Yagouba’s Perspective on Lacrosse

I started playing lacrosse in the 7th grade I didn't even know what is lacrosse, I never even knew it was a sport. Until I saw a video of college lacrosse players called tufts. It was something I never seen before. My eyes became bright. It was a new sport lacrosse!!

Lacrosse is a sport that is not played as much in the Bronx. Highbridge Green school is the only middle school in the Bronx with lacrosse. At my first practice of lacrosse I didn't even know how to hold the stick right I was missing every throw.

Lacrosse has changed me as a person because it not only teaches me how to play but it also teached me about sportsmanship, teamwork, and communication. These are things people use in their everyday life. This is important in life because almost everything you do in life you accomplish things by communicating and working together. When becoming an adult it may be difficult and might be with people you don't want to be with but if you really want something you have to go get it and you will get if you do it together. For example, when I'm on the field playing lacrosse with my team I can't just do all the work by myself that's why I have a team to work together and win the games, it's teaches me to be unselfish. This lesson is not just for games to in practice my team and I do everything together everything that we learn in practice or everything we do the whole team does it.

Lacrosse also made me become better in my academics. The sport motivates me to do better in my classes because I know that if I'm not passing my classes or doing well in my classes then I can't play. If I don't practice then I'm losing a day of becoming better and my team will be losing a teammate. So when I think about lacrosse during my classes it makes me want to finish my work or do whatever I have to do, and if I want to continue playing lacrosse in high school it means that I have to keep my grades up in middle school because my high school will look at my middle school grades. It's also not just doing good in middle school to play in high school but it's for the rest of my career.

When I came home after my first lacrosse practice I told my family about the sport. They Didn't know about the sport neither. My family is from guinea west Africa. The only sport that is played there is mostly soccer and a little bit of baseball. So I told them about lacrosse and how to play and about the equipment and stuff and they said wow it's good to start something new. When I started playing the sport more and more, when we had summer break, I take my stick leave the house like at 10am and play wall ball for about 2 hours. When my family saw that I was actually into the sport they told me it's good that your playing this sport especially in the Bronx because it's rare and I told them I know and they said don't quit on this sport it's a better chance to
become better in life. By this they meant that in the Bronx everyone wants to be in the NBA. So if I play lacrosse and I go to my schools and say that it's a better chance I could get into the MLL than the NBA. So I told them okay I understand.

Every morning when I'm going to school with my lacrosse stick in my hand, people ask me what sport is this and I tell them lacrosse and they saw wow. They ask how long I've Been playing for and I say 2 years.

When I got to high school and college I will continue playing lacrosse, play for PSAl and NCAA lacrosse and get into the MLL and when I do make it to the MLL I will come back home and make lacrosse a sport that is played every day and make other kids make history of lacrosse better. This is something I want to do because I want the Bronx to know more about lacrosse and all about it. This is important because lacrosse opens up better chances to become a better person and a better player. Thanks to coach Leventhal to my family and to my teachers and everyone else that supports me.