Every two weeks, the Patriot will randomly pick a student from the directory, find out more about his or her life, and prove that every student has a story.
She laces up her cleats, hands trembling, takes a deep breath, and squares her shoulders. The blazing lights show upon her face as she steps onto the battlefield. In four minutes, her face will be just inches away from her enemy.
This is not just a game to junior Alex Gromacki. It’s war.
When Gromacki first moved to Maryland from Ohio, lacrosse was a foreign word to her.
“I was very reluctant to try out for lacrosse at first because I had no idea what it was, but my dad really wanted me to give it a try,” Gromacki said.
A couple months later, she tried out for the Fallston lacrosse team.
Ten years and eight lacrosse teams later, Gromacki now plays defense for both JC and her club team, Sky Walker.
Throughout the years, Gromacki has benefitted from playing lacrosse physically and mentally.
“Lacrosse has made me realize there’s always a new level to go to. You can always be better,” she said.
According to Gromacki, “without lacrosse, [she] wouldn’t have realized how much of a leader [she] is.”
“I’m a leader of the group of six girls. Together we protect the goalie and help the team,” Gromacki said.
Playing lacrosse has not only helped Gromacki grow as a person, but the sport has also formed new friendships with other teammates and coaches. “I have a shirt with my coach’s name on it, and on the back there’s a bunch of quotes he said to me and the team,” Gromacki said.
After she graduates, Gromacki hopes to continue playing lacrosse at a Division III ranked college. Right now, she is interested in Dickinson College, Washington and Lee University, and Haverford College.
“Colleges with D1 lacrosse programs have already reached out and contacted me such as Winthrop and Coastal Carolina, but I declined because I rather play for a D3 school,” she said.
“I want to be a well-rounded person instead of my life revolving around lacrosse. All the D3 schools that I am looking at are better academically than any of the D1 schools that have reached out to me. Also, the coaches [of D3 colleges] are more understanding about the academic aspect.”
In the future, Gromacki aspires to pursue her lacrosse career further by becoming a high school lacrosse coach.
Sydney Setree is a Managing Editor for The Patriot and jcpatriot.com.