Girls lacrosse: Golden’s strong team bond is a winning strategy
GOLDEN, Colo. — Golden High School’s girls lacrosse team is going into the 2024 season this spring with a big upper hand: a lot of collective experience, says coach Robby McClure. “We will have a full varsity squad who have played competitive lacrosse for years, as well as an experienced squad of upper-class athletes who have been playoff-tested every year,” the coach says. It just might be the edge they need to go farther in the state championships. In 2023, the team placed third in its league (4A West), went 11-6 overall and fell to Heritage High School in the second round of the state championships.
Coach McClure says their goal is to start the season with strong team-building, even before strengthening the players’ individual skill sets. “Once we have the team mindset built in, they start playing for their teammates and not just themselves,” the coach says. “The weight of the team’s success isn’t one-on-one play or one person, but on a tight team of athletes striving to accomplish the goals we set at the start of the season. Once they buy into that, we are ready.”
Senior Callie Jo McClure, who plays attack position, is going in with that attitude. “Being a member of a team has taught me that if we do not work together, there is no team,” she says. “The best way to be successful in this sport is to communicate with your teammates and have an open mind.” Callie Jo McClure is passionate about the sport and aspires to play lacrosse in college, but admits that the flip side of passion can be frustration and risk of losing her composure. “Whether it is a game, practice, or just talking to teammates, I have learned that it is so important to keep a positive attitude. Attitudes can easily be reflected onto others. Going into a game believing that you will do good and [that] your team will win, chances are your teammates will believe it, too.”
Sophomore attack Abigail Butters also feels that commitment to the team mindset. “A group of individuals is much different than being a team,” Butters says. “Being a teammate is coming out of your shell in a way that communication is key to winning, and you can make friends that last a lifetime.” Butters says she found lacrosse after trying many other sports. “I love how inclusive the Golden girls lacrosse team has been to incoming freshmen and new players,” she says.
The team’s goalie, Ruby Lucken, a junior, says she is going into the season focused on the process, and also not letting the final score be too central in her mind. “My biggest challenge in lacrosse is dealing with high pressure in crucial moments,” Lucken says. “To deal with this, I have to remind myself to stay present in the moment and to not think about the possible outcomes. The best advice I’ve been given was to focus on the process, not just the outcome.” She says that her time on the team has taught her that lessons are learned from both wins and losses.
Freshman Stella Gibbons comes to Golden’s varsity team as a midfielder with previous lacrosse experience and loves the way the game brings players together. “Being a member of a team has taught me that you do not have to do everything on your own, and you shouldn’t,” Gibbons says. Her biggest challenge is overthinking her game and getting distracted from what is happening in the moment, she says. To overcome this, she stops and refocuses on what is going on, a tactic that has helped her and mirrors sage advice her coach passes to the whole team.
Coach McClure’s mantra for his team: “Be present and enjoy the ride. Before you know it, you’re playing in your last game and high school is over.”
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