Girls’ lacrosse gains new leadership
As the Newbury Park girls’ lacrosse teams head into a new season with a brand new coach, the team has high hopes and big goals for their growth as a team. Since tryouts and preseason workouts, the team has been working towards establishing their dynamic while perfecting their skills on the field. With their new coach, Savannah Santos, they hope to be able to be even better than they were last year.
Reagan Laubner, senior, was the captain for last season and will be returning to the position this year. She is thrilled to begin a new path for the team this year with the new coach’s experience. “Coach Santos is an amazing coach who I am lucky to learn from. She is going to be a great addition to this team with her vast knowledge and love for the game,” Laubner said.
Coming off of lots of successful seasons in the past, the girls have a positive outlook on the upcoming new season. Elliana Dorsi, sophomore, shared one of her and the teams’ objectives for the 2024 season. With new players and coach, she hopes the team will be able to, “win marmonte league for the fourth time in the row,” Dorsi said.
Ella Busch, senior, going into her third year of playing this season gave an insight into the type of coach that the team will be gaining. “I am really excited about the new coach, it seems like it will be a good season. She’s very knowledgeable and knows lacrosse really well,” Busch said.
The importance of having a women coach for a female sport was prominent to Busch as an athlete. Female coaches are able to connect to teen girl athletes on a much deeper level that goes beyond the realm of their sport. “I love having women coaches because they are evidence that you can become great, some of the best coaches I’ve had have been women,” Busch said.
Many returning players are getting back into the swing of things with training and refamiliarizing themselves with the team dynamic. Angela Gambina, junior, is entering her third year playing for the NPHS lacrosse program and she shares how the team has already been put to work. “We have more conditioning this year and hands-on training via engaging drills and more,” Gambina said.
Team dynamics is one of the most important elements of success in lacrosse. With their captain, Laubner, at the head, the girls are heading into the season with big goals and a set-up for success. “Lacrosse is a huge team sport that relies on teamwork and trust, so I can’t wait to build that community with the team!” Busch said. The girls lacrosse team is heading into the 2024 season with passion and intent, determined to dominate on the field with Santos at the helm.
