Before this spring, I stuck to fencing as my main sport. But on a whim, I decided that in my last few months of high school, I would put aside my saber and join the boys’ lacrosse team. Despite my complete unfamiliarity with the sport, the team and coaching staff took me in without question, teaching me everything I could possibly learn with the time given. But more important than the daunting task of learning to play the sport was learning how to be a good teammate: suddenly, I had become a part of something greater than any individual success or win tally could describe. 

Of the memories from this season, the one I remember the most clearly is playing under Shorecrest’s towering floodlights on the Friday before spring break. From well-executed offensive plays that left us with wide-open shots to our defensive discipline that led to forced turnovers, it felt like our practice was finally paying off. When the final buzzer went off, declaring our 16-12 win, the team rushed the field to celebrate, savoring the moment with hugs, chocolate milks, and Uncrustables. In light of six straight defeats before that game, the win meant a lot to us: we had just cleared our first hurdle. Knowing that our losses had either been against state favorites or were close defeats, we had managed to stay optimistic heading into that game, evolving with every practice and slowly fusing into a cohesive unit.  

Following Shorecrest, we had just a few days to ourselves before getting back to work to prepare for our game against Spokane. Suddenly, we hit another roadblock. Seemingly having lost the passion and grit we had displayed the week before against Shorecrest, we suffered losses against both of our Eastern Washington opponents. Upon returning home, we faced Seattle Prep, ending in another heavy loss. But we had reached the light at the end of the tunnel: a stretch of our schedule that we knew we could win. 

After Prep, we beat Kennedy Catholic handily, moving on to a matchup that we had circled in red on our calendar: Senior Night versus Overlake. After a string of losses against Overlake in the past, this time around, our matchup was personal. Throughout the game, both teams were locked in a slugfest. That was until we surged in the fourth quarter, stymied their final comeback attempts, and took the win. 

Four season wins might not seem much, but it is evidence of the evolution and positive trajectory of the lacrosse program. While seniors were upset to have not qualified for the playoffs, we still felt a great sense of pride in furthering the foundation of our changing program. With the guidance of Coach Black and his passion, experience, and professionalism, the boys lacrosse program is on a new, upward trajectory. His expectation of hustle, determination, and accuracy in practice is changing our team into a group of fine tuned athletes who give their all at every waking moment. In the next few years, as Coach Black’s system continues to shape the team and our stellar underclassmen start to lead, Boys’ Lacrosse has the potential to perform at a high level in the most competitive lacrosse league in the state.