Fourth-year College student and women’s lacrosse player Caroline Seats joined Boston College women’s lacrosse players Covie Stanwick and Molly Erdle this December in Yards for Yeardley — a project in which teams pledge to run one million yards in one month. The project has quickly expanded to include women’s and men’s teams at colleges and high schools across the country.
The project was inspired by Yeardley Love, a University student and lacrosse player who was murdered in 2010 by ex-boyfriend George Huguely, also a University student and lacrosse player. After her death, her parents established the One Love Foundation to raise awareness about relationship violence.
“This spring marks the five year anniversary of [Yeardley’s] tragic death, so we felt that it was extremely important to bring awareness to relationship violence and increase support for the One Love Foundation,” Seats said.
After students at the University and Boston College started the project, 80 college lacrosse teams across the country joined. The project continues to draw more college and high school players every day, and other sports teams such as soccer, rowing and field hockey have joined as well.
“No one could have predicted how many teams would join this incredible movement,” third-year College student and women’s lacrosse player Ella Cooper said.
As teams participating in Yards for Yeardley ran their one million yards, they posted to Instagram, Twitter and Facebook to track their progress and spread their message.
“Members of [the U.Va. and Boston College] teams were encouraged to create Facebook and Instagram posts as they completed their yards,” third-year College student and women’s lacrosse player Kelly Boyd said. “Girls on other teams saw these posts and really wanted to get their teams involved.”
The women’s lacrosse team completed their one million yards over winter break while training for the spring season.
“One million yards sounds like a large number, but most teams [are] able to complete their yardage within three weeks,” Seats said. “During our one month tracking period, [the team] completed 1,861,064 yards for Yeardley.”
The players on the women’s team have been thrilled with the project’s progress, Boyd said.
“We have had a lot of fun with this project and watching it expand has been awesome, especially knowing that it all began with one of our teammates and friends, Caroline,” Boyd said. “We are all so proud of her efforts and the work she has put into this project.”
Nearly five years after Love’s death, the lacrosse team has emphasized its commitment to preserving her memory and teaching others about the dangers of relationship violence.
“When I was a [first year], the [fourth year] class was the last remaining class to have played with Yeardley,” Cooper said. “I know these girls feared that once they were gone, some of the traditions we have to remember Yeardley would be lost. This movement has reinforced how important Yeardley was to the lacrosse community and provided a platform to expand awareness and education regarding domestic violence.”
Read More
Dreaming of drunken noodles at Thai Cuisine and Noodle House
By Lizzy Goldstein | 13 hours agoI was amazed by how the tamarind sauce and variety of spices created a cohesive link among all the dishes, tying the dinner together and leaving everyone feeling satiated.
Breaking my silence
By Cecy Juárez | 2 days agoI, Cecy Juárez, am one of the three “squirrels of U.Va.” running the @thesquirrelsofuva page.
Lending a hand during the finals push
By Abby Snowdon | 4 days agoThe race to the end of the year has begun, and University groups have set up pit stops along the course to help students get to the finish line.
