The Girls lacrosse team is adjusting to multiple changes this year. They have a new coach, Kaitlyn Liccion, who pushes the team hard with practices and conditioning. Not to mention, after six years of being a club sport, this year, they have finally been made a varsity sport.

“A lot of people wanted it to be a sport, so everyone was really excited when they found out,” said Rachel Lubinger, a senior lacrosse player. Also a lot of people are excited because they get to have the sport on their letter jacket,” she continued.

The girls lacrosse club was started by Jen Tramer, a Beachwood parent and former school board member who played lacrosse herself at Yale University. Lacrosse is not recognized by the Ohio High School Athletic Association, but after about six years of consistently attracting a substantial number of players for the team and being efficient at taking care of their finances, the athletic department decided it was time for girls lacrosse to become a varsity sport.

“We thought it was the right time. They met all of our requirements in order to become a varsity sport. We were seeing the progress, we were seeing that there was a future in girls lacrosse. It is absolutely a growing sport,” said Ryan Peters, the Athletic Director for the high school.

Being a varsity sport will inevitably lead to some differences in the team compared to previous years. For example, according to Lubinger, “It’s probably going to be a much more intense game now that we are a varsity sport. It’ll be more official. We’ve been learning more drills and dodges this year, and we play more competitive teams now.
Being a varsity sport also allows the team to participate in post-season competitions.

According to Gabby Greer, a senior and one of the captains of the girls lacrosse team, their goals are to have more players committed to sticking with lacrosse, and for girls to know that lacrosse is something important to carry on, and it is a sport they can pursue through college as well.

“We’re always trying to talk more as a team on the field, and communicate better, especially since we are a varsity sport now. That’s become even more of a necessity,” said Lubinger. “It’d be really cool, since we are a varsity sport now, if we could get more attendance, and have people come out to see both games,” she continued. “Some people have come to only the varsity games, but it’d be cool if both JV and varsity had attendance.”

“We also have a lot of new Freshmen on the team this year, so we’re teaching them all the new skills, so… they’ll be able to carry it on,” Lubinger added.

In regard to how training for girls lacrosse compares to other sports, Kendyl Kennon, a senior on the varsity girls lacrosse team said, “It’s more crucial. It’s way more running. You have to be in shape in order to play lacrosse.”

Nevertheless, in Kennon’s opinion, “It’s the most fun sport, and when the games start, we get closer with every game.”
“Once we all get to know each other, we get to be like a family, and we laugh, and have fun,” Greer added.