Grace Fletcher - More Than Sports

Below is a feature story provided by FanWord.com about Grace Fletcher, who is one of several nominees for this year's Rock Royer/Mac Rivera Award.

The Rock Royer/Mac Rivera Award recognizes the Liberty University senior student-athlete who has maintained an exemplary testimony on the playing field, in the classroom and among the student body. Click here for more information about the Rock Royer/Mac Rivera Award.

Rock Royer/Mac Rivera Award web page:
https://www.liberty.edu/flames/index.cfm?PID=37091

I'm exactly where I need to be.

That's been my feeling since the very first time I walked onto campus at Liberty University. I came in looking to play college lacrosse and found so much more.

I've grown in ways I never would have believed possible – physically, spiritually, and academically. You see, Liberty is a place where if you decide to grow, you will thrive because there are so many opportunities to do so.

Sometimes I wonder who I would have been if I decided to spend my college career someplace else. Would I have found the Lord? Would I have formed the same lifelong friendships over the last few years? Would I be as prepared to go out into the world and live a successful life?

God changed my heart and the trajectory of my life by the people he has placed around me. It's crazy to think it all started with a "yes" and a handshake in my commitment to Liberty.

The Handshake
I was pretty insistent on getting that handshake—so much so that I actually drove down to Lynchburg with my parents for a face-to-face meeting with the Liberty lacrosse coach.

I just didn't want to send over an email. I wanted to look my new coach in the eye and shake her hand to make it official.

After all, I knew this moment would change my life forever.

Playing in college wasn't even really on my mind early on. Being a part of one of the top lacrosse high school teams in the country, however, opened up my mind to the idea of competing in college.

With so many of my teammates committing to Division I schools, it didn't take long for my dreams to shift towards playing at the next level.

What can I say? I got caught up in the culture, and I became even more passionate about the sport.

Little did I know, that passion would grow into something much bigger than lacrosse in just my freshman year at college.

The Ultimate Commitment
Not long after I arrived, my college teammates showed me what following Jesus looked like. I'll be honest, I'd never seen anything like that before in my life.

I remember just being in such awe of the joy and commitment they had in the Lord—all while rejoicing in every season of life, both good and bad.

That's when I decided to get baptized and commit my life fully to Jesus, too.

My faith became my own, and I had an incredible community that helped guide and hold me accountable. I can't even put into words the love I have for my coaches and teammates. They accepted me, encouraged me, and helped put me on the path to becoming the best possible version of myself.

And for that, I'll forever be grateful.

Since day one, Liberty has only been about promoting growth. It really changed the way I lived my life, honestly. Sometimes, I just randomly stop and thank God for giving me this opportunity.

People here emphasize the importance of growing in areas outside of our sport. And let's be honest, that's what it should all be about, right?

The love we all have for one another can be felt in everything we do. Regardless of where life takes me, I know I have found lifelong friends who will always be right by my side.

It's because we've always stuck together.

Even when our season was stolen from us last year due to COVID, we were all right there, side-by-side, supporting and encouraging one another.

As a student-athlete, that whole experience was just such a shock. As a senior, it was absolutely heartbreaking. How do you even prepare for something like this?

But those lessons of growth helped us come to grips with the decision to cancel the season. We accepted it, grieved over it together, and moved on. Lacrosse was just one small part of our lives in comparison to everything else out there.

Life goes on, and together, we managed to cope.

The Future Calling

I'm now close to earning my master's degree in public health here from Liberty.

Just recently, I had the privilege of serving refugees and immigrants with a mission organization in Spain. It was such an incredible and eye-opening experience. I was able to use my knowledge from my undergrad and taught them basic things to improve their quality of life.

I now began to look into different organizations here in the US where I could either work as a health educator or community health worker after graduation.

My hope is to make an impact, especially in lower-income populations.

I have been blessed with an amazing academic career, and the Lord has shown me my calling in life. I am so excited to see how God uses the gifts and knowledge he has given me after I leave this amazing university and campus.

I'm also humbled and honored to be a nominee for the Rock Royer/Mac Rivera Award.

Throughout my time here at Liberty, I've placed my value on people above all else. Since I arrived, the only thing I've cared about is supporting my teammates and giving everything I have on and off the field. It's an honor to be recognized.

But it's an even greater honor to have been a part of this program.

I'm incredibly grateful that my journey doesn't end this season. No, it'll continue on forever, as I carry all of the lessons and memories from these past five years with me wherever the Lord takes me.