Senior Abigail Katz has been playing lacrosse longer than she can remember. It has been a commanding force all throughout her life, helping her overcome many obstacles as a result of the many lessons and friendships she has made through her lacrosse career. As her time at Westford Academy comes to an end, she realizes that WA was a gateway to the many opportunities that greet her in the future. This fall, she will be playing lacrosse at Wesleyan University, where she will also be studying biology and engineering.

Katz first became inspired to try the sport after watching her older brother play regularly. Spontaneously, one day, she gave the sport a try, and she has been hooked ever since.

“After I got into the sport, I learned that it is a very fast game and there is so much to it. Lacrosse IQ, athleticism and specific skills are all equally important to the game, which makes it fast, exciting, and strategic, which I love,” Katz said.

Katz qualified for the varsity lacrosse team during her freshman year at WA and has played for the school team ever since. Through her years being part of the WA lacrosse community, and her years of training leading up to high school, Katz learned countless lessons from the sport that she believes will remain with her for many years to come.

“Lacrosse has taught me how to be patient and trust myself more than anything else. It has also taught me that hard work pays off and that being the hardest worker in a group is extremely important,” Katz said.

Throughout the years, lacrosse has shown Katz the kind of persistent effort and tireless dedication needed to succeed and to accomplish her goals, both on and off the field.

However, Katz has taken away more than just a strong work ethic from her years of playing the sport. She has made close bonds with many of her teammates, especially from Westford Academy. For her, the girls that she has played with since her freshman year have become her family, as they have shared many of the same experiences through their joint participation in the sport.

“The senior night my sophomore year was super fun. It was a great win against Chelmsford and the team was so close that year. We all did so much to make it special for the seniors and I think the underclassmen had just as much fun setting up for the day as the seniors did enjoy it,” Katz said.

Though Katz’s decision on spending the next four years of her life playing lacrosse at Wesleyan University seems like it was always meant to be, her future was not always so solid. At one point in her senior year, Katz faced a pulled hamstring injury that caused her to miss six games, and raised concerns about her athletic career in college. She knew that she needed to rest from the sport in order to heal. Katz said that taking time off from playing was really difficult for her, but in the end, she realized it was the best decision that she could make for herself and her team.

“I just wanted to be able to get back out there and help my team win. In a way, I am grateful for the injury though because it shows that I am not unbreakable and I need to do even more to prevent injuries for myself,” Katz said.

Katz undoubtedly re-entered the sport after her recovery, slowly but steadily improving her game. Though Katz typically works the midfield, her injury led her to play attack, because it allows for a significantly lower amount of running.

Katz feels confident about her decision to commit to Wesleyan as a result of the lessons she has learned through lacrosse.

“I honestly can’t imagine my life without lacrosse because it has been such a big part of my life for as long as I can imagine. It has given me so much, like countless friends, motivation, and something to be passionate about. My life would be so different without it and I know playing in college is only going to bring out my love for the game even more,” Katz said.