“My favorite part about being on this team is how much of a family we are; win or lose, we always stay positive and hype each other up. That doesn’t stop when we leave the field though, these girls are my ride or dies and they are always the first people I turn to in a time of need,” Katie Rourke, a sophomore, said when asked about being on the Oregon State University women’s lacrosse team. Harper Eveleth, also a sophomore, agreed saying, “I am most proud of how our team has each other’s back in all situations. If it’s a hard loss or if someone is just having a bad day, we always manage to help each other out.” The OSU women’s lacrosse team is a competitive intercollegiate club team in the Northwest Women’s Lacrosse League and has been around since 1999. These sentiments about teamwork shared by Rourke and Eveleth are a perfect example of the importance of teamwork and shows just how rewarding it can be when women lift up and empower others.

Recently, Oregon State played against University of Washington, in a weekend of games up in Washington. UW at the time was undefeated and OSU was in a bit of a losing streak; however, with motivation and perseverance, OSU ended up beating UW in an intense overtime win.  “Honestly, I was in shock at first. But I was beyond proud of them,” coach Katie Kline said, “That win was all them, it had nothing to do with me.”

Rourke echoed this feeling of shock, “Beating UW in overtime was insane.  It felt like a movie, like the underdog wins kind of scenario, especially with the snow coming down; I remember after the game some of my teammates were making snow angels in the snow because of how excited we were. I was so proud of my team in that moment and I think we really proved to ourselves that we are capable of beating all the teams in our league.”

For Kline, the most rewarding part of coaching this team is being able to see the girls push through adversity while still looking out for one another and lifting each other up. “The dynamics of the team are so much different than when I played, and I’m so proud of the team for picking up the slack and carrying themselves,” Kline said. This is a testament to how important it is to foster a sense of growth and community within team sports. It can be easy to get caught up in competition not just with other teams, but within your own team as well, yet the OSU lacrosse team is a perfect example of women empowerment.

Playing a sport in college can be helpful in so many ways. When asked about advice she would give to someone looking to join the lacrosse team, Kline said, “Do it! Playing sports in college is one of the most rewarding experiences you can have. You’ll make life long friends and have an endless support system throughout college. It teaches time management, prioritization, commitment and leadership.”

If you’re interested in learning more about the OSU women’s lacrosse team, you can visit http://stuorgs.oregonstate.edu/womens-lacrosse for more information.

Image from http://stuorgs.oregonstate.edu/womens-lacrosse