At the Rack it Up Arcade, Coach Soyars gets beaten by the team of girls at air hockey. Soyars will deny this, but the girls know the truth. Their meet-up at the arcade is just one of the many examples of team bonding that teammates participate in throughout the season.
The girls’ lacrosse team is a close group of students who enjoy spending their high school years playing a sport they enjoy.
“From being on the lacrosse team, I’ve learned that the game is best played as a team; one person cannot win the game, but rather the team needs to work together and work for the good of the group,” sophomore Anna Senften said.
The students enjoy working on their approach to how they play in the game.
Senften has been playing lacrosse since 8th grade and has been on varsity for two years. She said the sport has helped her create friendships, gain confidence in herself, and learn life skills and lessons.
“The team bonds in many ways. We have bonding events specifically created to bond outside of practice. But also, as a team, we are real friends. I’ve been on a variety of high school teams, and I truly believe that the lacrosse community is the most positive group I’ve been a part of. People are real friends, which means team bonding also happens at practices, games, and bus rides,” Senften said.
The team enjoys making memories throughout the season by having events to create better bonding. Some of the events included going to an arcade to beat their coaches at games, attending picnics together, “Team Feeds,” including a team dinner after practices, and attending their end-of-the-year banquet.
According to Senften, the team works to have a positive attitude and mindset towards all of their games, which makes the whole experience much more enjoyable.
“We have gone out a few times to get food or ice cream after practices or after games, so we have been able to connect through that. We always say “three good things” at the end of each practice, which usually ends with players complimenting other players. This helps us to bond, by the varsity squad complimenting the jv players from their improving skills and stick work”, junior Gemma Walther said.
“Three good things” is meant to encourage their teammates, help them feel more comfortable, and show that their hard work is being considered.
“Additionally, our team captains organize different events for the team. Earlier this season, the team was invited to one of the players’ houses where they watched a movie, played games, and watched a film together, along with enjoying food and drinks,” Coach Theresa Rhoads said.
Walther believes this team bonding has helped her build trust and play better in the game.
“I have been more involved in the game, but also I have connected more with my teammates, making the games go by smoother, if that makes sense. You have to build trust with your teammates to let them know you can be a reliable person when they need help during a game or practice,” Walther said.
Making relationships with teammates can help you feel like you can still do it when you have a bad game. They all work together to make it work, which allows them to do better on the field.
“I believe that team bonding is key to the success of any athletic team, because in a team sport, the players must rely on each other and trust each other in order to function properly. Team bonding time gives the girls a chance to get to know each other and to have fun, which carries over onto the lacrosse field. Athletic teams want to grow together and work towards common goals, which is fostered by team bonding activities,” Rhoads said.
Overall, this year the girls lacrosse team had an overall record of 7-8. The team plays again on May 1 (tonight) at 6 p.m. and on Monday at 6 p.m. before beginning playoffs