In March of this year the Taft Boys Lacrosse team is going to begin its 20th season and coaches are anticipating it to be their best in years.
On March 12, Taft’s team is going to play their first conference game of the season against Whitney Young, the defending city champions. Taft’s team hasn’t had a city championship appearance in the past decade.
Andrew Kapustka, the coach of the team said, “Our first conference game of the season against Whitney Young will be a true test of our physical toughness. Regardless of the score against WY, our goal is to play a full four quarters and stay competitive. I constantly tell the boys that any team can be beat any day, and I do believe that.”
To prepare for the upcoming season the team has been committing most of their time to practice and conditioning as well as learning about the sport through watching game film and staying connected throughout the offseason, which has strengthened the players bond as a team.
“Conditioning isn’t just about getting your body in shape for the field. It’s about forging bonds that make us a tight-knit team. We push each other to the brink, knowing well that our teammates would not let us slack off or give up. But it’s when we’re at our weakest that our true colors show,” said senior John De Leon, the team captain.
The sentiment of teamwork is further reinforced by the coaching staff, whose bond as former Taft students inspires today’s team to push themselves to their fullest potential.
“The fact that the coaching staff consists of Taft alumni undoubtedly reinforces their authority as Taft Lacrosse Coaches. While looking at the pages of our school’s old yearbooks, I stumbled upon a captivating image of Coach K running through the very same hallways and stairs we currently run. It struck me that their presence is akin to a living embodiment of coaching,” said De Leon.
This season the team has a rare opportunity to win more regular season games than ever before in school history.
“This past offseason, I spent a lot of my personal time reaching out to Boys Lacrosse Program Head Coaches and School Athletic Directors. My goal was to get truly competitive games for our team that we could grow as a team and be put in a situation where we need to come together as a team to succeed,” said Kapustka.
The entire team is anticipating this upcoming season. They predict one of the most exciting and successful seasons the school has seen in years.
“We have the potential to achieve unprecedented success in the upcoming season, which will go down in our school’s history. The upperclassmen possess the requisite skills, abilities, and mindset to secure victory and surpass all previous accomplishments,” Said De Leon.
