Jackie Brown combats obstacles by incorporating positivity into her life and others
GARDEN CITY, N.Y. (BVM) — No one goes through life and brags about how easy it is. For Jackie Brown of the Adelphi University field hockey team, her life has been filled with medical hardships and she continues to experience them today.
At a young age, the Port Jefferson, N.Y. native discovered field hockey thanks to her mom鈥檚 involvement in the sport.
鈥淢y mom was the varsity head coach at my high school, so I was introduced to it at three-four years old by watching her coach,鈥� Brown said. 鈥淎t about the age of five, I got my stick for the first time, did some clinics, watched the older girls play, got into travel, played on the varsity team in seventh grade and ended up at Adelphi.鈥�
Before she committed to Adelphi, Brown kept her options open and didn鈥檛 have a top choice. However, a previous connection to head coach Mary Moore swayed her decision process. In fact, Adelphi wound up being the final school she visited and ultimately went on to select.
鈥淚n my original college search, I was looking at a lot of lower Division I and higher Division III schools,鈥� Brown said. 鈥淐oach Moore reached out to me and ironically, I had her as one of my coaches for a short period of time on my travel team. I did a visit there and I absolutely loved the campus.鈥�
Following her first season at the school, Brown developed concerning medical symptoms that began in her sophomore year. To this day, they remain undiagnosed and are still prominent in her life.
鈥淢y symptoms have been chest pain, lightheadedness, seeing black dots and a very very high heart rate,鈥� Brown said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 really know what鈥檚 going on with it. I have a whole bunch of doctors and specialists, but there鈥檚 still no answer.鈥�
With these symptoms taking place on the field, it鈥檚 an even bigger challenge that Brown faces considering it ultimately impacts the way she goes about the game.
鈥淚t鈥檚 definitely frustrating to say the least,鈥� Brown said. 鈥淚鈥檓 not used to being out, so when I am, I do anything I can to get back on the field. When I do get an episode on the field, I take myself out and do some breathing exercises to get my heart rate back down to where I can go back in and play.鈥�
Once Brown realized these symptoms came into her life, she immediately used the 鈥淢ind Over Matter鈥� (MOM) mindset that her mother instilled in her growing up. Knowing that her mother is a breast cancer survivor, this is even more of an inspiration to Brown.
鈥淢y mom would always say mind over matter… you鈥檒l get through it,鈥� Brown said. 鈥淲hen she went through her cancer experience, I really saw the fact that if you have the right mindset, you really can get through anything. I 100 percent believe that the MOM mindset got her through her cancer process and journey.鈥�
In order to further remind herself about this mindset, she writes the letters 鈥淢OM鈥� on her wrist before every game. Even when she鈥檚 not on the field, this mindset has influenced how she lives her life today.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 really think about this motto that much growing up,鈥� Brown said. 鈥淚 try to keep that mindset to be as positive as I can and work through my symptoms.鈥�
Since the 鈥淢OM鈥� mindset has worked so well for Brown, she felt it needed to be applied last season after the Panthers were hit with injuries.
鈥淟ast year in particular we hit a lot of hardships,鈥� Brown said. 鈥淲e had two people go out on injury really early in the season with one being our only goalie. If we can all come together and work as a team, we鈥檒l be able to come out stronger on the other side.鈥�
The 鈥淢OM鈥� mindset proved to be effective as the team finished second place in the Northeast-10 conference (NE10) and achieved an overall record of 14-5. Despite their successful regular season, Adelphi was eliminated in the first round of the NE10 Conference Championships. Brown is hopeful she and her team will be able to compete in the spring and avenge their defeat.
鈥淲e have some unfinished business to do,鈥� Brown said. 鈥淲e definitely have a bad taste in our mouth of our playoff loss in the first round. I know I鈥檒l be a little bit devastated if we鈥檙e not able to play.鈥�
Coming into the senior year of her collegiate career, the forward/midfielder has tallied 21 goals and 23 assists over 52 games played. This season, Brown was also appointed as the Female Co-Vice Chair of the NE10 Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).
