While most seniors are scrambling to do applications and meet deadlines of their desired colleges, junior Drew Bailey has made the tough decision himself; For him, however, it means more than just higher education. His decision to verbally commit to play lacrosse at Cleveland State and their division one program was about much more.

“I verbally committed to Cleveland because it was a great opportunity I couldn’t pass off,” Bailey said. “I decided on Cleveland State because not only was it a place for me to play lacrosse but it was the best fit for me in other aspects as well, such as academically and the size and location.”

His freshman year at Cleveland State will be the team’s second year as a program, and while the program may be inexperienced, he’s excited to be a part of making new tradition and paving the way for the players to follow. According to his teammate and friend Nick Carter, setting standards and being a role model is nothing new for Bailey.

“Drew is the most driven lacrosse player on the field at all times,” said Carter. “He is a vocal leader and has a very positive attitude, but it’s the leadership by example that sets him apart.”

Carter has been a teammate of Bailey’s for four years and considers him a “brother on and off the field.” While he may have committed to playing college lacrosse, that won’t stop Bailey from working hard in the two seasons of lacrosse left here at FHC.

It isn’t just Bailey who’s successful, though. As a team, FHC’s lacrosse team has lost to Cranbrook in the semi-finals for the past two years. This year, however, they expect the team’s past losses to drive them further than the past years. With drive like Drew Bailey’s to inspire teammates and younger players, the future of FHC’s lacrosse program has greater potential for success.

“I think Drew’s decision will boost our teams morale,” Carter comments. “He may be committed to play division one lacrosse, but Drew will never stop working to be better. “

Not only does he have his parents to support him, his father played college lacrosse as well, and has been one of the biggest influences on him. His father has pushed him to do his best. Drew began playing lacrosse as young as third grade, and has worked hard playing since then.

Another major influence on Bailey are his coaches, including FHC’s current varsity lacrosse head coach, Jacob Seiler. While he may have only coached the team a year so far, he recognizes the potential that his team has, and the success of FHC lacrosse has only continued.

“Our focus this year is to make sure to play up to our potential and never playing down,” said Seiler. “Playing 4 quarters of fundamental Ranger lacrosse is the key to every game and achieving our goal of a State championship every year.”

Seiler is excited for two more seasons to coach Bailey and, while he recognizes him as one of the toughest workers on the team, plans on helping him instill a work ethic that will prepare him for division one lacrosse. Along with hard work, Seiler says that he brings an infectious passion to practices and games that “the whole team feeds off of”.

While he may be coaching now, Seiler is no stranger to the struggles of being a student athlete at the collegiate level, having played lacrosse at Grand Valley prior to taking the job at FHC. He knows the difficulty of college athletics, but offers guidance to students who hope or plan to continue with their sport after high school.

“[You should] just keep working,” Seiler advises. “Being a student athlete is hard work. There’s a tough balance between class work and practice/games. As a player you need to make sure you stay passionate about the sport as well as find a major that helps keep you interested in your studies.”