For those unfortunate enough not to make an official NCAA roster but still have the drive and passion for the game, club sports may be the perfect fit for you. FGCU offers a variety of club sports for those interested in joining and playing, including women’s lacrosse.
The FGCU Women’s Lacrosse Club team is a competitive South West Lacrosse League member, and their region includes USF, FAU, UM, UNF and U-Tampa. The team travels roughly four to five times a semester for weekend games to in-state and out-of-state schools. This year, the Eagles were fortunate enough to participate in the USA Lacrosse National Tournament, finishing 10th in the nation for D2 Women’s Club Lacrosse.
Ava Manieri is a sophomore at FGCU majoring in marketing. She plays midfield and has been playing lacrosse for about five years, since her freshman year of high school. Manieri found out about the club via social media. She has always loved playing but wasn’t ready to be done yet, so she messaged her Instagram account about meeting details and group chats.
“I can say that I am truly grateful to have been allowed to play at that level, as well as being a part of our club’s history as being a part of the first team to ever qualify for Nationals,” Manieri said.
Manieri describes the experience of traveling across Florida to play in tournaments as a student.
“It’s so much fun; there is a lot of team bonding that takes place from hotels and car rides together, so we all get a great opportunity to spend time together off the field,” she said. “Nationals overall was an amazing experience; it was extremely cool knowing that we were qualified enough to play with them.”
Manieri shares her thoughts about making new friends and why she continues to play the sport she loves.
“I’ll never forget that after the very first meeting I attended as a freshman, an older player drove me home and said that all of the girls on the team will end up being like your best friends, I’ve seen that become so true,” she said. “Since joining this team, I have regained the love of playing. I love being in-game settings and just hanging out with the girls at practice.”
Jadyn Beard is a junior at FGCU, majoring in communications with a concentration in public relations. She has played defense and midfield for about 10 years and played collegiate lacrosse for a year in Maryland. She was ecstatic to find out that FGCU offers club lacrosse, so she could continue her passion.
Beard describes her favorite memory of playing for the team in the USA Lacrosse Nationals Tournament.
“Traveling to regionals in Panama City; my team had so much fun there and it was a very memorable weekend,” Beard said. “It was such a fun opportunity and overall a great experience. Although the location was difficult to get to, it was nice that they had live streaming so that my family back at home could still watch.”
Beard was happy to meet new friends on the club team and explains why she still plays lacrosse today.
“I’ve made some of my best friends from joining the lacrosse team. Given that I was going to be new to the school, I was ecstatic to be able to have the lacrosse team as a way to make friends,” she said. “I still play lacrosse for my mental and physical well-being. It’s such a great way to get out and not only make friends but move your body and release pent-up energy.”
The club team practices thrice a week in the evenings on Rec Field 1. Practice occurs Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 6-8 p.m. or 8-10 p.m. and is dependent on field space and availability. Joining the team is so easy you can reach out on Instagram and get involved through Eagle Link.
