Stickin' With Sam

It is really starting to hit me that we are getting into our lacrosse season as we have longer and more intense practices leading up until we play Maryland on Feb. 14. I’m really excited. Not only is it going to be my first Richmond lacrosse game, but a majority of my family is going to come see me play.

Just from experience from our tournaments this fall, I know I am definitely going to be nervous but more importantly excited to play at a high level. I’ve been thinking about playing at this level since high school and now that I am experienceing it, it is a lot of fun. It’s really cool.

You read Lacrosse magaine and you read about these girls and now playing against them and being one of them, it is really cool.

I’m curious how we are going to do against these high-ranked teams. I hope we don’t get killed. I’m confident that we are going to do well.

Practices are now from 2-6 so it takes up a pretty large amount of our day. We start out with practice from 2-5, and on Monday-Wednesday-Friday we lift until 6 and Tuesdays and Thursdays we condition. Practices are much more intense. There is a new start with our new coach and no guaranteed spots. It’s a fresh start so everyone is stepping up their game and making sure they get a position.

I’m happy with how I am doing. I’m really happy with the shape I am in. I don’t think I’ve ever been as fast. I’ve hit my second gear. My shot is definitely one of my strengths. I think I have the most powerful shot on the team. Although my accuracy is not the best, I’m hoping to improve that.

I’ve been going to our boys basketball games and I really enjoy it. A lot of people go to the games so it is fun to be part of it. I played basketball for Darien until my sophomore year.

My classes are definitely a lot harder than first semester, and I like my teachers and I think I am definitely going to do well.

I’ll catch up with you all next week.

When I got back home for Christmas break I was definitely happy to see my family but I have definitely shifted to liking being at school to being at home. I just have become really comfortable here at school and have made a lot of good friends, I love my teammates. I love it here.

Home seems boring now. I like seeing my family and friends, but that’s it.

When I immediately got home none of my friends were home yet, and it was boring. I was just sitting around. And I missed the freedom. When I got back my parents said when I am under their roof it is their rules.

After being home for a month, I was really anxious to get back to Richmond.

The Friday I came home we had our alumni game, and it was so much fun. I got to see all my former teammates and we played the high school team and it was just a lot of fun. It wasn’t so competitive. Our grade is competitive with each other but it was mostly to have some fun and catch up with each other.

I went to Captiva for a week the day after Chirstmas with my family. I was really happy to get to go to the warm weather with my family together. We don’t get to spend a lot of time with my family and extended family — grandparents and cousins — so it was really nice.

My favorite part of break was playing in a lacrosse tournament in East Windsor with some of my Richmond teammates. We came in first place. I really hadn’t had a chance to do anything more than training while I was home so it was fun to actually play.

I also got to spend some time at the Darien Fire Department — I’ve been a volunteer there since my junior year in high school — and it was good to see everyone.

Toward the end it was really sad saying goodbye to my family but I am really excited to start my season. It was weird telling them I won’t be home until five months from now.

I’ll get to see them at our season-opener on Valentine’s Day against Maryland. Practices have started up. Since break I’ve missed lacrosse and I am both nervous and very excited about our first game.

We now have longer practices. Monday, Wednesday and Friday we have practice from 2-5, which is a lot longer than it was in the fall. Then we have to lift for an hour. On Tuesday and Thursday we have practice from 2-5 and then conditioning. Then we have one practice either Sautrday or Sunday. So we only get one day off. If we’re lucky.

We are now working more on technique and quickness, more detailed then the broad spectrum we did in the fall. I like practices more now than in the fall except for the defense drills. I don’t like defense and I’m not a very good defender.

My class schedule is a little harder than first semester so I am really going to have to work hard. I am really worried about English and Micro-Economics, but my goal is to get better grades than first semester, though I did pretty well.

I’ll talk to you next week with some updates from my first weekend of second semester.