Hashtag Award Winners:
Each game we pick a “hashtag” where we choose the player who best embodies the focus of the game. 

Game 1: Clare Flynn- #fundamentals
Game 2: THE WHOLE TEAM- #teamworkmakesthedreamwork
Game 3: Grace Kratz- #fakenfinish
Game 4: Riley Carolan- #ridenslide
PLAYOFFS: Taya Dukes- #perfectingFUN ​

Meet CitySide Girls 2024 Midfielder, Avery Williams! 

Name: Avery Williams
Nickname: Ave’s
Year of Graduation: 2024
High School/Hometown: Jane Adams
Favorite Position: Midfield
# of Years Playing Lacrosse: 4 Years

Where were you born & where do you currently live? 
Port Angeles/Sequim. I currently live in Seattle.

Favorite Pump Up Song? 
Intergalactic (Beastie Boys), Titanium

Favorite Movie?
Star Wars

Do you have any pets? 
1 Dog, 1 Cat, 5 Fish, 1 Snake

What are 3 words that you would use to describe yourself? 
Determined, FOMO (fear of missing out), Empathetic

What does being part of CSL meant to you? 
It means I can continue to improve and face new challenges and have a new experience.

If you could have dinner with any 3 individuals who would they be? 
Leonardo DiCaprio, Amelia Airport, Bob Ross

What is your favorite lacrosse memory?
One of the times when me and Clara were playing and I was going to shoot on goal but Clara was right behind me so I passed to her, she shot and got a goal and I was really happy.

What are your favorite inspirational quotes?
Attack everything.

If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Salad with pickles.

Favorite School subject?
LA

What is your favorite place you’ve ever been?
San Diego and Utah

Who is one person you look up to and why?
Joe Baron because he was really brave in World War 2, and the Korean War and he was really awesome!

Besides lacrosse, what other interests do you have? 
Soccer, basketball, volleyball, and cleaning.

If you were an animal, what would you be? 
A hummingbird

Any hidden talents?
Getting things done and Cleaning
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What are your goals for lacrosse?
To get better at everything I struggle with and to go to the next level in my skills.

Hello, from Ireland! 

​WEDNESDAY, JULY 5TH:
After a 4.5 hour flight from Seattle to Toronto, a 5 hour layover in Toronto, and a 6 hour flight on to Dublin, I am finally here! I showed up just in time for a quick nap and we were off to our first team training session. After months of virtual communication, it was so great to finally be out on the field together (or “pitch” as they call it here).
Having never played together as a complete team until this training camp, I was intrigued to see how the first practice would go. Well, it was AWESOME. I was blown away by how fired up and ready to compete every single player was the moment they stepped on the field. Whether it was stickwork, 4v3s, or 7v7, it was obvious that they had all put in work in the off-season leading up to this great opportunity. The energy of the team was contagious and even though I was tired and jet legged, it got me fired up!
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Highlights of the Day:

• Being reunited with the team and coaching staff
• Getting all the awesome coaching swag
• Giving the girls all of their gear and seeing their reactions
• Competing on the field together
• Getting to bed!
  
  

THURSDAY, JULY 6TH
We just completed our second day of training. It was a long day but a lot of great work was put in. As it is the fundamental component of good lacrosse, we worked on a ton of stickwork. All the same things we do back in Seattle! I think that is the biggest takeaway – even at the highest levels of lacrosse, we continue to work on the same fundamentals that we do at a young age. One of my favorite quotes is by Bruce Lee and it goes like this:

“I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.”

It is the players who are willing to commit to continue to hone their craft and work on the same fundamentals over and over again that will be successful.  This is why we always make time for stickwork at practice.

I also had the opportunity to work specifically with the offense. It was exciting to see the chemistry we had on this end of the field and to see how our offensive IQ and playmaking has evolved even since Euros. In the afternoon we did a lot of 1v1s, 2v2s, 3v3s, and finished with 3v2 Continuous – the best drill ever!! As is customary with just about every Ireland Lacrosse practice, we ended with our circle up, singing Ireland’s Call, and a slow clap into our cheer. I get chills every time we sing. Not necessarily because of the awesome voices (haha), but because there is this strong sense of Irish pride on this team and it is a special moment shared when we all sing together. While I didn’t get a video of us singing (don’t worry, there will be many more opportunities), I did get a video of our slow clap and cheer.

I have been with Irish Lacrosse since the European Championships back in 2015 and it is exciting to see the players and program continue to grow and evolve. We only have a short time together in Dublin during this training camp and yet I feel that the girls have already established a strong baseline for this team and they continue to raise the bar each time they step on the field – challenging themselves and each other. I think my favorite part about this group, and about the Irish culture in general, is this strong since of community and camaraderie that exists. As competitive as the team is on the field, the second we are off the field it is lots of laughter, jokes, and good times. I feel very fortunate to be working with such a dedicated, fun, and supportive group.

I am pretty excited to be here….

This blog was written by CitySide Girls Coach, Wendy Donier, who recently traveled to Switzerland and went for some amazing hikes! 

For me working out and staying in shape is often a chore. Sometimes I would even rather take out the trash or clean my room before more than go on a run. What I have realized is that there are plenty of ways to make exercising fun.

Right now as I type this out, I am in Switzerland. My dad is Swiss and my family and I are on vacation right now to see my cousins, aunts, uncles, and my grandma. One of my favorite parts of coming to Switzerland is the food. Chocolate croissants, cheese, salami, bread, and so much chocolate! As I previously mentioned, I don’t love traditional working out. For example running or lifting weights. But no one worry I have found the solution to work off all that extra chocolate in my belly, hiking. Every day I have been hiking or taking long walks with my family. Yesterday I hiked from Switzerland through the mountains to Austria! A full day of hard work! Today my dad and I hiked to a little hut/house to get fresh milk and cheese from a family who made it right on their farm.
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Of course Switzerland is not the only place to hike! Ask any of the coaches and they will quickly tell you their favorite hikes around the Seattle or Washington area. There are plenty to choose from!! There are hikes for all levels and each are special. Get outside, get a workout, and enjoy the outdoors!

Meet one of the original CitySideLax Girls Coaches, Wendy Donier! 

Name: Wendy Donier
Nickname: Wendy Woo
Year of Graduation: 2019
High School/Hometown: Holy Names Academy/Seattle
College: Regis University
Favorite Position: Line Attack
# of Years Playing Lacrosse: 11ish years

Where were you born & where do you currently live? 
Seattle, Washington. I live in Denver, Colorado during the school year and Seattle in the summer. 
An interesting fact about me and where I am from is that I am a tri-citizen. My dad is Swiss and my mom is Canadian, which makes my sister and I Swiss, Canadian and American.

Favorite Pump Up Song? 
Remember the Name by Fort Minor

Favorite Movie?
Miracle, Harry Potter Series, About Time

Do you have any pets? 
I have a little dog whose name is Trevor, but we call him lil trev.

What are 3 words that you would use to describe yourself? 
Outdoorsy, hardworking, independent

What does being part of CSL meant to you? 
City Side means so much to me. In the past two years Hilary and the staff have taught me plenty of new lacrosse skills, but they have also taught me how to be a good person. Each coach I’ve worked with at City Side truly care about each girl and focus on empowering young women. I have loved the role models that City Side has given me which hopefully will allow me to become role models to young girls.

If you could have dinner with any 3 individuals who would they be? 
Emma Watson
Obama and Fam
Ellen

What is your favorite lacrosse memory?
My freshman year I met my teammate Daisy. She is 10 now and my teammate through a program called Team Impact which matches a child with any kind of serious illness with a college sports team. Daisy has now beaten cancer twice and just recently has been diagnosed for a third time. Last year as she began to lose her hair my team went to a shaving event in which many people had signed up to shave their head for childhood cancer. At this event I impulsively decided to shave my head for my incredible teammate. From then on we have become best friends. This is a special friendship that lacrosse has given me.
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What are your favorite inspirational quotes?
Most people fail in life not because they aim too high and miss, but because they aim too low and hit –Les Brown 
When they go low, we go high –Michelle Obama 
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If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?
The obvious answer here is potatoes. There are so many different ways to eat them. Baked potato, hash browns, French fries, chips, mashed potatoes, potatoes wedges. 
But if I could pick a type of food I would chose all Asian food. 

Favorite School subject?
Social Psychology

What is your favorite place you’ve ever been?
My favorite place in the world is probably Discovery Park. It has many amazing memories because I grew up hanging out here with my family. I love being able to see the water, the mountains, and trees all in one place.

Who is one person you look up to and why?
I look up to my dad. He works so hard every single day, but he loves it. He wakes up excited to go to work and cook. I hope that one day I can love my job and life as much as he does. He has shown me that I don’t need to settle and I should keep shooting for the stars.

Besides lacrosse, what other interests do you have? 
My secret and favorite hobby is puzzling. I love to puzzle because it relaxes me, takes a lot of attention, and there is no way to cut corners and cheat. when I am not puzzling I am likely hiking, hammocking, exploring a local market, or finding the perfect outfit at a thrift store.

If you were an animal, what would you be? 
I have a friend who is 13 and she told me once that my spirt animal is a grizzly bear. I feel like it fits pretty well 
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Any hidden talents?
I collect socks. It all started in high school when my friend got me a pair of eagle socks from the zoo. My collection has only grown. Some of my favorite patterns are Canadian flag, dinosaurs, Space Needle, avocados, and snowmen.   

What are your goals for lacrosse?
Next season I hope that my team can win its first NCAA tournament game. Then ultimately win the entire thing.