Taylor Cummings is a three-time Tewaaraton winner, a member of Team USA and the head coach at McDonogh (Md.) . "Taylor's Takes" is presented by Gait Lacrosse. Be legendary.

After an almost two-year hiatus, women’s professional lacrosse is finally back.

Athletes Unlimited is the newest league to hit the scene for the women’s game, and players and fans alike are excited to see where this opportunity propels the sport. Teams are ever changing with new drafts every week. Fields are shorter, and numerous rule changes have been implemented to make the game faster and more fun to watch.

Stats equate to points, which then determine the next week’s set of captains. All in all, 56 of us make up the pool of professional players set to compete with and against each other during the five-week season, and in the end, one will be crowned a champion.

Over the course of our season, I’ll be writing weekly columns with my takes to give all of you an inside scoop of what it’s like to be an AU pro. Some stories will be about specific teams and players, others will contain general observations and hopefully all will provide insights into what life is like in the AU bubble.

So, without further adieu, let’s dive right on in to my thoughts on Week 1!

This past Sunday was filled with a lot of firsts!

We had our first Youth Day and our first game with fans in the stands @AlyssiaGraves recaps the fun-filled day celebrating our AU Futures program, @CityLaxNYC & @HarlemLacrosse, & the Team @kylieohlmiller & @katiee_oo wins! pic.twitter.com/bzkqjtc2uS

— Athletes Unlimited (@AUProSports) July 27, 2021

TAYLOR’S TAKES

DRAFT STRATEGY IS KEY

Our first official draft of the season came on Tuesday after our morning scrimmages. The four captains were able to see everyone compete live before they set out to determine the first teams of the season later that evening. Each one had a different strategy for the draft, and it was exciting to see everything unfold as a player.

Some seemed to have a more offense-focused strategy — load up on talented attackers and save defender picks for later in the draft. Some focused on goalkeepers and centers first in an effort to have someone win the ball and save the ball, while others went for balance across the board from the get go. Each captain was able to find success with their teams this past weekend, so it’s hard to figure out which strategy is best for draft night this early on.

A MARATHON, NOT A SPRINT

Three games in three days is tough at any level, but especially here when we’re competing against the best each and every day. The back-to-back-to-back game scheduling means that players have to utilize every opportunity to rest, recover and refuel in order to perform our best the next day. The teams that play well on Sunday will most likely be the ones that can master the recovery end of things and can also apply small adjustments throughout the weekend.

SHORTER FIELDS = FASTER GOALS

With 80 yards between goal lines, the Athletes Unlimited field is significantly shorter than regulation collegiate fields. This allows for more transition, quicker goals off the draw and even offensive goalie involvement with assists and long clears.

We saw teams score right off the draw numerous times this weekend, with some coming 6-10 seconds after the whistle sounded (cough, cough — Dempsey’s beautiful goal off an amazing Kayla Treanor pass for Team Ohlmiller). Not to mention the very first goal in AU history, which came after Kayla Wood won the opening draw and fed Halle Majorana, who finished with a BTB.

Athletes Unlimited is HERE. @Halle_Maj37 scores the first goal in @AUProSports history. pic.twitter.com/vAKjnjRxIr

— USA Lacrosse Magazine (@USALacrosseMag) July 23, 2021

DOGS LIVING THEIR BEST LIVES

So many players and staff members have furry loved ones living in the hotel with them during our season. As a result, these dogs have not only made a ton of furry friends, but have had more attention, snuggles and treats from people than potentially ever before.

Track races in the hallways, candid appearances on draft nights and even some spotlight features on social media takeovers have been seen throughout the week. Having dogs as a regular part of the day makes the bubble feel a little more like home and certainly a whole lot cuter.