Juniors Ava Hoehn and Abbie Dutheman have hung up their soccer cleats for a lacrosse stick as this is their first year trying out lacrosse. Wanting to mix it up, the two are excited to start the new season.
“I have been playing soccer my whole life but I just wasn’t enjoying it the same anymore,” Hoehn said. “Abbie brought up the idea of playing lacrosse and we spontaneously bought sticks and here we are.”
Duethman had the same desire of wanting to try something new and fun in the spring, with lacrosse being a not-cut sport Dutheman decided to try it out.
“I figured I wouldn’t lose anything by trying it out,” Dutheman said. “I love how Sion allows us to play new sports with never playing before, for once I wanted to just do a sport for fun and not competitively.”
The majority of Sion sports are not cut, allowing for more students to freely participate in whatever sport they feel like trying out.
“My Freshman year I just did track for fun and it was honestly the time of my life,” Junior Mary Schumm said. “It was an opportunity I don’t think I would’ve ever gotten if I went to another school.
Another student trying a new sport for the first time is Freshman Maddie Westmeyer. When Head Soccer Coach Doug McLagan saw Maddie’s potential as a goalkeeper in Freshman gym class, Maddie decided to give soccer a first try.
“I literally didn’t even have a pair of cleats yet,” Westmeyer said. “It’s pretty terrifying going into a new sport that I dont even know the rules of but once I adjust I know I will have fun with it.”
McLagan always encourages his gym students to try new sports, not only to benefit their main sports but as a new way to meet different people.
“Maddie is just an example of one of the students I have somehow convinced to come out for the soccer season,” McLagan said. “Even if you don’t anyone or anything about the sport going out of your comfort zone is something I always encourage with students no matter their skill level.”
Westmeyer’s main sport is volleyball, playing most varsity games as a Freshman.
“I am hoping that soccer will benefit my volleyball skills as well,” Westmeyer said. “If anything I hope I can build new friendships with upperclassmen and do something out of my comfort zone.”
