Charlotte Women’s Lacrosse Takes First Official Practice
By LUKE ZAHLMANN
Charlotte Women’s Lacrosse has been three-plus years in the making. Jerry Richardson Stadium hosted the program’s first full practice, and the throwback music that rang through its metal bleachers and green seats set the stage for a future of success.
Excitement was easy to find.
“It’s special to finally be on this field and to play in this environment,” coach Clare Short said. “We were on a different field in the fall while football finished, and being out here where we’ll play our games makes it feel real. They’re ready for the opportunity to prove what they can do.”
Some things have changed but more have stayed the same.
The drills are hard to differentiate from fall practices. Goaltenders are still tutored on one end of the field to begin practice while the rest of the team works on high-traffic passing. When the two merge, half-field drills still pit the two teams against one another as the 49ers build their on-field chemistry.
Their trips away from Charlotte’s campus are showing through in that regard.
Coffee trips, lunch meetings and hangouts have morphed into small guidance groups. Short’s role isn’t questioned as the leader of the 49ers, but she gives time for her players to find their way amongst each other.
There’s trust that’s been built, and it’s brought empowerment as a result.
“The coaches recruited a really good group of players, but even better people,” defender Gianna Cutaia said. “And they believe in us, they’ve empowered us to use our voice and to lead from within. That gives us the chance to build a standard and communicate that standard to each other so that it’s not always on the coaches to do it.”
Charlotte’s voice parroted down the sidelines.
Cheers rained down when the “first seven’s drill” of the year pitted two teams of seven against one another. Excitement quickly turned to focus, and each goal was met with cheers from both sides in support of the greater team.
When the cheers didn’t happen, leaders of the 49ers swiftly stepped in to remind everyone of the team’s pillar of supporting one another and the sisterhood they’re building, even if it came at the expense of the defense or offense that took the field for the drill.
Competition was preached throughout the fall, and it’s readily apparent. That doesn’t mean the support needs to be adversarial too.
“They’ve built a foundation of supporting one another that allows them to be competitive without it impacting their love for one another,” Short said. “They put in the work to get to know each other and develop relationships off the field, and it shows when they’re on it.”
Practices will soon become commonplace, rather than an inaugural event. Short knows the first game against Gardner-Webb on Feb. 8 will bring back many of the same nerves.
Being the first to do anything can be daunting. Charlotte took on the tall task of building a program from scratch.
Wearing Charlotte Green and Niner Gold is a new experience for women’s lacrosse, but one they won’t soon take for granted.
“We’ve been talking about this for months, we’ve been ready to define Charlotte Women’s Lacrosse,” Cutaia said. “This is a sisterhood that is proud to be here and proud to wear the 49er logo. This was really the first day, on our home field, where we had the opportunity to show what it means to us.”