Playing sports has always been a part of many people’s childhoods. Not only does it provide a chance to have a hobby, but it also further develops skills such as hand-eye coordination, functional movement skills, endurance and strength. For many who start a sport young, it follows them through their life where milestones are reached and celebrated to honor their hard work.
For Steinbrenner junior, Elle Edwards, she recently hit the milestone of scoring her 100th goal at the lacrosse game at Wharton High School on April 3.
“It feels amazing…it was my goal I set for myself at the beginning of my season,” said Edwards.
Everybody starts somewhere and for Edwards, she first began playing lacrosse around six years ago and since then she’s only grown to love it more.
“I wanted to start playing lacrosse because my brother used to make me practice with him,” said Edwards. Growing up with her brother and being exposed to this sport allowed her to establish her skills and a liking for it which led her to starting her journey.
Sports provide a community for individuals to be part of, creating an opportunity to make new friends. Being a part of lacrosse teams for an extended period greatly impacted Edwards’ life, both positively and negatively.
“It gives me something to do when I’m upset or mad…to take my mind off of everything,” said Edwards. Participating in sports has been scientifically proven to benefit mental health through the release of endorphins. However, Edwards emphasized how much pressure she puts on her performance which leads to added stress. Striving to perform as well as she can, her mood can become dependent on how she does during games or practices.
Looking towards the future, Edwards knew she wanted to continue her career in lacrosse. With this, in October, she announced her commitment to play Division 1 lacrosse at The University of North Carolina in Charlotte.
Edwards has been celebrated by all her teammates and is surrounded by support from all those around her. In her commitment announcement, she focused her gratitude on people such as her coaches, friends, and family, specifically her mom. Her mom has been a huge support throughout her lacrosse journey by taking Edwards to all her practices and games through the years.
Getting excited about her future, she has established her goals as she moves forward, preparing for her college sports career.
“My future goals…are to get a lot of playing time at UNCC,” said Edwards. She hopes to start as a freshman during the season at UNCC. For now, Edwards holds the position as Steinbrenner team’s co-captain for the remainder of her high school career and it’s evident the future is bright for the young star.
