The Smoky girls varsity lacrosse team meets each school day for practice on the Laredo Track Field from 3:15 to 5:15pm. The team does so in order to be in shape, develop skills in the sport, and work on plays for games against other teams. The players do this through various drills and activities.

“First, we run typically a mile,” states senior Rebekah Brandhorst, one of two captains for the varsity team and a defense player. “Sometimes we run less before big games. Then we go into a three-person-shuttle and do that for about 15 minutes to warm up. Then we go into shooting shuttles for about 10 minutes.”

These activities allow the team members to exercise and focus on certain skills. According to uslacrosse.org, research has shown 10,000 hours of activity to be necessary for a player’s skill to significantly increase in level. In order to improve even more, the team also works on more game-like activities.

“After that, we usually go into seven V. seven and work on plays. We do that for a good portion of practice. Sometimes we end in scrimmages, but usually we just end in seven V. seven,” elaborates Brandhorst.

Seven V. sevens, which are seven team members playing against seven other team members in a game-like simulation, are the main focus of practices as well as the most intense activity. Most of these involve practicing plays. Currently, girls varsity lacrosse has two plays which the players are attempting to perfect for their games.

“We are really trying to make it to playoffs this year, so we need to perfect all of our plays,” Brandhorst explains.

So far, the varsity team has won two, and lost two, non-conference games. The team also has an upcoming away game. The approaching game is Friday, March 27 at 4:30pm against Overland at Overland’s girls lacrosse field.

“I think [the practices] prepare us really well. Everything we learn shows in our games. They are very structured and organized,” Brandhorst states.