My body filled with an overwhelming feeling of dread as my last high school tennis match came to an end. Though the season was short lived, I had finally gotten accustomed to the daily routine of attending after school practices and matches with my teammates. Serving and volleying had become second nature. What was I going to do with so much free time? After the final game, my hand instantly itched to grip a racquet once more. Thankfully, I was able to clutch a lacrosse stick instead. One of the best feelings in the world is cradling the ball while streaking down the sideline, looking for an opening to make a pass.

Fall ball is a recreational 7v7 league meant for girls to hone their lacrosse skills during the off-season. I didn’t participate last fall, so I wasn’t quite sure what I had signed myself up for. Obviously not a superstar athlete, my nerves kicked in, but I reassured myself that at least I had playing experience. However, I also recalled that I hadn’t picked up my stick since the spring season.

Once at the fields Sunday, I saw that there was no reason to be worried. No one on the team was restricted to any certain position. Players laughed as they competed, and I even ended up having a conversation with a girl I was defending against. Normally, I glare at my opponents and “accidentally” knock them over. It was foreign to witness attackers playing defense and defenders taking shots on goal. The referee didn’t even check that we had mouthguards or examine the pockets of our lacrosse sticks.

Fall ball is all about having fun while playing the game you love, but since we’re competitive, we aspired to win as well. Consequently,  we were victorious, defeating both Shawnee Mission East and Blue Valley North. It felt satisfying to win, but we would have been just as content losing since there was no pressure to crush our opponents.

Lacrosse is often, irritatingly, only associated with men. As one of the fastest-growing sports, it has recently become increasingly popular among girls. Men’s and women’s lacrosse isn’t exactly the same. The women’s game has 12 players on the field while men’s only have 10. Gear requirements vary because men’s lacrosse allows body-checking, increasing the level of physicality. In order to be properly protected, men must wear helmets, mouth guards, shoulder and elbow pads, and gloves. Women only need mouth guards and goggles to play since body-checking results in a penalty. Other than that, the game basically remains similar for both parties. Everyone playing the game has the same goal in mind: get the ball in the net and (in the case of fall ball) have a good time.