Sunday, September 27, 2015

Becoming a WildCat

Being a part of Randolph College Women’s Lacrosse, even in the mere four weeks of practice, has been an incredibly rewarding experience for the both of us. Make no mistake, we work hard, but that same hard work has created an incredibly tight-knit family that we feel lucky to be a part of.

Our first day of practice was nerve wracking, to be sure, since we weren’t certain what we could expect of our first college lacrosse experience. Every one of us was worried about making a good first impression, catching the ball, running a fast enough mile, and generally doing well. We did our warm up lap and stretched before our captain, Taylor Riccardi '16, pulled us all in for a pep talk that lightened the mood and prepared us for our first timed mile. The practice consisted of running, stick work, and a circuit, and was not nearly as scary once we got into it. Since then, we still find ourselves worrying about mile times, but we’re more certain that whatever we cover, as long as we push ourselves and focus on improving, out teammates will help motivate us when we’re having difficulties and cheer us on as we pick up on the concepts.

Pictured:Captain Taylor Ricarddi '16 and team


Team bonding and accountability has been a big theme during our time here, and has encompassed everything from frantically making sure everyone is at practice on time to seeing who can make widgets the fastest. That day, we had been broken off into 4 teams, and sat in circles, screwing bolts onto screws as fast as possible. We also teamed up with other groups on a separate occasion and attempted to throw balls in baskets to earn the most points. The catch was, we couldn’t cross past the midfield circle when throwing. We enjoy these drills, not just because they’re a fun way to cool off after practice, but because we’re starting to make memories with each other that will carry on into the future.

This is where we think college lacrosse differs from high school lacrosse the most. Sure, practices are more intense, rules are different, and games are longer, but the difference in mentality is the big game changer. In high school, it was more about how you could do better, how you can work to receive accolades. Here at Randolph, it’s about bettering the entire team and improving the group as a whole, making sure that everyone understands concepts and that we are all pulling the weight.

Our experience with Randolph Women’s Lacrosse has helped us learn a lot about ourselves and what it takes to succeed anywhere. We are so glad to be a part of this program and can’t wait to see where we go from here!


Randolph College Women's Lacrosse team at the 2015 Fall Play Day

Written by: Hannah Bradley '19 & Kathy Butler '19
            

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