Congratulations to our Premier Lacrosse team who came away with Bronze at the recent Auckland Championships tournament playing in Division 1.

This is the first time Westlake has ever had a podium finish and this is testament to the players and team management. This team is a combination of players from Year 9 – Year 13 with both new and experienced players. The team is coached by former students Holly Patrick and Chloe Keenan, Managed by Lizzie Beaumont and Captained by Leah Patrick (Year 13) who has been in the team since Year 9.

Below is an excerpt from Leah Patrick about her time playing Lacrosse at Westlake.

With two older siblings who already played, joining the Lacrosse team when I started at Westlake back in 2017 as a Year 9 was inevitable. But for many players who join the team, their first experience seeing or hearing about Lacrosse comes from movies and TV shows – ‘Teen Wolf’, ‘Wild Child’ and ‘To All the Boys I Loved Before’, just to name a few.

Each year, the team is a mix of all playing capabilities – from beginners all the way to experienced players. Because of this mix of capabilities, mentoring is a large part of Lacrosse, and throughout the years, many ex-Westlake students have returned to coach.

As a Year 9, the Year 12s and 13s played a significant part in helping me to understand not only the rules of the game, but also understanding the unique sportsmanship that makes up Lacrosse. At the end of each game, the teams do more than just shake hands and say good game. The teams stand and face each other, and each captain thanks the other team for playing them and congratulates the opposition on their team’s strengths. Throughout the years, this has been an integral part in building relationships not only within the Westlake lacrosse team, but also building relationships within the Lacrosse community as a whole. 

From my experience as a Year 9 through to a Year 12, despite the team’s best efforts, we never quite made it into the medal positions. Most years, we finished in 4th place, just shy of the podium. Over the past five years, I have made countless friendships and memories with the team, and this year, the team achieved a bronze medal after a fantastic effort in the final.

To finally win a medal after 5 years of playing was the icing on the cake for me. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to be a part of this team, and to have had the opportunity to be their captain. I wish them all the best for their future seasons!