This article appears in the January edition of US Lacrosse Magazine, available exclusively to US Lacrosse members. Join or renew today! Thank you for your support.

There’s no such thing as certainty anymore.

As we present to US Lacrosse members this first of two editions previewing the 2021 NCAA season, we do so knowing that it could come to a screeching halt due to the raging pandemic.

As we project player-of-the-year campaigns from the likes of Yale’s TD Ierlan, Middlebury’s Jane Earley and Tufts’ Mac Bredahl, we do so knowing that the Ivy League and NESCAC won’t think twice about pulling the plug on another season if COVID-19 infection rates continue to rise in the absence of a widely available vaccine. They were the first to cancel in 2020, after all, harbingers of a silent spring.

College coaches themselves say there’s just no telling what to expect in 2021. Why bother venturing a forecast at all?

Firstly, it’s fun. You remember fun, don’t you? It’s the dopamine rush you get from doing something pleasurable. For all the talk of a “long, dark winter,” it sure feels good to distract ourselves with such trivial pursuits as determining preseason All-American teams and envisioning a championship weekend in which Michael Sowers finally gets his shot at postseason glory playing for Duke’s super team.

Secondly, it’s our responsibility. We’ve been doing this since 1978. Every season has a story. Wherever it goes, we’ll chronicle this one from the very beginning as if it will reach its fulfilling end. The twists and turns to get there will no doubt keep us busy over at uslaxmagazine.com.

Lastly, we need good vibes right now. Optimism can be contagious too. In the early days of this pandemic, Matt Hamilton, our unrelenting optimist, would post photos and videos on Microsoft Teams of uplifting and lighthearted moments — always with a call to action for the rest of us to “drop your positives” in the comments.

In that Hamiltonian spirit, please hit us up on social media (@USLacrosseMag) and drop your positives. What will be awesome about 2021? Let’s get that good juju going.