Playing college sports was truly one of the most challenging yet rewarding experiences of my life. When I started playing lacrosse in middle school, I had no idea of the journey this sport would take me on. After all, I just wanted to hit people. Once I began developing a passion for the game a new goal popped into my mind, and after years of work I found myself lacing up my cleats on the Captains Turf Field here at CNU. The first couple months were basically all punishment and no reward as we constantly trained. Early morning lifting and afternoon conditioning became unbearable without an opponent to take your frustrations out on. Spring finally came around and we began preparing for actual games instead of measly scrimmages. Then, it was game day. Even though we had been training and practicing all fall and spring for this moment, I somehow felt unprepared. Being a freshman I knew I wouldn’t see much of the field, but I was terrified all the same. My heart pounded as we lined up outside of our locker room, preparing to take the field. The pounding only increased when the first whistle ripped through the air. This feeling of adrenaline and excitement continued through every game whether I was on the sidelines or playing. The road to participating in college athletics was long, strenuous and time consuming, but I wouldn’t trade those experiences on and off the field for anything.
