Senior Sophie Shore, a defender on the varsity girls lacrosse team, races down the lacrosse field, striving to overtake an opponent from Kirkwood. If she lets this girl get a goal, the game will be a loss for FHC. Shore, however, skillfully blocks the Kirkwood girl’s shot, then shortly, time runs out in the game. The lacrosse players on the bench rush the field, join the rest of their team, and jump and scream in joy. This celebratory attitude the girl’s lacrosse team has during their games transfers over to practices as well. Shore shares that this positive vibe is one of the reasons she has stuck around in girls lacrosse for all four years of her highschool career.
“The people are very nice and the atmosphere is very uplifting,” Shore said.
Junior Mckenzie Schweitzer, an attacker on the varsity team, agrees with Shore that the friendliness the girls lacrosse team exudes is the reason she comes back to lacrosse every year.
“I have a lot more friends [from lacrosse]. I get to say hi to everybody in the hallways. It also helps me stay super fit, especially the running,” Schweitzer said.
It is clear that the team is full of positive and inviting players. Junior Holly Dodds, a midfielder also on the varsity team, explains that the most anticipated upcoming game for the girl’s lacrosse team is the game against Howell.
“The Howell game [is the game everyone is nervous for]! I think we can pull through, but that’s one game that everyone thinks we really need to win,” Dodds said.
Winning against teams like Howell takes practice, dedication, and effort, meaning that the team has to overcome many challenges. Within any spot, an athlete will have personal challenges to overcome, and Dodds describes hers.
“Confidence [has been the biggest challenge I’ve had to overcome]. I don’t really think I’m as good as other people say I am. It’s hard to get over that mental block,” Dodds said.
Shore shares the challenges she has had to overcome when playing lacrosse.
“Holding myself accountable in terms of skill [is the biggest challenge I’ve had to overcome]. My freshman and sophomore year I was playing with people who had played their whole lives and were way better than me. So I had to get good, fast,” Shore said.
There are many benefits that come from playing lacrosse, despite the hardships that players have to work though. Dodds then shares the positive aspect of lacrosse that she has experienced.
“Lacrosse has kept me active. I can run around and stay in shape. It’s also given me a lot more friends, like I have a lot of friends that I’ve met strictly through lacrosse that I wouldn’t have [met] without [lacrosse],” Dodds said.
Shore shares a similar opinion with Dodds; lacrosse comes with physical and mental benefits.
“As soon as I step outside I’m 10 times happier. Seasonal depression has had me in a chokehold this winter, and so lacrosse gives me a reason to be outside. Even during tryouts, as soon as I stepped on the field I felt so much better,” Shore said.
For many of the players, lacrosse clearly brings positive feelings. Shore then reflects on her favorite memory from her earlier years of playing lacrosse.
“My favorite lacrosse memory is during my sophomore year when we were playing Kirkwood in the sweet sixteen tournament. We won by one goal, it was a ‘buzzer-beater’. It was a super exciting win [for me and the whole team],” Shore said.
Finally, Schweitzer shares her more recent success story from playing lacrosse with the girls varsity lacrosse team from last year.
“My favorite lacrosse memory is from my sophomore year, when I got pulled up for a varsity game. I played for only 2 mins, but I was able to get the ball and break away from my defender – she tripped trying to tackle me – and I ended up getting a goal. At the end of the game I was granted player of the game by my varsity captain,” Schweitzer said.
