Head coach Kara Conchek has been adamant about the type of culture she’s aiming to build with Eagles lacrosse.
“We have continued to promote player-led leadership initiatives which shape and enhance our team culture. This promotes buy-in and accountability within this process. It is important as a coach to ask for feedback and allow for each team member to bring their unique skill set to the table.” Conchek explained.
“It is important to highlight the strengths of each individual to continue to identify what we want our team to embody. Empowering the voices of each team member is something I really value and have continued to implement in our daily practices.”
Coach’s team appreciates this approach, and it invigorates them to be the best they can be.
“One strength our team has noticed about Coach Kara’s coaching style is that she takes note of all of our coaching preferences. She has gone out of her way to learn who needs a harder, more intense approach and who needs a more personable, one-on-one type of approach. Her ability to adapt to all of our preferences has made a very positive impact within the group.” said junior attacker Sydney Semel.
Coach Conchek used words like grit, resilience, comradery and determination to describe what the identity of this year’s group will be. She then closed her statement emphasizing that her team would “…embody family in everything that we do.”
Additionally when highlighting her expectations for this upcoming season Conchek made sure to lay out the discipline she expects her team to play with.
“We expect to be as prepared as we can be heading into each game, and really put 60 minutes together of Eagle lacrosse. Our expectations include continuous improvements and highlighting who we are and what we can accomplish together.”
That being the case, Conchek acknowledges where most of her players are in their collegiate athletic careers. “We are incredibly young,” she said in reference to her team being half freshman. “But there are also returning key players within our unit.”
Winthrop will be bringing back their top two offensive threats this season with seniors Alyssa Angelo and Molly Dankowski, the top goal scorer and shot attempter from last year’s team.
These two were also named two of the four captains for the 2023 season along with junior midfielder Grayson Mackenzie and graduate student defender Jenna Diebert.
Semel believes in the potential of this group, even going so far as to describe them as “…the strongest group of players we’ve had in my three years here.”
That talent could serve the Eagles well when the stakes are heightened against conference rivals. Semel cited Furman and Mercer among the games Winthrop lacrosse will have circled on their schedule.
“Mercer and Furman are the most competitive games. We’ve been back and forth when playing Mercer in these past years. Mercer is a very gritty team and I love seeing everyone play against them with a chip on their shoulder. With Furman also just joining the Big South conference we’ve already had competitive, over-time games from the past year in the back of our heads to create a new rivalry.”
Although these games will mean something extra to the players, Conchek insists on staying even-keeled and treating every game with respect.
“We really aim to focus on one game at a time, certainly with the goal of securing post season play. We are process oriented, and focus on one opponent at a time. Staying present is what allows us to focus on what’s important in the day to day, and it’s these details that pay off within our outcomes.”
The rivalry games against Mercer and Furman will take place in back to back road games on April 5th and 8th. Before that however, Winthrop lacrosse will begin their season in two weeks at Eagle Field in a faceoff with Kennesaw State.
