EAST LANSING, Mich. — Michigan State senior Kayla Goddard loves playing lacrosse. She grew up playing the sport, in her hometown of Troy, Mich. She knew that she didn’t want to stop playing high-level lacrosse when she got to college.
Luckily, she came to the right place, as MSU’s women’s club lacrosse has been ranked No. 1 by the Midwest Women’s Lacrosse League for the past few years.
Goddard, an attacker, is now in the last semester of college, and is relishing the start of the new season. The team’s spring season started off in Santa Barbara, California the first weekend of February where it played Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Washington, Berkeley, and Colorado. They swept the tournament, falling only to the Buffaloes.
“We have a great schedule for the spring,” Goddard said. “I hope this season, everyone plays their hardest and has fun.”
She said her time on the team has been one of the best things she has accomplished. However, being a full time student, athlete, and trying to make time for her social life, can be challenging.
“For me, the most challenging aspect is time management. The team practices three nights a week, works out on off-days, and travels on the weekends,” Goddard said.
In Oct. 2022, Goddard was named vice president of the team. Her time spent at practice, games, and bonding with her teammates got her to this position.
“It's very bittersweet that I’m already a senior but it feels great to be the vice president and give back to the club, and lead the entire team,” Goddard said.
Throughout Goddard’s four years at MSU, the program has drastically improved. Coach Brent Hiner has implemented harder practices and lifts, to help excel and maintain the team’s No. 1 ranking against their components.
“I'd say we are a way more developed team than my freshman year, practice wise it has gotten very intense”, said Goddard. “Our practice starts with a warm up and stretching. We then go into “shuttles” to warm up our stick skills. After that, we do a few drills before we go into practicing game time situations.”
Though Goddard has put most of her time into the game that she loves, the most rewarding part are the friendships she has made along the way.
“We do a lot of bonding things,” Goddard said. “The time commitment is most definitely worth it, especially being able to hang out with my teammates all the time. We are each other's best friends.”
At the end of this season, Goddard will be graduating from MSU with a degree in finance, but her time with lacrosse will not stop there.
“After graduation, I plan to join a summer league lacrosse team,” said Goddard.
Goddard has been on this team, all four years of her college career. She is grateful for her experience and the impact this will continue to have on her, post graduation.
“Being on the MSU women's lacrosse team has had an immense impact on me,” Goddard said. “I have made some of my best friends through lacrosse, and it truly allowed me to grow as a player and person!
“...I am very thankful to be a part of a club sport at Michigan State. We are lucky to be able to represent such a great school while we travel and compete. We are supported with the best coaches, trainers, and facility directors, which help make it all possible.”