Several members of the Quinnipiac Women’s Lacrosse team visited Conte West Hills Magnet School in New Haven this past Thursday, April 10, to teach fourth graders about the sport of lacrosse. The students are studying local Native American tribes and have learned that the sport of lacrosse was originally played by many tribes throughout the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic region.
“This is the third year we’ve worked with the fourth graders at Conte West Hills, and it’s always fun to see how enthusiastic they are. The students are really curious and asked great questions about the sport of lacrosse, and what it is like to be a student-athlete,” explained head coach Danie Caro. “It was very exciting to see them try lacrosse because it was their first opportunity to play with a stick and a ball, it was their first exposure to the sport.”
The Bobcats also spoke to the fourth grade students about the importance of academic achievement and the challenges of being a student-athlete in high school and college. According to junior Samantha Tilts, “When I was in fourth grade, I wasn’t really thinking about how important academics are. We told them how important getting good grades are so they can dream about college and work towards a goal.”
The event at Conte West Hills is part of the athletic department’s Positive Play program that provides all athletic teams with opportunities to get involved in various community service initiatives. Tilts, who serves as the team’s Positive Play captain, took the lead on this event and coordinated her teammates’ participation in the program. She was joined by senior Kelsey Maroney, junior Vicki Kuhn, sophomore Trinity Scanlon, and freshmen Danielle La Rocca, Samantha Grillo, Alexandra Hlesciak, Devin Kelly, Charlotte Morley, Audrey Samuelman, and Michele Merwin.
“The kids were so excited to learn about lacrosse,” said Maroney. “It was really fun for us to be able to share our passion for the sport with them and see how happy it made them to try it out.”
Quinnipiac returns action this Sunday with a critical MAAC matchup with Marist, who currently sits in first place in the standings. The Bobcats take on the Red Foxes at 12:00 pm on April 13, in their last home game of the season. Sunday will also mark the final on-campus appearance for the program’s seven seniors, Allison Boudreau, Kayla Fu, Phoebe Laplante, Kelsey Maroney, Emily Samuelman, Kearney Sneath, and Michaela Tinsley.
Quinnipiac fans should refer to the Official Website of Quinnipiac Athletics, www.QuinnipiacBobcats.com, for any schedule changes as well as the latest news, scores and highlights. The 2014 Quinnipiac Women’s Lacrosse Schedule is also available for download atwww.QuinnipiacBobcats.com for all mobile devices, including iPhones and iPads, as well as all desktop computers.