Sports all over the United States took a drastic hit in March of 2020 due to Covid-19. The Oro Valley Lacrosse Club had to cut the season short due to the pandemic in March of 2020. In the Fall of 2020, the Oro Valley Girls’ Lacrosse team collaborated with the Salpointe Girls’ Lacrosse team to make it a bigger and better team with the help of the University of Arizona girls coming to coach.

Nikolas Martinez, a Sophomore at Ironwood Ridge High School and a player on the high school boys’ lacrosse team said, “Lacrosse made me realize that sometimes things go right and other times they go wrong. Rather if it’s a win or loss on or off the field you gotta keep going.”

The girls’ lacrosse team played 3 tournaments and 11 games in the Fall with 8 losses and 3 wins. The boys’ high school team played 1 tournament with 3 games, resulting in 2 losses and 1 win.

Makena Limon, a Sophomore at Ironwood Ridge High School and a player on the girls’ high school lacrosse team said, “I think Covid-19 has made my competitiveness stronger because I know there may not be a chance where we all can be on the field together before another lockdown.”

The girls’ high school team switched from a JV team to a Varsity Division 2 team, because the league rule requires new clubs to establish a Varsity team by their third year associated with the league (this is their third year). The boys’ high school team has both a JV team and a Varsity team. Both teams start their first games in March of 2021.

Sami Sotelo, a Freshman at Ironwood Ridge and a player on the girls’ lacrosse team said, “Lacrosse has changed my view on the outside world, by showing me there is so much to do. For me and a lot of the other girls, it’s a new sport to us and it gives us a whole new experience.”

Both teams work very hard and use their time wisely to get in the practice for the upcoming games.

Another student on the girls’ lacrosse team, Hailey White, said “Being in lacrosse has changed my view on the outside world in many ways. It has given me so many opportunities and helped me meet so many amazing people. Before lacrosse, I had not known what it was like to be on a team. I have noticed how amazing it is to be on a team and work together along with meeting people from all over. I am so thankful for my team and can’t wait to continue playing in my future.”

Both teams are working hard for their upcoming games starting back up in March.