This story initially appeared on Behind the Whistle, the official blog of the IWLCA, and is being republished with permission from the organization. Taylor Paige is an assistant coach at Shenandoah University.

Over the last two days, I had the fortunate experience of being one of the facilitators for the first-ever Future Leaders of the Game: IWLCA Students of Color Coaching Symposium. If I had one takeaway from the symposium, it would be “All Smiles.”

For the first time in my lacrosse life, I was surrounded by people who looked like me or had a similar story. I would argue that for most in attendance, this was also their first time experiencing a moment like this. For once we were being seen, being heard and had a space created for all people of color to come together to learn and to network. I often tweet about the importance of representation, and this symposium did just that. Representation matters because it changes how you see yourself and how society views you. At minimum, the symposium proved to those interested in becoming a coach that there are coaches out there that do in fact look like them, who want to support them and that becoming a coach is achievable.

It was important for this specific demographic of the lacrosse community to be able to come together and to hear from and collaborate with their own. As someone in my late 20s, this was a treat. I can only imagine how exciting it was for those younger than me and still in college. Let me repeat, representation matters! If you ever have been in a situation of being the only one, or one of only a few, then you know how daunting that can be.

From the start of the very first Zoom session, I instantly felt at home because there was no pressure of being the only one or feeling that I may be perceived differently because of how I spoke, what I said, how I looked or how my hair was done. It was nice to present my full, authentic self without feeling the need to make those around me feel comfortable. The symposium created a platform to celebrate the diversity that we have within our association and the players that we work with. How could you feel anything other than joy, when you finally felt truly at home, understood and weren’t singled out for being the “other?”

The first day of the symposium was filled with joy, excitement and eagerness. Abi Jackson (head coach at Union College) kicked us off and guided us beautifully over the two days. From the very first meeting, I was all smiles because moments like these typically don’t happen. Think of a time when you yourself experienced a room full of 30 or more people of color in one place — let alone in the lacrosse world. Better yet, before the last two days, I honestly couldn’t even name 10 or more people of color in the lacrosse world.

As facilitators, we were able to connect with the participants in small groups to help cultivate conversations and build connections. Throughout the day, we had the pleasure of hearing from Jen Wong (associate head coach at Temple University), Alice Lee (head coach at Williams College), Zhané Ruffin (assistant coach at the University of the District of Columbia), Gina Oliver Thomas (head coach at the University of Cincinnati) and Tina Sloan Green (Hall of Fame coach and LEGEND). Look these women up if you haven’t had the chance to hear their stories!

The biggest themes from the presenters on day one were:

• Coaches do a lot more than just attend practice

• Determine your why and always try to be your authentic self

• Finding your own coaching voice can take time, so be patient with yourself

• It’s okay to not know everything or everyone

• Surround yourself with people who support you and that you can be yourself with so that you don’t always feel like you have to be “on”

• If you are the only one, stand strong in who you are and make people remember you

On the second day of the symposium, the same feelings of joy and excitement continued on and the conversations got deeper. Participants even got to start discussing and building their own personal coaching philosophies. The group got to hear from John Sung (head coach at Virginia Tech), Vicky Chun (athletic director at Yale University), Ashley Johnson (assistant coach at UC Davis), Britt Brown (University of Pennsylvania Class of 2017), Mira Shane (volunteer assistant coach at University of Michigan), Pamella Jenkins (head coach at Delaware State University) and Jessy Morgan (athletic director at Garrison Forest School). I probably could have spent all afternoon listening to everyone just share their personal stories.

Some themes from day two were:

• Not everyone has to do it the same way

• Let everyone know the real you

• Let it be known that you want to be a coach

• Find your people and make sure they’re the ones who will tell you the brutal truth

• As an assistant, build and cultivate your relationship with your head coach

• Give back no matter your experience

• Be intentional with your career path and have an end game

Overall, the first ever Students of Color Coaching Symposium was a success and had a tremendous impact on me. I would like to thank the IWLCA for acknowledging that there was a need for this type of programming and establishing a space for all of the people of color to come together. It was a great experience where everyone involved, as presenters, facilitators and participants, was accessible and willing to share. I’m excited to see what comes next from the people who participated in this symposium. There are definitely some awesome future coaches coming down the pipeline.

As a coaches’ association, we must continue to work to bring representation to the forefront, create space for people of color and continue to build upon these concepts by working to grow our game. I ask you to reflect on how you are creating space for those around you and who are in your charge. Events like these help make our association stronger and help us become better stewards of the game.