Eagle Parent Perspective

From Karen DeBlois (mother of Katie, BC Lax '09)

Welcome to BC Lacrosse:

It seems like just a few months ago, not three years, that Tim and I were getting ready to take our youngest child, our daughter Katie, off to BC. We had been through this before with our sons Tim (Cornell '04, lacrosse) and Michael (Nazareth '06, basketball and golf) but taking our baby girl (please don't tell Katie I referred to her like that!) and dropping her off 5 hours from home was daunting. We stayed the night before move-in day with my brother and his family in Wrentham, 45 minutes from BC, and got up at the crack of dawn to head to campus thinking we'd be the only ones there but when we got close to Upper Campus, the roads were already full of over-packed vans and U-Hauls ( see "Things I wish I knew......, following). Before we knew it we were headed home with an empty van and no Katie. Our son Mikey started calling my cell before we even got on the Turnpike and called a few more times before we left Massachusetts. The calls were short with questions about the weather and when we'd get home but it wasn't until about the 4th call that I realized he was worried about me and how I'd feel leaving Katie behind. My macho 6 foot 4 inch son was worried about his old mom.......not that he'd ever put it that way.

Well, that was just the beginning of the wonderful adventure that is BC and BC lacrosse. We have had more fun than we ever expected and met people we hope to have as life-long friends. The BC laxers are and have been a wonderful group of girls. They certainly have had their share of ups and downs on the lax field but the way they work so hard and take care of and support each other on and off the field is amazing. They are a tight-knit group who love to laugh and love to have a good time. As the saying goes "apples don't fall too far from the tree" so you will find the lax parents to be a great group also. There's always a crowd of parents and other assorted relatives at the games, whether it's a freezing cold mid-week game or a game in sunny California. Tim and I usually show up an hour or two before game time to get the grill fired up and get those "cold drinks" iced down. It's a nice time to catch up with the parents and relax. After the games we normally have a full-out tailgate for the team, coaches, family and friends....all are welcome. There is usually enough food for an army even after the hungry girls have had their fill. There will be e-mails flying, or maybe we'll just use this blog, to give everyone a chance to help out with the tailgates. If it's not convenient for you to bring things for the tailgate (long distance, arriving by air, whatever), I keep a little fund of donations and purchase or order whatever we need.

Tim and I will be hitting the road next weekend to move Katie in to her Mod. We are looking forward to meeting all the freshman parents. I will be doing rosters and buttons for the parents and should have them available for the first game this Fall. If anyone has any questions or suggestions, please give me a call at 315-730-0915 or e-mail at deblois97@aol.com.


Things I wish I knew before moving my daughter in to Upper Campus at BC:
Parking is severely limited on the Upper Campus.
You may be able to get there hours or even a day earlier than they tell you and get moved in before the crowd hits.
If you arrive at the busy time (daylight), you will have to wait in the crowded streets surrounding Upper until a spot opens up for you to park.
When you get a parking spot you are allowed about 20 minutes to unload. It's helpful if someone is along to sit in the car and watch the stuff at the curb while others bring things up to the dorm room.
There is usually volunteers to help carry things in.
If you plan to help your daughter get settled in/unpack/decorate, someone will have to go park your vehicle somewhere away from Upper (the Beacon Street garage is usually available) and walk back.
There will be many helpful, watchful BC security people directing you where to park but their job is to keep things moving by enforcing the 20-minute rule.
Pack some water and snacks, it can be a long day.