Captains of the Week: Girls’ Varsity Lacrosse

By CARLY CANSECO, ERIN HAN, and HENRY WISE

The girls lacrosse team is one of the many amazing programs that Exeter offers. The team has an incredible record of six wins and only three losses, making it one of the strongest teams on campus. Members work tirelessly in practice every day to ensure that they continue to thrive and win games. Within the girls lacrosse team, there are three members who keep the team working hard every day, whether it be in drills or scrimmages, but also foster a tight-knit and friendly environment for each member of the team. These three members are the girls lacrosse captains: Esme Shields, Amelia Byerly, and Caroline Shu.

All three seniors joined the team as preps, allowing them to grow as players and leaders each year. “When I tried out for the lacrosse team my prep year, I was so nervous,” Byerly recalled. “But I remember the older players being so encouraging towards me, and watching them have fun with each other made me want to be a part of this team.”

“As I’ve gotten older, I have learned so much from the players and coaches here, whether it be on how to be a better teammate, how to manage my time, or how to handle losing and winning,” Byerly continued. “Now, being in the role of captain, it’s my turn to try to pass those lessons down.”

Byerly’s growth as a teammate and leader is derived from the great leadership that she got to learn from as a prep. A similar experience was shared amongst the other captains as well.

“My prep year was the Covid year and there were 17 seniors on the team, so there was so much leadership,” Shields said. “I was definitely way more shy and quiet, but I still had a positive energy, and somewhat of a voice. I think that over the years, my voice on the team has definitely grown. I’ve reached out to more players and helped them out, which I wouldn’t have done in my prep year.”

“I think that I have been slightly eased into this role of captain,” Shu said. “Throughout the years of growth on the field, I was taught that personal growth was just as important because as you get older your team begins to rely on you more and more. After graduating 17 seniors my prep year, most of the other returners and I went from barely playing in a game to being a starter and hardly coming off the field. This shift forced me to start seeing myself as a leader on the field which all in all transferred to me radiating leadership energy off the field.”

The girls’ work ethics and leadership abilities clearly weren’t handed to them, but rather learned and developed throughout their four years at the Academy.

Head coach and Instructor in History Alexa Caldwell said, “These three have grown so much. It is a difficult transition to go from focusing on how you can improve your own personal self, to contributing to the team, to then continue that focus on individual development but prioritize team development. They have all done an awesome job with that.”

Every member of the team looks up to the captains for inspiration. Senior Sophia Dabney noted, “They all lead by example. I also would say all three of them are very vocal during the team huddles. I think that they work to make the team closer. We’ve had a lot of team bonding and team dinners all the time, which are facilitated by the captains.”

Even off the field, the captains go out of their way to foster a tightknit community, which is reflected in their performance on the field.

Senior Sally Hunter shared similar sentiments. “Amelia, Esme and Carol are just such hard workers and they’re constantly pushing us to do our best. They’re so supportive and the hardest workers on the team.”

Off the field, the captains’ radiant personalities truly shine and have allowed for members on the team to grow closer to them. Dabney added, “A fun fact about Amelia is she’s been at Exeter for five years. One thing about Esme is that she’s a tri-varsity captain. For Caroline, she’s six foot one and our music person. She’s always playing the music before games and during practice.”

The impact of these girls have allowed team members to become close friends and not just teammates.

Each captain—Esme, Amelia, and Caroline—has their own charm that truly inspires and leads the team to success. “The captains are the conduit between the team and the coaches,” Caldwell said. “They are also the voice and presence in the off season in a way a coach is not allowed to be.”

Lauding the three seniors for having filled these roles, she concluded, “They are a great blend. They make people feel seen and known while maintaining intensity and focus, but they also know and can’t help it sometimes when it is just time to laugh and goof off. They bring and establish the energy and community for the team and program.”

With the school year coming to an end, the seniors face the sad reality of moving on from the Academy, but the bonds and impacts they’ve made on this community will be lasting