By dedicating time to work on enhancing knowledge and skills, the boys lacrosse team has been able to win their most recent games.
With this, they’re hoping to go to championships.
Many seniors on the team this year have been playing together since their freshman year.
As a team, they’ve been able to improve their skills over the course of their high school career.
According to boys lacrosse coach Craig Hunsberger, getting the chance to watch these players grow and develop from freshman to senior year is the most “rewarding part” for him.
In order to ensure the players are progressing, the team has different practice plans that they use depending on the day.
The main ones usually consist of scout practice, stick skill drills or shooting and competitive practice on aspects they need to generally work on as a team.
Hunsberger said that oftentimes if the team is able to have a couple days to prepare before game day, practice tends to be more “intense” and “upbeat” with more drills and practicing.
According to senior Jaden Knize, the mood on the field is very positive, especially since the players are surrounded with friends.
“I couldn’t ask for a better team and everyone is super hype and the environment is great,” Knize said.
As a coach, there are different aspects of players that set them apart from others.
For Hunsberger, he looks for full effort on the field during games and practices.
“If they don’t put in effort on the field all the time, they’re never going to be someone that’s extraordinary,” Hunsberger said.
Knize believes that when players are on the field, they have to “give 100% effort” to show that they care and are willing to improve daily in order to become a successful athlete.
Ensuring that goals are achieved, senior Sean Ryon makes sure to hold himself accountable throughout practice.
While the players are working to make improvements, many have to face challenges they must overcome.
For Ryon, earlier this season he had pulled a hamstring and that affected his ability to play.
“It took several weeks to recover but I was able to get back to playing after spending lots of time doing recovery work,” Ryon said.
As the season moves on, the boys have been able to grow as lacrosse players and athletes overall. “The way they work together as a team is the biggest improvement I’ve seen so far,” Hunsberger said.
Through the knowledge and encouragement of the coaches, the team has been able to push themselves out on the field during games and practices.
According to Knize, “[The coaches are] so supportive, they want nothing but to make us better individuals and better at lacrosse.”