Family, Friendship, and a Close-Knit Team: Lacrosse at William Peace University
Lacrosse at William Peace University (WPU) is a fulfilling experience that cultivates close ties among team members and instills lifelong skills and lessons. For sisters, Laura, Mary, and Elise Langer, lacrosse at WPU has been an enriching experience as they take on the world of college sports together.
Laura, who is a senior and a team captain, started playing lacrosse in high school and fell in love with it. However, her past experiences with the sport had been marred by negative team environments. When Laura joined the team at WPU, she hoped for a better coach that would support a positive team atmosphere. Thankfully, she was not let down and her love for lacrosse has since been furthered. Laura decided to join WPU because of its prominent location in Raleigh, NC, and its biology program.
Mary, a sophomore, was inspired to play lacrosse in college because she wanted to seize the opportunity to play sports while in school. She chose WPU because of its location, facilities, and the fact that her sister, Laura, was already on the team.
Elise, a freshman, took up lacrosse because of her sisters and began to love the sport. She had a hard time bonding with her high school teammates, but joining the WPU lacrosse team made all the difference. She graduated high school early to join the team and play with Laura before she graduates in May 2023.
“Being a young freshman can be tricky, but joining a team with my sisters on it gave me automatic friends that I knew I could lean on,” Elise said.
When asked about balancing academics and sports, Laura said that having lacrosse keeps her on schedule and makes her more active, proving to be a source of motivation and accountability.
Mary added that having her sisters on the team made it easier to trust and work well with others. She emphasized that the team felt like more of a family because they all had the same goal. Elise pointed out that the team always ends every game and practice with “1-2-3 Family!” This ritual reinforces the sense of belonging that the team has.
Sam Autry, a team captain like Laura and a friend of the sisters, chimed in and emphasized that “playing lacrosse at WPU is more than just a sport. It’s a life skill we’ll carry forever. Having sisters on the team automatically made the team feel more like a big family right from the start.”
What sets the WPU lacrosse team apart from others, according to the Langer sisters, is the team’s environment, which is supportive and caring. They’ve played sports all their lives, but they’ve never been on a team that cares about each other as much as this one does.
Mary says that the coaching staff “emphasizes effort and sportsmanship since that’s what we, as players, can control. So there is an atmosphere that encourages learning and individual progress.”
Additionally, Elise said that “a big thing that sets this team apart is how we talk to each other, especially on the field. We never put each other down, which really set WPU apart from other schools for me.”
The WPU women’s lacrosse team is unique because of the close-knit bond that the players share. For the Langer sisters, playing lacrosse with their sisters on the team makes the experience even more special. Mary, speaking for all three sisters remarked that “playing together at WPU is a really unique experience that shapes our perspective positively on not only lacrosse but on sisterhood as well.” The team is more than just a sport; it’s a family that emphasizes effort, sportsmanship, and learning.