For many students, sports are simply a filler activity to add as an addition to their busy college applications; however, for junior Addy Quinn, her designated sport is much more than “just a hobby.” Instead, it is her passion.
When she was only a freshman in high school, Addy was encouraged by both her brothers and her father to play lacrosse. Trying out for the lacrosse team only a few years ago, to now being committed to playing Division 1 lacrosse at Austin Peay State University after she graduates next year, is a very large step for Addy to take. Still, her love for lacrosse easily overpowers her worries. Only a few years later was not only an exciting surprise but also a huge step in her lacrosse career that she looks forward to pursuing in the future.
“[My dad] pushed me to try out for the team freshman year, and he has also been a lacrosse coach for many, many years,” Addy said. “He helped me become more comfortable with the sport because I started so late. And I feel that I’ve always loved playing lacrosse from the start. I knew I would love it because everyone in my family does, and I’ve always loved watching my brothers play growing up.”
The moment Addy stepped on the green turf lacrosse field for her first-ever game, she quickly discovered where she saw herself in the future: on the field.
When it came time to decide whether or not she was going to pursue her beloved sport into college, it was obvious that her career had yet to come to an end. Even though she had only been playing since her freshman year for a total of three years, Addy knew right away that her role on the field was unable to come to an end. She decided to commit to Austin Peay State University in Tennessee, to, of course, play Division 1 lacrosse for the Governors.
“What led me to want to keep playing in the future is that I couldn’t imagine myself not playing lacrosse beyond high school,” Addy said. “I knew I wasn’t done: I loved it so much right from the start, and I needed to keep contributing to playing the sport I love.”
After putting on constant off-season work and dedicating her free time to growing as a lacrosse player, Addy recognizes that the growth she has made since freshman year isn’t just luck, but instead the success of the training that she has committed to this sport.
This success comes not just from physical training but also from a sound state of mind. Coming in prepared and encouraging is the best mindset to hold, as improvement doesn’t come with ease.
“I played lacrosse every weekend at a tournament all summer and had practice three times a week,” Addy said. “I worked out all of fall and winter to make sure I was prepared for my spring season, which took a lot of my time, but, in the end, it was worth it.”
Addy believes that not only does it take hard work to become the player that she wants to be but also courage and determination. It takes a well-thought-out mindset to consistently play well on the field—without looking towards the positives and recognizing the mistakes that need to be fixed, it quickly becomes easy to let your mindset hold you back.
Mindset is a big part of sports, meaning one small thing shouldn’t be able to take down all courage, whether it’s a small disagreement with a teammate or losing a game due to a minor error.
“I have noticed that playing lacrosse as a team can be stressful when learning a new play in practice and no one can understand it, in a game when you continue to get scored on, or [when] our team just can’t make a shot,” Addy said. “It can make it very frustrating. A piece of advice I have received that sticks with me is to not get super frustrated with teammates or yourself. Everyone makes mistakes and has off plays and games, but taking it out on yourself or each other just makes the game more stressful and upsetting, so just brushing off those mistakes and continuing to be better and uplifting teammates rather than brushing them down [is better].”
Addy hasn’t only learned to become an incredible player on the field, but she has also learned how to become the best version of herself through the obstacles she goes through on the turf.
One of the most important parts of lacrosse is the team that Addy plays with because they are the people who shaped Addy to be the person she is today. She believes that the sport itself is much more encouraging with her team congratulating her rather than letting the little things bring her down. Addy carries these skills with her everywhere, not just on the field.
“I feel this sport has helped me be more open as a person and more aware of myself,” Addy said. “Reminding myself not to get mad at myself or others for one mistake in a game has helped me be more encouraging and always tell my teammates, ‘Good job,’” Addy said. “Outside of lacrosse, I enjoy spending time with my friends and family and skiing. Using the traits I have learned from lacrosse has taught me how to handle hard situations in real life rather than letting them bring me down.”
Growing to become an incredible player doesn’t come with ease—it comes through hard work and dedication. Recognizing the wrongs and working towards fixing them is the best way to grow as a person, as it will not only teach resilience but also how to improve as a player. Addy carries a piece of advice with her, and that piece of advice is an idea that she will continue to use when she goes off to college.
“Put[ting] in the work in the off-season makes in-season much more maintainable,” Addy said. “There’s no period in feeling rusty. You’re just ready to play from the start of the season.”
