The Moorestown High School girls’ lacrosse team held its Youth Appreciation Night on April 25, with a 9-4 win over Allentown.
The team also recognized players from the Moorestown Lacrosse Club (MLC).
“We have them come out onto the turf field with the varsity and junior varsity team, so that’s usually really exciting, (to) just celebrate all of the participation that we have in the town,” said team coach Colleen Hancox.
Hancox and team captains Kelly Bunnick and Maddie Miceli spoke to the young players at the event and encouraged them to continue to pursue their goals, adding that they can’t wait to one day see them on the field representing the high school.
“As a high-school program, you’re always grateful for the youth lacrosse programs as a town, especially the Moorestown Lacrosse Club, because the players, parents, coaches and volunteers that run the youth program are ultimately what develops players into being successful high school players,” Hancox explained.
“Youth Appreciation Night started as a way that we could honor those and recognize the people who develop and nurture and really prepare these young players, not only in terms of skills, but how to be a good teammate and how to have pride wearing a Moorestown jersey.”
As part of the evening, the lacrosse team’s current varsity players write letters to girls in the youth program, something that Hancox explained makes the experience “heartwarming.”
“Oftentimes the young players in the youth program will say, ‘Are you so and so? Because I still have your letter on my wall in my bedroom,’ and it means so much to the girls that play varsity,” Hancox noted. “They really thrive on being role models, and for me, it’s so inspirational to see that player-to-player motivation in terms of excitement, to know the girls that are out on the field, and to have received something from a varsity player and to really look up to them.
“I can remember when I was in middle school and I would go watch the high-school games,” she added, “and you can’t help but always have that feeling of, ‘One day that’s going to be me out there on that high-school field.’”
The MLC’s mission is to teach and promote the sport of lacrosse at the youth level for children who live in Moorestown, according to its website. The club strives to achieves goals that include teaching the fundamentals of the game in a safe environment and providing ongoing support and endorsement of players in future endeavors such as college competition.
“I think that it is a sport that requires coordination and speed and what we call LAX IQ, just to be able to tactically understand to make good decisions on the field,” Hancox said. “I think any experience of being a part of a team is a wonderful life lesson in terms of dedication, working toward a goal, teamwork and coping with disappointment or setback, as well as feeling the highest highs of success and achievement.
“And I think that, from my experience as a student athlete into an employee … it really does prepare you for employment and working with other people, but also knowing what hard work is and how to achieve goals.”
The team has some big games coming up, but their 7-1 season is off to a great start.
“I think that we continue to focus on cohesion and executing our game plan, and this is a very talented group of players,” the coach related. “And we have set big team goals, and every day, we’re working toward pushing ourselves and each other to achieve those goals.”
