have stretched the limits of Team Love to higher boundaries than any championship ever could. It was not in any practice, any game, or even a big tournament. It was not for the Ivy League ring, nor for an NCAA title. It appeared in the most unlikely of places--the basement of a church, and the halls of a hospital.

At the memorial service for sophomore Annelle Fitzpatrick, I watched as her lacrosse teammates bonded together in a movement of solidarity, loyalty, and remembrance. From those who told funny stories to those who read poetry to the many who came and sat quietly and just listened with their hearts, the love felt by Annelle's teammates was undeniable--not only their love for Annelle, but their love for each other and the strength they drew just by being there together.

During the final days of Matt Stauffer's life, who was the older brother of senior soccer player Emily Stauffer and who died last Saturday, I watched as her soccer teammates rallied behind her in support. I looked around and saw person after person just waiting for that moment when Emily might turn around and need a comforting hug or an encouraging squeeze of the hand. I saw tears flow from many who did not even know Matt but were so moved by seeing his sister in pain.

It is during these times when I am truly overwhelmed by the concept of Team Love. At those moments sports becomes not just a game but a part of your soul. It is about knowing that no matter what happens your teammates will always be there, willing to give everything they have for you. No coach inspires it, no competition demands it, no championship ever rewards it. It is brought about by a unique blend of individuals who care for one another, not only on the field where they are bound together, but off the field where they become inextricably linked. It is something that takes years to build, but only a few seconds to feel.

This past week has shown me that Team Love is more than just a phrase, more than just an old cliche. It is something that is real, that knows no limits, and which no defeat can ever take away.

Written by an anonymous member of the Harvard women's soccer team