Oh the places you'll go! There is fun to be done! There are points to be scored. There are games to be won. And the magical things you can do with that ball will make you the winning-est winner of all.” ― Dr. Seuss, Oh, The Places You’ll Go!

When we hire coaches at Sum It Up, our goal is to instill a love of lacrosse in our youngest campers. Of course, coaches teach campers the fundamental skills of the sport, but we also train them to find the magical motivator within each camper, whether it’s receiving one of our coveted t-shirts, winning a player-of-the-day sticker, or learning to love to practice.

Magical Motivator

We recently asked two previous campers to share what influenced them to pursue lacrosse on a higher level. What was their magical motivator?

Mary Margaret Kenney was one of our first Sum It Up Lacrosse campers, back when I was one of the coaches. She remembers what triggered her to love lacrosse — it was when I told her she’d be a really good player if she practiced. Mary Margaret immediately went home, got out her bounce back, and started throwing the ball. Her practicing paid off. Mary Margaret continued to play lacrosse through middle and high school at Oak Knoll (Summit, NJ) and is now playing at Bucknell. She is also one of our summer camp coaches, and she loves to find the magical motivator in the younger girls.

Another former camper, Sara Szynal, has a vivid memory of receiving her brightly colored t-shirt on the first day at camp. She recalls that the t-shirt reminded her of all the bright (and fun) times she had while at camp. She remembers being motivated by (and idolizing) the coaches who were playing lacrosse in high school and college. Her dream was to be just like them, and she used that dream as inspiration to never give up. It paid off. Sara now plays as a senior on the Summit, NJ lacrosse team, and she’ll be playing next year for Northwestern University.

It’s evident that magical things happen at Sum It Up Lacrosse! Campers have been inspired and encouraged to work hard and continue to play lacrosse throughout their school careers. Oh the places, they’ll go (and have gone!).

What’s been (or what will be) the magical motivator for your camper?