Liberty University Club Sports Athletics
Men’s lacrosse brings attitude of gratitude to Fort Pickett in serving Afghans on base
11/22/2021 6:03:50 PM | Men's Lacrosse
Thirty-one members of Liberty University’s men’s lacrosse team and coaching staff traveled to Fort Pickett in Blackstone, Va., on Veterans Day, Nov. 11, following the lead of the men’s volleyball team’s initial trip in late September and the women’s beach volleyball team in October. The Flames interacted with many of the 10,000 Afghanistan guests being housed on base since they were evacuated from their homeland, which was seized by the Taliban upon the U.S. Military’s withdrawal in late August.
“It was a good opportunity to go down and try to do something, but it was definitely eye-opening as well,” Liberty Head Coach Kyle McQuillan said, noting that the team arrived at the heavily secured military base in the early afternoon and received training from staff before serving until 8 p.m. “We had a pretty good understanding of the situation and what we were getting ourselves into (but) nothing really prepares you to see that many people who have been displaced, taken out of their homes and out of their country, and put on a military base with not much more than the clothes on their backs.”
Though the base is located only about an hour and a half from Liberty’s campus, McQuillan said with the influx of Afghans, it appeared to be a foreign country.
“As we were going into the little villages set up on the base, it was like the shortest trip you would ever have to make to do a mission trip, with kids swarming and grabbing you as soon as you’d get off the bus and pulling you in 100 different directions,” he said.
While they didn’t get a chance to showcase their lacrosse skills, the Flames divided into groups, with some playing soccer with Afghan youth and others throwing flying discs around with the older guests. They also organized and sorted gifts, snacks, and clothing in storage spaces to help military reserves and staff on base in disbursing those resources.
“There was a pretty big gap in terms of our communication, but that’s what was great in being able to play soccer and participate in activities they were familiar with,” McQuillan said, noting that sport is a universal language.
The experiences were coordinated by LU Serve Now through Liberty’s Office of Spiritual Development to assist with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Operation Allies Welcome and Operation Allies Refuge, facilitated by reserves from the U.S. Army National Guard and Marine Corps.
“Liberty has been a huge advocate for people coming on base to provide material supplies as well as a resource, to give the adults something to look forward to by playing games with them there,” McQuillan said. “We were glad to be a part of that and what we wanted to do was to communicate through our actions that we are in support of them being here.”
McQuillan, a Canadian who became an American citizen over the Summer of 2019, was proud of the way his team members represented Liberty and the American way.
“There might be some preconceived ideas of what Americans are like, so having a chance to interact with the refugees there can give them a pretty good perspective and insight into what Americans are like and what they are capable of,” he said.
Many of the military personnel based there have moved out of their buildings and are sleeping in tents to accommodate the guests.
“Any time you take on that many people in such a short period of time, there are going to be some difficulties with it, but the base is doing a good job of providing shelter, three meals a day, security and a good chance of starting a new life in America,” McQuillan said.
He said the experience was invaluable for the Flames, who came away with a greater appreciation for how blessed they are.
“As much as it was for the people we were there to try to help serve in whatever way we could, it was a good perspective to gain on our own lives,” he said. “Guys walked away from it learning a lot more about the current situation and gained some perspective on how fortunate we are and how grateful we should be to live in America, a country that provides so many opportunities and so much freedom.”
He said especially as the team enters Thanksgiving Break, the trip was a reminder of one of its core values.
“On our team, gratitude is one of our non-negotiables, and this is something that should make you feel a huge sense of gratitude,” McQuillan said. “It was definitely a great experience, and hopefully there will be more of those opportunities for guys to give back in a variety of ways over the course of the year.”
He expects the trip will lead to further opportunities for outreach, even beyond the Commonwealth of Virginia, noting that funds raised over the past two Giving Days — including more than $21,000 donated earlier this month — have been designated specifically for the purpose of supporting missions and community service projects.
“To be good stewards of the resources we’ve been able to raise, we are open and flexible and excited about wherever God may lead us,” McQuillan said, noting that the Flames had to cancel potential LU Send trips to Puerto Rico in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria and Ukraine due to political instability in recent years, even before COVID-19. “They have never materialized, (but) guys know that is a priority for us to do in the future and this was definitely a good primer or small-scale example for something like that.”
He said such a trip would ideally involve playing lacrosse, but that wouldn’t be a prerequisite.
“We selfishly would like lacrosse to be a part of it, because people all over the world would benefit from the resources we are able to provide, but we are not ruling anything out,” McQuillan said.
In July, the team sent helmets and other equipment to contacts in Ukraine to help their FCA Lacrosse program.
After the Flames completed their fall semester schedule with a scrimmage against Virginia Tech on Oct. 29 at the Liberty Lacrosse Fields, McQuillan has given his team opportunities to bond around non-lacrosse-related “fun” activities. On Nov. 9, they visited the Liberty Mountain Gun Club (LMGC) and participated in a rifle shooting competition on the range, supervised by Action Sports Head Coach and LMGC Manager and Chief Safety Officer Bill Crawford. Last week, they held a swim meet at the Liberty Natatorium and next Tuesday they will hold a tournament at the Montview Bowling Alley.
“The guys are athletes, but they’re definitely not swimmers, so we were taking them out of their element and throwing them in the pool,” McQuillan said. “They play lacrosse throughout the year, so we thought we would change things up and keep them on their toes.”
By Ted Allen/Staff Writer
