Between the Posts
Junior Katie Campbell becomes Varsity goalie after one year playing lacrosse
The blinding lights illuminate the turf field as the ref blows his whistle. Players are running around the draw circle trying to catch the ball in the pocket of their stick. As a team takes possession, they sprint to one side of the field in hopes to score a goal. But on the opposite side, junior Katie Campbell stands alone between the two orange goal posts.
It was Campbell’s first year playing lacrosse. Becoming goalie was not what she had in mind when the season started as she had only ever played offense. The first time she heard she would be playing goalie was in front of everyone, which left her in a state of shock.
“On the bus ride to the game, I was so nervous. I was watching YouTube videos on goalie basics,” Campbell said. “I literally knew nothing about the position.”
In any sport, the goalie can be seen as the hardest, and often most undesirable position. It takes a certain type of person to be willing to stand in front of the shot, rather than run away from it.
Some players will just try out the position and like it. Others want more playing time. A handful are recommended by their coach or parent and start playing that way. But in Campbell’s case, her reason was necessity.
The program already had been short of goalies its first year as a varsity sport after the combined Fishers and HSE team split two years ago. The Varsity goalie even had to help out JV for a few games. When JV lost their primary goalie to a concussion, it was time for someone to fill the spot.
That was where Campbell’s story began.
“Katie brings stability to the team,” head coach Adrianne Wagner said. “I know that I have a reliable athlete in goal and someone who is willing to put herself into a tough and sometimes thankless position. A lot of attention is placed on the goalie and Katie takes it all in stride.”
After falling in love with the irreplaceable role she played on the team, Campbell looked ahead at how she could improve her skills. Working day in and day out during the summer and the months leading up to the spring season, she practiced with her new stick to learn the technique and had her family throw shots at her. When tryouts came this past spring, Campbell earned a Varsity spot after only playing goalie for half of a season.
During her sophomore season, however, the cause of Campbell having to go into goal the year before would now leave her on the sideline.
“I got a concussion halfway through the season last year,” Campbell said. “It was difficult because I missed all the fun games and the ones that would’ve challenged me the most.”
From her coach’s point of view, this injury truly helped Campbell gain confidence and a voice that she lacked at the beginning of her first Varsity season. When doctors cleared her to play, she did not hesitate to get back in goal.
“Katie was mentally focused and jumped right back onto the field. She displayed a new kind of maturity that wasn’t there at the start of the season,” Wagner said.
Campbell may love the position, but it has its drawbacks. She said the most challenging thing about the sport is that she often feels isolated. The team practices different drills and learns other skills that she does not. When her team has the ball during a game, they want to be far away from her. And when the ball comes to her, it is from the opponents.
“It’s actually pretty difficult sometimes knowing you’re a part of a team that you spend so much time away from,” Campbell said. “What makes it worth it for me is the time I get to spend with my friends, even though it feels more like a family. The friendships I have made are worth every second I spend in the cage.”
Senior teammate Kayla Sundling views Campbell as an essential asset to the success of the team and has seen her grow as a goalie firsthand.
“She has a lot more confidence now and is able to project her voice loud enough on the field to tell defense when to crash,” Sundling said. “She has also improved with her goalie stick skills in that it’s harder to fake her out and score a goal on her.”
In order to be a true team player, one must sacrifice their comfort for the good of the group. Campbell did just that. She did not expect to find a passion in goalkeeping as that was not her original intention. As she entered a position entrusted as the last line of defense, Campbell faced the challenge head on.
“I had my coach helping me learn the basics about ten minutes before the game started. I was absolutely terrified until he told me that adrenaline was good and that I would sleep very well after the stress of that game,” Campbell said. “I still remember that and that’s probably the most important thing when I go play. Remembering that the nerves is what keeps me on my toes, it’s what I need to save the shot, and it’s what I need to win.”
Story by Raegan Walsh
