Monte Vista's Jacob Arentzoff: Why I Play Lacrosse

Patch has invited high school athletes across the East Bay to write columns and blogs on why they play sports as the spring season comes to a close. This one is from Jacob Arentzoff, a lacrosse player at Monte Vista High in Danville.

When I first tried out for the Monte Vista lacrosse team four years ago, I was terrified. Several returning players had told me that tryouts would be the most grueling two weeks I’d ever go through, and that my calves would be too sore to walk on after just two or three days.

I had only been playing for one year. I didn’t know more than a handful of other kids trying out, and to be quite honest I didn’t think I would make the team.

Fortunately for me I did make the team, and reflecting back on my high school lacrosse experience four years later, I can’t imagine having better spent my time.

Playing lacrosse is unlike any other sport; trust me, I have tried many. There is never a dull moment, it is a constant battle for possession of the ball. Lacrosse takes strength, agility, split-second decisions and, most importantly, teamwork.

But when it comes down to it, there is simply no feeling that compares to that of stepping onto the field under the towering stadium lights, in front of your best friends and family screaming your name from the stands. That is what we, as players, live for.

Being the team’s face-off man, it is my job to fight for possession of the ball after each goal is scored and set the tone for the game. This puts a lot of responsibility on my back. In any other situation, I’m not sure if I could handle the pressure. But on the lacrosse field, I thrive under these conditions.

That’s one of the greatest parts of playing lacrosse; you can put all of your fears behind you and completely dive into the moment. All the stresses in my life are temporarily relinquished. When I am on the field, it as if nothing else matters.

I have experienced much with these boys over the past four years. Yes, there were hard times: earning our spots on the team freshman year, getting our heads shaved for initiation (a tradition that has since - to the dismay of the majority of my fellow seniors - been discontinued), seemingly endless running drills such as “gassers” and “triples” at the end of a physically demanding practice, and rough losses that are impossible to forget even at this time.

But the good times we’ve shared together, the unforgettable wins against San Ramon and De La Salle, the team trips to Los Angeles and San Diego, the bonding on the weekends, laughing over sprints we once ran because someone spilled the milk at a team dinner.

Those are the memories that will stick with me for the rest of my life. And all of these memories, the good and the bad, have succeeded in bringing us closer in what we call the Mustang Lacrosse “Family”. We wear this word on the back of our shooting shirts, and we are reminded of it every time we step onto the field.

Personally, I’m proud to call these boys family. I can’t imagine having shared these moments with anyone else. My participation on the Mustangs lacrosse team has taught me more than just the game of lacrosse; it has thrust upon me a new and improved work ethic.

Punctuality is no longer an obstacle in my life. Being a leader, even if not in a direct position of leadership, comes naturally now. Even with schoolwork, lacrosse has taught me not to procrastinate. A rigorous course schedule has subjected me to large loads of homework, and losing 3-4 hours per night of time I once had for homework has encouraged me to finish my homework quickly and accurately each night when I get home from practice.

Being a part of the lacrosse team at Monte Vista has shaped me into a more dedicated, focused and hard-working young man.

The season is over now. After a tough loss in the semifinals, I am forced to say my high school lacrosse career has come to a bittersweet conclusion. Four years ago, I would never have guessed how much of an emotional effect playing for Monte Vista would have on me. I may not be leaving with an NCS championship ring, but I'm leaving with a heightened understanding of myself and what it means to play lacrosse for Monte Vista.

I’ll never forget the memories made on our field, and know that my teammates will always be much more than just teammates. They are my family.

I'm blessed to have been given the opportunity to play lacrosse at Monte Vista, and to all those who aren’t graduating with me and the other seniors this year - to all the future seniors, juniors, sophomores, and even freshman - all I have to say is make it count. It is up to you to decide whether you want to write your own history, and I advise that you go out there and do it. Because you don’t quite realize what you have here until it’s over.