Dear Parents,

I was lucky enough to join the girls last night and practice, and I want to applaud their efforts and hard work! The girls warmed up – with 2 of their own teammates leading the charge – and then we did a good amount of stick work. I got to participate in shuttles with the girls and definitely noticed an increase in focus when I was playing :). We did 10 minutes of conditioning, from which I was sore enough to forego my Orange Theory workout for yoga this morning!

I want you to know that as an educator, I have a unique understanding of the girls. I understand what their days look like and the challenges that they face as middle school females. I understand the pressures of a busy schedule and the desire to fit in, be liked, be seen. I also truly believe in the power of hard work, grit, and fierce determination. When I am with the girls, my hope is to inspire them to develop this strong work ethic, which is something that will help them on and off of the lacrosse field.

With that being said, we focused primarily on defense last night. The girls worked to re-defend and catch their attacker, working to maintain strong body positioning. We also worked in 7 v. 7 scenarios in which the defense was asked to deliver high pressure, communicate effectively, and start to anticipate when to slide and help. These are all skills that will develop over time, but the girls can always be in control of how hard they are working and the effort they put forth. As I said earlier, I was very pleased with the level of focus at practice last night and could see an improvement in just those 75 minutes alone!

If you ever have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out. I am not always with your girls anymore, but I am happy to help when and where I can. Keep me in the loop if they need anything (on or off the field). This is a developmental program in which we strive to develop the “whole child”. Lacrosse is a beautiful conduit for so many of the skills our girls need to navigate the world that is middle school (and beyond).

Warmest Regards,

Caroline

–nature never did betray the heart that loved her.