Senior Brooke Shannon has been starting on the girls varsity lacrosse team since her freshman year, so dealing with an injury that kept her out of the lineup for the beginning of this season was a challenge.

Shannon is an attacker for the varsity team. Due to a pulled hamstring, she missed the opening weeks of the season, but she recently has returned to practice.

“It’s definitely tough,” Shannon said. “I was excited for my senior season because my junior season got cut short (due to the pandemic), so this was a huge setback.”

However, she has been doing everything she can, and coming back to practice has been a confidence boost.

“I’ve been working hard. … It is a relief to finally get back to practice and that I’m slowly making progress,” Shanon said. “Although I’m not doing the full practice, it is still nice.” 

Not having played a lacrosse game since her sophomore year will make getting to play in games this year all the better, she said.

“It’s definitely upsetting, thinking that my last game was two years ago and I don’t even remember it. I just wish I knew it was my last game so I would have appreciated it more, but I am excited to get back to practice again and hopefully play my first senior season game,” Shannon said. 

With each new season comes new girls who show interest in the sport. Shannon said that this provides new opportunities for leadership. 

“Each year the sport rotates new people who are interested, so we have to step up and consistently lead and instruct on what to do and how to play,” she said. 

Playing lacrosse has provided important lessons that perhaps couldn’t be taught in a classroom for Shannon.

“It has definitely taught me leadership and communication skills,” Shannon said. “When I was pulled up (to varsity) as a freshman, I was quiet and shy with the older girls. But I learned that it is important to communicate with my teammates, whether it is during a game, practice or in general.” 

“My junior year I was named a captain too and I had to continue to learn how to be a better leader for the girls and to help them especially when they are new to the game,” she said.

Fellow senior Kaitlyn Pollard said Shannon continues to show leadership qualities.

“Brooke is an amazing leader on and off the field. She is always there to encourage the other girls and just try to help them anyway they can,” Pollard said. “A lot of girls come to her with things they need to improve on and she goes out of her way to help them become better.”