Eliza Bufferd You see your teammate running down the field, cradling the ball with her shiny new stick. You pace close to her, but allow enough space for her to make a decision about the next move. You approach the goal. Soon, you are close enough to shoot. You ask for a feed pass. You move your stick back and flick the ball. It soars through the air. You watch it in slow motion as it slips past the goalkeeper into the net. You dash towards your teammate and give her a high five. “Nice pass,” you say, smiling. “Nice goal,” your teammate congratulates back. These are the feelings the girls on Latin’s lacrosse team finally get to experience, since this is Latin’s first year offering girl’s lacrosse as a club. The team has 33 members, comprised mostly of freshman. While some have played for years, many had never picked up a lacrosse stick in their life. Girls I spoke with have had an outstanding experience. Freshman Pamela Cameron said, “I think it is really fun and not too stressful because most people are learning to play for the first time.” Another freshman shared their love for the kind and inclusive coaches. The club’s founder, Emily Breitenecker, has been playing lacrosse since the first grade and wanted to share her love for the sport. The idea to create the club initially sparked in Ms. Barker’s speech class. She realized she could make the dream a reality, beginning by talking with Coach Bower and her mom. Although she faced multiple obstacles in the process, she found a league to join, scouted out two amazing coaches, and scheduled a location for practices. Now, they have 5:30 p.m. practices at Wilson or Lincoln Park turf three days per week. Unfortunately, this season, they’ve only had the chance to play three games due to the lack of teams in the league. Next year though, they hope to have enough players to become a varsity team and have more fans cheering them on. Emily also mentioned how well the team has bonded like a family, despite people’s grade.  The team learns from each other’s strengths and weaknesses. These ladies work hard when nobody’s watching, and deserve the same recognition as “Men’s Varsity Lacrosse.” So next time you’re free, come support Latin’s Girls Lacrosse!]]>