Samantha Walters

About Me:

I am 23 years old and from the suburbs of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. I didn't start playing lacrosse until I was 13 (this is a late start in the sport of lacrosse). Soccer was my sport, and I decided to pick up lacrosse to cross-train for my soccer career. But when I stepped on the lacrosse field, I immediately fell in love with the sport and knew that there was no turning back. I spent the next few years playing lacrosse every second I could, and I tried to learn as much about my sport as I could.

In my junior year of high school, I decided to continue my lacrosse career at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. I was beyond excited to take my game to the next level at the school I felt most at home and loved. I competed at UMass for three years, with UMass quickly becoming my second home and my teammates becoming my family. During my time at UMass, I was named a member of the All-Rookie team, competed in the elite 8 my freshman year, and then the sweet 16 my sophomore year.

I was on track to graduate from college in 3 years, and at the end of my sophomore year, I made the difficult decision that I would be leaving UMass, and not be using my 4th year of eligibility. I decided to pursue playing lacrosse in graduate school. I was lucky enough to continue my education and lacrosse career at Quinnipiac University, where I fell into my 3rd family. I feel blessed to have gotten to play the sport I love at the DI level with two teams I call my forever family.

My time with each team taught me invaluable lessons about life and myself. My time at UMass allowed me to discover how truly strong I am, and that I can tackle anything, mentally or physically, on my own but especially with a family of 40 girls behind me. We are all Minuteman strong. My time at Quinnipiac reminded me of how much I loved the sport. I lost sight of my love and passion for the game for some time and was quickly reminded of it when I stepped foot on the field as a Bobcat.

My career has officially been over for a year, but I'm still involved with the sport through coaching. I enjoy coaching players of all ages and love helping them navigate and explore all of what being a female athlete has to offer!

I am currently finishing my Masters of Biomedical Sciences and am preparing to apply to medical school. Outside of lacrosse, I love to cook and anything to do with the outdoors, especially kayaking! One of my favorite fun facts is that I've participated in a week-long 120-mile kayak paddle!

Lacrosse has been one of the most important aspects of my life. It has taught me so many life lessons, given me so many amazing opportunities, but it has also brought some of the toughest experiences. One thing that comes with being a female athlete is adversity. Whether it be injury, illness, not being played, or the mental aspect of the game, there are challenges that you are going to face throughout your athletic career and life.

Entering my freshman year of college, I was excited for what should be the best years of my life. I received a telephone call mid-October that would throw me for a curveball. My father was critically ill, and for about ten months, it was in question as to whether he was going to survive. My family decided it was best for me to stay in school and focus on my academics and athletics and not move back home.

Being a freshman playing at the collegiate level comes with a lot of mental hurdles. Being a goalie and your position is 90% mental, adds even more challenges. Adding in a sick parent makes the load even heavier. It was extremely challenging to keep my head in the game while worrying about what was happening back home. I was a freshman, competing for the starting position, balancing the coursework of a biochemistry major, and trying to stay strong.

The experience showed what I am capable of. It was very overwhelming trying to stay focused, but I tapped into all the mental tricks that I learned from my previous mentors. When I stepped on the field, it was lacrosse time. It didn't matter what was happening in the classroom, or the hospital, it was time for me to relax, and focus on the game I loved with a clear head. I would be lying if I didn't say I had a few mental breakdowns. But with the support of my teammates, I knew I could get through it. I earned the starting role, and we made it to the elite 8 that year. My dad was eventually diagnosed with a rare blood infection and needed open heart surgery in mid-April.

I would like to say that my career was much better in the following years, but that would be a lie. I fell ill multiple times in my sophomore year, and when I was finally healthy and able to compete, I dislocated my hip. By this point, I had lost my starting role and never saw the field again wearing UMass across my chest.

My college lacrosse experience was overwhelming at times. However, I kept reminding myself that I was mentally strong and could overcome anything. I was lucky enough for the opportunity to play the sport I love at another school and step on the field again, only this time with the letter Q. I adapted to my new role on the team and focused on being the best possible teammate that I could be.

I learned how to cope with all the emotions that came with these adversities. I learned to let go of things that were not in my control and to focus on the things that were. All these setbacks had a part in shaping me into the person that I am today. I am stronger and better because of them.

Athletics allows you the opportunity to learn how to handle adversity, overcome challenges, and tackle obstacles head-on within your sport and then carry these tools and lessons into your everyday life. These tools are something I am forever grateful for and hope to share with the next generation of female athletes.