ChilLAXing in Poland

Nicole+Jermak%2C+junior%2C+traveled+to+Poland+this+year+to+coach+and+play+lacrosse.+She+was+named+Captain+of+Team+Poland.+

Nicole Jermak, junior, traveled to Poland this year to coach and play lacrosse. She was named Captain of Team Poland.

Q: When did you first start playing lacrosse? And why?
A: I first started playing lacrosse freshman year because I was trying to find something new to get involved in and lacrosse seemed like something new and exciting to try.

 

Q: How did you get on Poland’s national team?
A: In the summer of 2014 I went to the Federation of International Lacrosse Men’s World Championships in Denver, Colorado and I watched the Men’s Polish National Team play. I met up with them later and we exchanged contact information. In November of 2014 I was invited to coach a clinic in Poznań for any women’s lacrosse players that were interested in developing their skills or trying a completely new sport. The turnout for that event was 40 players which, at the time, seemed like an extremely large amount of people who were interested in playing lacrosse in Poland. This July, I was invited back to coach another clinic, this time in Katowice, again for players that were interested in developing their skills or trying something new. The turnout this time was 60 players, which really shocked the Polish Lacrosse League and has motivated everyone to recruit more players. During the July clinic I was assigned the task of picking  a national team to play at the Copenhagen Cup in Denmark. At the tournament I was named Captain of Team Poland and was also the standing coach for that event.

 

Q: What are your future lacrosse goals?
A: All of these clinics and tournaments are leading up to The World Games 2017 in Wrocław where women’s lacrosse will be debuting for the first time. I plan on traveling to Poland more and attending and coaching more clinics, and also preparing myself to continue to represent Poland on an international scale.

 

Q: What are your school lacrosse goals?
A: Some of my school lacrosse goals are to bring all of my new skills to every practice and every game and to keep improving myself and make it onto the starting defensive line for the spring lacrosse season.

 

Q: Why do you love lacrosse?
A: I personally love lacrosse because it’s such a thrill to be working as a whole unit with all of your teammates to bring back a win. It’s so fun to learn new things from everyone and the whole team is always so closely knit that it feels like a second family. Lacrosse always brings to mind a positive atmosphere where I know that I can learn and be supported by my fellow teammates and my coaches to better myself on and off the field. Lacrosse in general is a very specific sport in which every player of every background can come together and support each other.