South Hadley, Mass. - February 11, 2021 - Senior Chelsea Braz (Coventry, Conn.) has had five concussions in the first three years of her college career, but that has not stopped her from continuing to push forward.
"Normally you wouldn't want to continue sports if you've had that many," she stated.
Braz went on to explain the timeline of her concussions; the first at the beginning of her first lacrosse season that took her out for the remainder of the schedule. Her second was at the beginning of her sophomore year field hockey season, but thankfully she was able to make it back for the final few games. As a result of her several injuries, Braz believes "resilient" is how she would describe herself.
"I'm always the kind of kid that comes back and hits harder than I did before," she explained as a smile crossed her face.
Braz is currently a senior on both the varsity field hockey and lacrosse teams at Mount Holyoke College. She has been the field hockey captain since December of her sophomore year. Her older sister, Kaitlin, was a senior captain on both teams Braz's first year. An important part of her character is her strong relationship with her family and team.
Braz described that her first concussion was not only a struggle to overcome the physical challenges of an injury but also extremely disappointing because she lost that final lacrosse season with her sister.
"They're definitely like a really tight knit family," Julia Klein (West Hartford, Conn.) said, a fellow senior on the field hockey and lacrosse teams who has played alongside Braz all four years. She explained how Braz's family would come to all the games they were able to, proudly wearing Mount Holyoke gear. Klein believes that it was an easy transition from her family life to the team culture since both groups are very supportive and close with one another.
The support from Braz's family and team was important as she struggled with the pressures of academics. Though Braz is finishing her degree in architectural studies, she entered college thinking she would major in biological sciences pairing with her interest in marine sciences. She spent her first year taking classes required for the major but struggled more than she was accustomed to as a high achieving student. Braz was worried that other people in her life would be disappointed in her so that added pressure to the decision to change majors but she soon realized that those concerns were all in her head. She explained that her family wants her to be successful but above all wants her to be happy and to do what she loves. The support of her family and team made the decision to leave biology as her major and pursue architecture much easier.
"The person that was most disappointed was myself," Braz explained.
Even after Braz decided to change majors, she still found herself questioning whether architecture was the right fit. Despite that, she never stopped pushing and continuing to work hard both in academics and athletics.
Klein would describe Braz as driven and determined, explaining how when Braz sets goals, she focuses to accomplish them. This also correlates with her interactions with her fellow teammates. She is described as super passionate about the team, often "putting herself in the best position to help the team and help us reach her goals," according to Klein. Braz is known to be very approachable and welcoming, especially with the underclassmen. She will help guide the new teammates to understand how the team functions and how to navigate the academic side of college.
Klein said Braz "genuinely wants the best for each of the players whether or not it's sports-related."
Braz has consistently been dedicated and passionate about her team, even with her challenges. Klein explained how Braz put her recovery first and did what she needed to do to take care of herself. By doing so, she was able to return to practice sooner than if she had pushed herself too soon. Klein described how it was hard for Braz to miss out on practices and other team events, but Braz's resiliency and determination allowed her to focus on what was most important.
"I worked to get back to where I was and even push beyond that," Braz recalled.
According to Klein, when she was able to return to practice, she was extremely supportive and helped any way she could whether it was picking up balls from the sideline or cheering everyone on during drills.
Braz's three-year role as a captain helped her through all her struggles and the pressures of balancing academics and athletics. Initially, Braz never thought she would run for the captain position. After discussing with her mom, she decided to run for captain in December of her sophomore year and earned the position. She wanted to take that pressure off her teammates. Being the youngest of four, she had been accustomed to always being taken care of so when she became captain, she had to switch that mindset.
Braz has had a successful time having an official leadership role on the team and has proven to make a positive impact. She will stick up for teammates when they need it and have those hard conversations, whether it be with a teammate or the coach. Braz knows how much she has struggled before and does not want any of her teammates to feel that same way. Despite the added demands of being a captain, she has never felt like it has been too much or that it has been a burden. She believes becoming a captain changed her as a person. It always felt like the "right amount of productivity."
Braz believes that athletics help with academics even at a prestigious institution such as Mount Holyoke because despite being busy with rigorous practices and a heavy competition schedule, student-athletes like Braz are still able to maintain good academic standing and excel in the classroom.
Pushing through her struggles, Braz's resiliency earned her a successful college career as a student-athlete. With the love and support she has from her team, there will not be any obstacle she has to go through alone.
Article written by Sophia Anderson '22
