It is 6:55 pm, and by now everyone is on the field. The big stadium is lit with four bright lights, and the atmosphere is cold and lively. The girls’ lacrosse team sits on the left side of the field; which is preferred over the right. Everyone is getting ready: putting on their cleats, redoing their hair, and getting any last-minute gear before practice starts. The evening begins with a warm-up lap around the stadium, running while cradling. Cradling is when the player rapidly rotates the stick in half-turns while holding it nearly upright. We do this because cradling is a crucial skill to have. After the warm-up lap, we head to the 30-yard line to stretch. We do a series of warm-up stretches like sprinting, lunges, knee hugs, and back peddling. Lastly, for warm-ups, we do partner passes. You grab a ball and a partner, then line up on the 30-yard line while the other is on the 40-yard; and for about 10 minutes you pass the ball back and forth to get the momentum going.

Now that warm-ups are done we start our drills. Most days our drills focus on passing or how to defend. Melissa Aytug (9) says, “Something I like about lacrosse practice is that the drills really target weak points, and it helps me get better.” On most days, we do a passing and shooting drill. Practicing where we need to stand for what position; and what to do when you or the person you are defending gets the ball. What makes lacrosse so enjoyable is that “the girls that are on the team are the sweetest and we all push each other to do our best on the field,” according to Melena Thune (10). When we do drills, this is the time to ask any questions to the coaches, and for them to explain. We usually do 2-3 drills each practice. Some drills include defending, where you and a partner practice defending each other. To do this you keep your stick on the stick side of the offensive player while staying aware of where the ball is.

While staying close, try to anticipate their moves to slide and cut off their path. Another drill includes shooting the ball at the goal. This drill sounds easy, but for some, it is particularly hard. The goal is quite small, and it is easy to overshoot the ball or for the goalie to catch it. We stand in three lines, and we rotate shooting the ball. The last main drill we do is catch and pass. We stand in a zigzag line and pass the ball to each other. If the ball drops we start over. While this sounds easy, it can be difficult as over 10 girls have to pass and catch without dropping the ball. After our drills, we end our practice by sitting in a circle, the coaches give us any updates we need on the week, and we break out by yelling “Mustangs on three, one, two, three Mustangs!”  

We end by 9:00 pm when the stadium lights go out. Every lacrosse practice is a fun learning experience, as everyone is very nice. The varsity girls always help JV if they have questions, and the coaches always come to practice with a warm smile.