The Boston College Lady Eagles’ Lacrosse team knows how to give back, and their Head Coach Bowen Holden is a leading force behind their efforts.
Photo from Boston College
“We have a hard time saying no to different projects, so we help where we can,” said Holden. “When we find there’s connections to Boston College, we specifically find reason that lead us to that type of community service.”
Along with participation in several service projects, one particular holiday tradition led Holden’s preseason 10th ranked team to the nearby Franciscan Hospital on December 12. The student athletes entertained young children with holiday cookies.
“A lot of the children at the hospital have every range of disability, and it’s really hard for our student athletes to see these children like this,” said Holden. “These kids spend a lot of time in and out of the hospital. So, when the young kids spend two hours with our student athletes, their faces light up with expressions of joy and happiness. You see everything from screaming to laughter. And our students gain a lot from it so it’s definitely a mutual benefit to the patients and our school. It’s incredible to see the whole thing take place.”
Coach Holden, who is in her seventh year as head coach at Boston College, was an accomplished lacrosse player at Georgetown University. She says she remembers the influence community service had on her as a student athlete, and she hopes she can help instill that in her players.
“I participated in community service at Georgetown in a program going into inner-city schools to speak to kids and help them find their passions in life,” said Holden. “It had tremendous impact on me, and I can see that impact we are having on these kids. It’s so important for our student athletes to give back, whether it’s in hospitals or in different ways. Community service is very important to building the program, and BC does a great job instilling that in the students. So, it’s only natural for coaches to instill it as well.”
Holden’s trip alongside her girls’ team to the Franciscan Hospital means a lot to her, as well as the Boston College community.
“Boston College has a strong relationship with the Franciscan Hospital,” said Holden. “Our annual trips there come once at Christmas time and once at Easter, so it is picks up around the holidays.”
But she added the school puts emphasis in giving back year-round, not just the holidays.
“The student athletes help throughout the school year from September to May and even through the summer,” said Holden. “There are more events sometimes around the holidays, but at the same time, our student athletes can participate every single day in community service.”
And Holden added that giving back should be engrained now and for the future, no matter what the service project is to come.
Said Holden: “It’s important for our team to say thank you and be grateful to the people around them making their academic and athletic lives possible everyday. Through service, the girls learn kindness. We want them to live a life part of the Jesuit Ideal of ‘Men and women for others.’ Those are some of the big things we hope they take away from it and make an impact on the next generation.”
About Sarah Menefee, CSJ writer
