Ella Simonsen, a junior, is the captain of the CRLS girls basketball team and a goalie for the girls Lacrosse team.

Register Forum: What does it mean to be a CRLS athlete and a multi-sport athlete?

Ella Simonsen: To be a CRLS athlete, it really

means a lot to be part of a community and a program that is bigger than myself. It’s a way for me to invest my time doing something I love and to spend that [time] with people who care about the same things as me. Also, I’m a multi-sport athlete—I love playing all of my sports. Not only does it keep me active and healthy, but it also exposes me to many different kinds of people and a lot of different experiences. I highly recommend playing multiple sports for everyone even if they have never played a sport before—just picking up something.

RF: How do you act as a leader for your teams?

ES: As a captain of the basketball team, I was placed in a position of leadership as a junior. I focused my energy, especially because I couldn’t play all season, on being really supportive and helping my teammates get ready to play each game. In lacrosse, I act like a leader by remaining really encouraging. Just lots of encouragement—“you got this,” “keep going,” “good job,” that kind of stuff.

RF: How do you get ready for games?

ES: While I’m warming up and right before the game, I like to get super pumped up. I listen to music and sometimes I’ll jump around and have fun with my teammates. Then, right before the game, I do breathing exercises to calm myself down and focus so I can have that balance of energy and also stay calm, cool, [and] collected.

RF: How do you hope to finish this year and your senior year in basketball and lacrosse?

ES: Well, this year in lacrosse, I hope to improve my skills as a goalie. As a team, I think that it is realistic for us to strive to get better, just to be pushing each other. Next year, I really hope for everyone to have fun, work hard together and try to become stronger, faster, and better in any way we can as a team.

This piece also appears in our April 2019 print edition.