I started playing lacrosse in 4th grade in my township recreation league and unlike most other players you may see, I did not play in a club team until my freshman year in high school. My passion for the sport grew exponentially in the past two years. As soon as my freshman year season began, I saw the quick and sophisticated game played at the varsity level and immediately wanted to be a part of it. Even though I thought I worked hard enough for sophomore year, I was only able to play on the JV team but was chosen to be a team captain. I was discouraged that I did not make the varsity team, but I still put my all into playing the best I could at the JV level. While some other sophomores had moved up to varsity, they received very little playing time and stood mostly on the sidelines. In JV, I had the opportunity to play every game and continue improving my skills. When many of my JV teammates gave up on trying to receive a varsity spot, I trained every day outside of practice to create an off-hand and improve my speed by working with a personal trainer and doing my own daily workouts. In addition, I knew I wanted to gain muscle mass so I completely changed my diet to remove all junk food and increased my lean proteins. Throughout my sophomore year, the varsity head coach was watching me, and the week before the playoffs he offered me a varsity roster spot. Currently, as a junior, I am a starter for our varsity team.

My biggest assets as an athlete are my determination and drive. I believe that has helped me to really grow the last two years in not only lacrosse but as a person. I enjoyed training so much that I started a workout program for the younger athletes in my neighborhood, soon to be entering high school. I know that in order to get what you want, you have to work beyond practice and games. As a collegiate athlete, my goal is to help my team as much as I can to win a championship. No matter what adversity I face, I will never give up on lacrosse. I’ve fallen in love with the sport, and it has already changed my life for the better.