XTreme

Elizabeth played her last ever summer lacrosse tournament (sniff sniff) on Sunday in Boston.  The conditions were less than ideal, with wind and rain most of the day, but she had a great time and played well.  She also received her end of summer evaluation from her coach, which gave her a ton of confidence and all sorts of ideas about how to build on a successful summer for the fall season.  I will miss our time together at these tournaments but I'm grateful for the upcoming fall tournament season and for all that she has learned.

NE Summer Sizzle

On her 17th birthday, Elizabeth played with her LaxPlus team in the NE Summer Sizzle in Wilbraham, Massachusetts.  There was no better way for her to spend the day. Although her team went 0-4, Elizabeth played 3 1/2 really great games (pretty much everyone petered out in the final half of the final game).  Her best game, by far, was the third one, when she had three incredible assists and played great defense and midfield.  She also had goals in the first two games, the second of which was shot at a crazy angle, although directly in front of a college coach she had met (and toured a campus with) earlier that week.  The coaches played her almost every second of every game, taking her out only to give her pointers or to change her position on the field.  She was flying high after the tournament and we hope that she can carry that success into the next tournament.

I love her interactions with the coaches on the sidelines. So much better than her high school experience.

Seventeen

 Elizabeth made it through another year and is finally seventeen!  She had a challenging year with COVID and academics, but we are so proud of how she persevered.  She continues to carry a challenging course load at school, including three AP classes during her junior year.  The workload was heavy, but she was up to the task, having her best academic year yet, grade-wise.  She lettered in three sports, captain of two, and excelled in lacrosse during the spring. Her lacrosse game has really exploded over the summer and she's been in contact with a few college coaches about playing, including a campus visit and tour last week.  We don't know where this road will take her, but it will be an exciting journey no matter what she decides.  She went to two proms (after thinking that COVID would rob her of the opportunity to ever attend a prom) and had a fantastic time at both of them.  She got her license and suddenly, she seems to be driving everywhere.  We are enjoying watching her expand her horizons and we can't wait to see what the next year brings, including high school graduation and college decisions!  Happy birthday to our first born.

Seaside Classic

Last weekend, Emily and her summer team played in the Seaside Classic in Rhode Island. She's been playing in this tournament for years, although it was cancelled last summer because of COVID. They only had three subs and many of the girls did double duty, playing for the 05 team that ended up being short on girls. Overall, they played pretty well and we are slowly but surely starting to see the changes the coach is implementing take hold. 

I love this coach and what he's been able to bring out of Emily and I can't wait to see what he does with this team as they move forward.

June Odds and Ends

This kid cracks me up.

Beach day for Elizabeth and her friends.

When it's your birthday at school.

Last day of school

Fancy dinner out to celebrate a successful year.

Shakes after soccer camp.

First time as camp counselors.

When you run into friends at a lacrosse tournament.

 

IWLCA Cup

Last weekend, Elizabeth and her LaxPlus team played in the IWLCA Cup at UMass Amherst.  I have to say, it was the most normal event we've attended in almost 18 months.  Field after field of lacrosse games, people everywhere, food and swag vendors, and not a mask to be seen.  Despite the blazing heat, Elizabeth played very well, despite the pressure of knowing that there were college coaches everywhere, including ones that were there to see her. She played the entirety of the first three games, rotating between midfield (which runs the length of the field) and defense (which she's only played once or twice) during the game to get a break.  Their team won two and lost two, one by only one goal.  In their final game, they went up by 5 goals quickly and then the playing time was evenly split, which was a bit of a relief.  Elizabeth's team was the most successful from her club, which I think took some people by surprise.  They get a long really well and clearly played better as the tournament went on.  Looking forward to the next one!

Talking with the club's recruiting coordinator during a break.  She pointed out some little things that she wanted Elizabeth to fix on the field and gave her some encouragement as well.