Girl’s LAX to the Max

While losing only 3 out of 14 total games, Apopka’s girl lax group is undoubtedly one of our best sports teams. The Blue & White got the opportunity of interviewing some of the members about their overall performance on the team.

 

Junior, Aniya Demps

“This season my goal is to get better at lacrosse, since its my first year doing it, and to hopefully get more goals, since I play attack and they get the goals in lacrosse. [I’d advise those who want to play lacrosse to] come out and try it, it’really fun and it‘s not as hard as you may think it is. I feel like anyone can do it if you really want to play lacrosse, so just come out and try. I love the people. Everyone makes it really fun and is really welcoming when you come on the team, and there’s no one shunning you out because youre a newbie or whatever, but everyone wants to help you get better. I‘m going to do some more wall balls which is just like throwing the ball and catching it with your stick, since that will help me with shooting and catching the ball and getting better this season. My weakness is I don’t do as much wall ball as I should,  and my strength is that I continually have gotten better every game.”

 

Junior, Emerson Sheyda

“Honestly, our goals are to go as far as we can in districts. I think were a really good team this year and can really try to bring a district championship home. I think it’s a really fun sport and that if you’re dedicated and willing to put in the work you can have lot of fun. Our team is really close and we have lot of fun together. Our practices are lot of fun even though we don’t have lot of them. lot of the time we’re always laughing together; we’re really close both on and off the field. Every game we try to work on a small thing and then we put it to use every game. It ends up getting better every time that we play another team. Our strengths is that we work pretty hard together as a team. Some of our weaknesses I’d sayare communication on the field. I feel like we tend to be quieter and not talk to each other as much, that’s what really gets the best of us when we’re playing a better team.”

 

Junior, Taryn Buggs

“[My goals are] to get better at lacrosse and to make it to districts. [To anyone wanting to join lacrosse, I’d say] just show up because the coaches will end up helping you play or learn how to play. [What I like most about the team is] making new friends. [For this season, I plan on continuing to work hard and showing up for practice. [I’d say] my strength is defensemy weakness is offense.”

 

Ted Sheyda, the head coach of the girls lacrosse team, also got back to us.

“My goal as with most sports, especially at Apopkais to win. But also, I want the girls to have fun, grow as a team/familyimprove their skills/I.Q. and to learn to love lacrosse. [For advice, I’d say] get yourself a stick and a ball and practice throwing and catching either with someone else or up against a wall. Catching and passing are the two most important fundamentals to learn. Practicepracticepractice. [I decided to coach because the] girls team needed a coach because Ms. Pickles became an Assistant Principal and couldn’t be head coach anymore. As a parent to a player on the teamI appreciated the good job she had done the last 3 seasons and wanted to see that continue. All of my kids have played, so I have been around the game a long time and know it pretty well. I also wanted to see more kids come to play and love this great game. As a coachI like seeing the girls come together as a team and play to the best of their abilities. I like the fact that lacrosse combines lot of different sports into one. Native Americans invented lacrosse a long time ago and it has elements of soccer, basketball, hockey and football all at the same time. I also like that it is still growing as a sport and there is a strong sense of belonging and community amongst the kids who play it and anyone can play. It doesn’t matter how short or tall you are or how big or strong you are. Speed helps, but anyone can play.”

The team has been training hard both during and outside of practice, but overall, it seems as if communication and a welcoming environment is what helps the lax team succeed the most.

Courtesy of Max Prep

 

Courtesy of Max Prep