Paityn Tabor ’23
Managing Editor and Sports Editor
Spring is a season signifying new beginnings and fresh starts and to this, the College is no stranger. With the hiring of a new President and a new Director of Athletics, change is constantly in our midst. But another significant addition officially beginning this spring is lacrosse as a varsity sport here on campus.
In the coming weeks, the College’s inaugural men’s and women’s lacrosse seasons are about to be in full swing. Subsequently, there has been optimistic anticipation and sheer excitement to kick off the season and make history at the College. The athletes and coaches involved within these teams are each fully aware of the lasting impact they will have on athletics.
“I am very excited to see this team grow throughout the years as we are Team One of the women’s lacrosse legacy at Lake Forest,” explains women’s lacrosse team member, Cass Barbera ’25. “I am looking forward to growing with this team and working on our chemistry to help each other improve.”
The mentality of achieving significant team growth and establishing a strong foundation is not exclusive to the women’s team. Prior to this school year, the men’s lacrosse team has placed a heavy importance on establishing strong team chemistry.
“In May of 2021, the guys had a Snapchat group, were playing video games together over Xbox Live, and we even had one guy travel from Rhode Island to Western Pennsylvania just to meet his future roommate,” said Phil Dodson, the head men’s lacrosse coach. “Once all the guys got on campus, things truly started to click.”
Each team has also formulated their identity. They understand that this season spans beyond simply winning, as it sets a precedent for all future generations of lacrosse at Lake Forest College.
“Our biggest goals this season are to find out what it means to be a part of Lake Forest lacrosse and find out who we want to be and what we want to be known for,” Dodson described. “It is easy to get caught up in wins and losses but this year we want to build the foundations of our team culture.”
A unique component of this year’s lacrosse teams is that each player is brand new to the team. This is vastly different than every other athletic team on campus, who simply gained a new batch of first-year students this year. Each player on the lacrosse teams must start from scratch as they work to prove themselves and establish the role they will play within their team.
“As a senior, this is my last shot at being a college athlete and I want to prove to myself that I can compete at this level,” explained men’s lacrosse senior, Cole Wimmer ’22. “I am looking forward to finally being able to take on the same gritty mindset that I had when I played in high school.”
This type of mentality and the desire to win and compete at a high level will propel our lacrosse programs to success. But more importantly, these teams are the first spark in what can become a positive and everlasting change to the College. They will institute a legacy for years to come and allow athletics to continue flourishing.
