Camryn Nagel passed the ball to her teammate and into the net on March 20. The girls varsity lacrosse team began their season with a win against Falls Church High School with a final score of 2-0.
The girls varsity lacrosse team started their season off with four consecutive wins. They now have an overall record of 8-4, beating McLean, Lake Braddock, Hayfield, Washington-Liberty, Herndon, Westfield, Fairfax and Marshall. Meanwhile, the girls JV lacrosse team began the season with a tie with McLean High School. Their current overall record as of April 28 is 4-3-1, beating Lake Braddock, Hayfield, Herndon and Westfield.
“Our team gets along really well and we have good team chemistry,” varsity attacker senior Camryn Nagel said. “You can definitely see it on the field when we’re able to interact with everyone and not be scared to pass.”
The team gets together for team bonding outside of practice and games to improve how they communicate together. This builds team friendships and collaboration.
“I’ve made a lot of friends over my course of time on the team and that’s definitely been a plus,” Nagel said. “It’s also helped me learn to work with people effectively and be able to take positive criticism.
During practice, both JV and varsity watch each other work on gameplay which eventually gets incorporated into their own skills. With daily practice, the teams work on specific skills such as running.
“Lacrosse is a good way to exercise daily,” varsity defender sophomore Gabrielle Raptis said. “Endurance is very important because we run a lot for long periods of time.”
According to The American Sports and Fitness Association, daily exercise increases athletic strength, reduces stress and improves mental focus. Daily exercise is only one part of a successful team.
“Sometimes communicating is one of our biggest weaknesses,” Nagel said. “Our bonding really pays off well on defense so it’s definitely gotten better.”
Arkansas University states that players with effective communication skills will work better together. Learning how to communicate with others without offending them or hurting them isn’t always easy.
“Communication skills are also really important during the game,” Nagel said. “Without being able to effectively talk to your teammates, you’re practically playing alone which is pretty much impossible.”
The girls varsity lacrosse team works together to make plays and decisions that they think will get the ball back onto defense or score a goal on offense. This requires the team to talk to each other on the field with encouragement.
“Being able to work with others and read the field is something we make sure to focus on because lacrosse is a very collaborative sport,” varsity attack and midfield freshman Melanie Lee said.
The girls JV and varsity lacrosse teams have their next games on May 1. Both teams will play against Centreville High School.
