Junior Lydia Ward has been surrounded by lacrosse for nearly her entire life. At the age of five, she began playing and discovered her passion for the sport.

Lydia’s favorite part about lacrosse is that she “loves the competition and giving one hundred percent.” Along with playing on the varsity girls lacrosse team, she plays for her club team, Sky Walkers.

Growing up in a family who loves lacrosse, her biggest inspiration is her dad. As a former Salisbury lacrosse player who has won a National Championship, Lydia said, “My dad has always been one of my biggest supporters and is always willing to coach and help me get better.”

Lydia will be playing alongside her sister as a Terp. “I have always dreamed of playing with my twin sister, Julia, since I was little, and the opportunity to play at such a high level with her was impossible to turn down.”

She chose the University of Maryland because of its strong lacrosse program. With fifteen National Championships, fifteen Division Titles, and a renowned coaching staff, Lydia wants to play “at the highest level possible and one day win a National Championship.”

In the meantime, she plans to “continue to work as hard as I can for the success of our team” as she finishes her high school career. She said, “Once you are committed, the work doesn’t just stop; the work is just starting.”

Her advice to younger players is to “put in a lot of effort and time” in order to reach the collegiate level. “It hasn’t been easy, but I wouldn’t change it for the world.”

She plans to major in business or marketing, and she hopes to coach college lacrosse after graduating. Lydia is “extremely proud to be a Terp” and is “very excited for this amazing opportunity.”

When she isn’t playing lacrosse, Lydia can be found playing soccer or basketball at JC, along with hanging out with her friends, going to the beach, and shopping.