Some of Sophomore Shannon Murphy’s fondest memories happened at a hotel.

“Whenever I’m with my [lacrosse] team at the hotel [during tournaments],” Shannon said, “we [will] always mess around, go shopping, then go back to the hotel and eat a bunch of junk food.”

One of Shannon’s favorite hotel memories happened this past Halloween when she and her teammates all dressed up as their dads.

It’s not just hotels where Shannon has all of her best memories—she remembers plenty from the lively times on the field. Sometimes before a game, her team will sing songs and jump around in a huddle to hype themselves up.

Shannon has been playing lacrosse and field hockey since the fifth grade. Since her sister played both of those sports in high school and her brother played lacrosse, she had a natural interest in the activities. 

“Both of those sports are great team sports,” Shannon said. “You make a lot of close friendships [while playing] so, off the field, you will hang out with your teammates, too, and it’s great.” 

Even though Shannon loves both sports, she enjoys playing lacrosse more than field hockey.

“I really like the physical aspect of [lacrosse],” Shannon explained. “My coaches have always been great and really supportive but they also push you. It’s great because every time they make you do extra push-ups whenever you make a mistake. It shows that they care and [want to] prepare you for the next level.”

Shannon plays field hockey for FHC and says that everyone she plays with, including the coaches, are very kind and supportive. 

Along with triumphs, though, there are always faults. Shannon says that it can be very embarrassing to face plant or get pushed onto the turf during a game. 

Weather also has a big impact on Shannon since both lacrosse and field hockey are outdoor sports. This past year, Shannon played on two lacrosse clubs, Triumph Lacrosse and Pure Advantage, so she traveled every weekend for tournaments. They would go out east for the majority, mostly in Maryland, since the teams there had great competition. Unfortunately, the weather in Maryland is always fluctuating, just like in Michigan.

“One weekend, [our team] went [to Maryland] and it was seventy and sunny,” Shannon said. “The next weekend [we went] was snowy. We were in the championship game, and it was below freezing.”

Shannon has made many close friends during countless hours of practice, the many games and tournaments, and the many nights spent at hotels. She has especially become close to Sophomore Delaney Smith. When Shannon was in the sixth grade, which was her second year playing lacrosse and field hockey, Delaney tried out for lacrosse and they were both put on the “A-team.” During their time together, they went from classmates to best friends.

With her close friend by her side and her natural ability for the sport, it was quite easy for Shannon to make progress. 

“I think it was definitely easier for me than most [to get better at lacrosse] because both of my siblings played lacrosse,” Shannon said, “ I already knew the rules of the game because [it’s the same for] field hockey. I watched it at the Olympics a lot, so I knew how it worked. [Although], stickhandling was definitely tough at first.”

Shannon greatly appreciates these past five years of playing lacrosse and field hockey; there is no end in sight for her, for she values the memories, the friends, and the sport far too much.

“[Playing lacrosse and field hockey is a] nice way to stay active and a great way to meet a bunch of people.” Shannon said.