Getting recruitment in the lacrosse industry for college can be difficult. Girls tend to find travel teams to help improve skills, sportsmanship and get noticed by coaches from multiple different college teams.
KC Storm is a travel lacrosse team Coach Cassie started when she lived in Kansas. She wanted to create a travel team that any girl could participate in, no matter the pay or their skill level, helping girls improve and get noticed by colleges. The current coaches for KC Storm are Kristina Mensik, of Bishop Miege high school, and Kyle Beard, of Ottawa University.
Mensik keeps KC Storm on track with their goal to win more tournaments, improve skills, and sportman ships.
Both Coaches noticed the girls in KC Storm have grown greatly in their skills since their first year as a team.
Mensik expressed how she hopes for KC Storm to win more tournaments, but the first thing she needs to do is help grow their skills on the field.
Mensik uses USA Lacrosse and Instagram to help make drills for her players. She tends to focus on different skills she can sharpen at each practice “I put the girls up into their positions and have them do those specific drills”
Since Beard needed to get involved with the high school level of women’s lacrosse after coaching women’s college lacrosse for so long. KC Storm reached out and asked if he’d join and help develop KC Storm for girls to improve skills to get recruited.
Beard expressed that he believes KC Storm is a good way for girls to get noticed by colleges.
“The opportunity you have to play in tournaments. The more likely you are to be recruited.” Beard said. Additionally, he believes it’s the athlete who needs to reach out and put their best foot forward during tournaments.
Additionally, he pointed out that players should always research more about the college and not just the sports, “Make sure you are doing your research and find a school that fits you.” Beard believes a player should find a team that has a positive impact on their well being and would help them grow as an athlete.
Mensik has noticed the girls grow closer as a team and as friends which is something colleges look for in players — being supportive and respectful to your teammates or other teams is an important part of being recruited because college coaches don’t want to deal with a rude and toxic player on their team.
Mensik and Beard want the program to grow so they can help more girls grow as athletes and carve the path of their future in college. “KC Storm is definitely helping them get exposure and get in front of college coaches,” Beard stated.
