My Lacrosse Story
Lacrosse has been in my blood since the moment I was born.
I practically grew up with a stick in my hand. Although I did not officially start playing until age 4, lacrosse was embedded in my everyday life. Having a dad as a coach made it very hard to ignore. Not that I wanted to ignore it, I loved every minute of it.
My dad was the Associate Head Coach of Mens Lacrosse at Johns Hopkins University from 2002-2020. Despite coaching being an extremely time consuming job, he was dedicated to being a part of me and my three siblings childhood. Which usually meant we went to him.
Some of my earliest memories were made on Homewood Field. Standing on the sideline with the players, running around the field with the other coaches’ children after games, and sneaking into the kitchen in the athletic center to grab a chocolate milk - those are the memories I associate with lacrosse. The environment was unlike anything I had ever experienced, and as soon as I was old enough to understand what it meant, I made a promise to myself. I would play collegiate lacrosse.
I played a sport for every season of my childhood to stay busy. Soccer, basketball, and swimming were fun to me, but I truly waited patiently for these sports to blow over and for the spring to start up every year so lacrosse would begin again. My parents always told me that I was a fine athlete, but you could tell my heart was really in it when I stepped on a lacrosse field.
Looking back now, I think it’s because every lacrosse game I played held more value to me than the game itself. I was playing for the younger version of myself- the six-year-old whose eyes sparkled as she pulled into Homewood Field.
My journey was far from over however. I was raised with the belief that to achieve your dreams there are two important values: passion and hard-work. I had the passion no doubt, now it was time to get my hands dirty. “You cannot accomplish your goals if you are not willing to work hard,” my parents always said.
I worked relentlessly to make this dream a reality. Being on such a competitive high school team, working hard came naturally: there was no other option. Maryvale Preparatory School really challenged me. I had always been a hard worker, but this was when it clicked. My teammates, my coaches, our opponents, and our ranking were all factors that fueled my fire and gave me the necessary motivation. My senior year, we finished the season ranked #4 in the country.
But before that final ranking, I had gone through my recruiting process. It was not easy, there were many highs and lows and even times were I questioned playing lacrosse in college altogether. But I always kept six-year-old me in mind, and when I stepped onto Manhattan University’s campus, I was sold. Although I would miss Maryvale, my heart knew I was in the right place.
And my heart was absolutely right! Sure, I’ve had my ups and downs with lacrosse at Manhattan, but I cannot imagine myself anywhere else. I love everything about the university-the location, my professors, the close-knit community and the size.
But to top it off, I have never had more fun playing lacrosse than I have had these past 3 years. High school lacrosse was all about hard work and I’ve worked even harder at Manhattan. But somewhere along the way I have found something just as valuable: confidence. I truly feel like I am playing the best lacrosse of my life.
My teammates, past and present, have become lifelong friends and I could not be prouder wearing the words “MANHATTAN” across my chest.
I often think back to my six-year-old self, wondering how proud she would be of me. My lacrosse journey has been a rollercoaster - full of challenges, setbacks, and moments that could have made me walk away. But with every step forward I took, I was keeping a promise to that little girl.
The field may have changed from Homewood to Gaelic Park, but that little girl hasn’t. She still has the same passion, the same work ethic, and the same sparkle in her eyes. And every time I step onto the field, I carry her with me, knowing I am making her proud.
Over the past three years, I have accomplished so much more than simply being a member of a collegiate team. Heading into my senior season, I am a two-year captain, have started every game but two in my career, picked up 58 grounds balls, caused 30 turnovers, won 22 draw controls, scored my first collegiate goal as a defender, and earned MAAC All-Academic honors.
Unfortunately my playing career is beginning to wind down. After 16 years, I have just one more season before I hang up the cleats. But while my time on the field as a player is coming to an end, I know my journey with lacrosse doesn’t have to.
My goal now is to help the next generation of players achieve the dreams they once imagined for themselves. By offering individual and group trainings, drills, recruiting advice, and simply sharing my experiences as a divison 1 athlete, I hope to inspire young girls to believe in their potential, and support in providing the confidence needed to chase their own dreams - just as I chased mine.
My love for staying involved in the game extends far beyond the sport itself, as this summer I have been given the opportunity to work at USA Lacrosse as a Digital Technology and Marketing Communications Intern. Throughout this experience, I have worked alongside some incredible people assisting in:
Email and SMS deployment in Salesforce Marketing Cloud
Designing emails for regional members and retail
Building reports to track email metrics in order to spot trends and highlight areas for improvement.
Creating a presentation with fellow interns on the history of the company and ways to promote growth and members
This internship has expanded my understanding in growing support and digital storytelling through marketing, a skill I was familiar with but mainly through digital media.
As an athletic media assistant at Manhattan University, I assisted in producing live Division 1 men’s and women’s soccer and basketball games using broad-cast level equipment. I operate inside an ESPN truck, coordinating with producers, directors, and camera crew to deliver accurate, real-time broadcast coverage. This has taught me the importance of storytelling through the media in order to build engagement and support.
By combining two passions- sports and storytelling- with a skill I was eager to develop (storytelling through marketing), this internship has allowed me to strengthen my communication, collaboration, analytical thinking, and strategic marketing skills. It reinforces my interest in using storytelling to grow communities, promote engagement, a make an impact on and off the field.