Sachem alum has unique experience of playing club lacrosse at one of America’s premier sport’s institutions
We sat down with Kaitlyn Lynch, a Sachem North alum from the Class of 2015. The former varsity goalie is on the club team at the University of Alabama.
She was a three-year starter at Sachem North and a captain for the Flaming Arrows as a senior. A native of Ronkonkoma, Lynch is in the middle of a rewarding experience in Tuscaloosa. Majoring in English and minoring in journalism, Lynch opted for a big college experience and it all started when she got a postcard in the mail from Alabama for a recruiting workshop in Garden City.
Why Alabama? You don’t find many students from Sachem attending schools in the SEC! (Forgive me for getting excited over this, but I love Alabama football and find this very cool)
KL: “When I first started looking at colleges, I knew I didn’t want to go to school in New York. I wanted to break outside of the typical mold and go somewhere that people weren’t thinking about going. My initial choices were the University of Washington and Mount St. Mary’s in Maryland. Then one day I got a postcard in the mail from the University of Alabama inviting me to a presentation at a hotel in Garden City to learn more about the university and hear from a student and a department head about the school and their experiences there. After that night, I knew I had to visit. After visiting junior year, I knew where I wanted to continue my education and I was dead set on getting there.”
Amazing. So tell us about the initial experience and how did lacrosse come into play?
KL: “When I had applied to the university, one of the things I had learned was the campus had over 500 clubs. Before I even arrived on campus my mom had found the team’s website and discovered on of the girls on the team was from Connetquot. I filled out the online form on their page and pretty soon I received an email from the president of the team telling me to come visit them at Get on Board Day. Every fall, the university holds an event called ‘Get on Board Day’ where clubs will line up at tables and students have the chance to learn about all of the things they can get involved in. After signing up, practice was at the end of the first week in August, and while I was nervous, I was also super excited to make friends and get involved in something.”
Was it a goal of your to play college lacrosse or even club? Or did that just happen as an add-on?
KL: “Playing at a division school was something that I thought about, but never really did anything to try and get there. And once I really thought about it, I didn’t want to make lacrosse my whole life once I got to college. I wanted to experience other things too and get involved in other aspects of campus life. Once I knew I just wanted to play club, I looked into schools that gave me that opportunity to continue my lacrosse career.”
What has been the best moment for you on the lacrosse field so far?
KL: “A moment that really stands out to me was during my freshman year when we were invited to play against a D2 team 50 minutes away, the University of Montevallo Falcons. We played like a well-oiled machine and beat the D2 team like it was no problem. Walking off the field after our win, you could hear the fans of the other team say that it was okay they lost because we were a D1 school, when in fact we were only a club team.
Overall, the best moments I have on this team are after an exhilarating win when we’ve all given it our heart and soul to have that fantastic win at the end. That moment when your team members run right into you with pure joy all over their faces. When I look back on my time spent on this team, those are the times I’m going to miss and cherish the most.”
And how about the rest of your experience? It’s a huge school with a good academic reputation. What has the rest of your time been like so far?
KL: “Going to the University of Alabama is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before and I wouldn’t trade it in for the world. What shocked me the most when I first started going to classes, was how big the campus actually was. Most days, I would have walked five miles before returning back to my dorm for the evening. That, on top of the southern, summer heat, made it a lot to get used to for this New Yorker. After spending all of last summer here, I can finally say I’ve gotten used to the southern heat. Despite the weather, I still cannot get over how lucky I am to attend a school with such beauty. Sometimes, while walking across the Quad, I think about how strange it is to be 1,000 miles away from home.”
I have to ask, have you gone to football games? Do you get caught up in the craze of Nick Saban, the national championships, and the Crimson Time legacy?
KL: “Growing up, I’ve always been a Jets fan but I was never crazy about football. But my senior year was when I started to become obsessed. So much so that I was hysterical when Alabama lost to Ohio State (a sworn enemy of mine) in the Sugar Bowl. It only got worse when I actually got to the school. My mom thinks it’s something they put in the water. My freshman year I went to the Middle Tennessee, Arkansas, and LSU games. To be honest, you haven’t seen a game day until you’ve been in Tuscaloosa on a football Saturday. Fans show up bright and early to set up tents on the Quad to tailgate. There are people everywhere! Thousands of fans show up early to stand by the Walk of Champions (for which we no longer have any room) to catch a glimpse of the the players walk off the bus and into the stadium. Freshman year Alabama football was a blessing since we were the proud winners of the National Championship. This was also the year I learned that in Alabama, days off for winning sports championships are added the the academic schedule, they’re built in.
Sophomore year, I wasn’t able to get tickets on my own because student tickets sold out in four seconds. I was lucky enough to have friends give me a few of their tickets. This year I went to the Western Kentucky and Arkansas games. Lucky for me, my dad came down for a game and was able to get front row seats for the Chattanooga game. Watching a football game in Bryant-Denny Stadium is an experience unlike any other. I would go as far as saying we have some of the best fans in college football. The energy at kick-off is electric and everyone knows that if the players play for four, you stay for four. It was this year that I was in tears once again because of a terrible last second loss to Clemson. (My mom thought I was crazy, but I’m convinced she just doesn’t understand how important it actually is).
Junior year, I started working at the school store and since we had to work up until game time, I didn’t go to as many games as I would have liked. I attended the Fresno State, Arkansas, and LSU games. While the loss to Auburn was rough, we came out on top winning another National Championship. I have never before been so anxious during an Alabama football game. There were moments when I just couldn’t watch (especially when our kicker was attempting a field goal). When Tua threw that pass down the field during a second-and-26, and the pass was caught I don’t think I’ve ever been happier in my entire life.
I also happened to attend one basketball game this season and the fans there were just as ecstatic about watching the Crimson Tide roll over the opponent. Moments there were just as thrilling as our basketball team often liked to wait until the very end of the game to pull out a win. I have yet to attend a gymnastics meet, but they get as much hype as any basketball game does on campus. I have also never been to a baseball game, but the discount I got on a jersey will probably help me show my team spirit from right field when I finally attend this year.”
Final thoughts on Alabama or anything else you want to share?
KL: “Overall, attending the University of Alabama has been a wild ride. It’s getting to be a witness to historic events and thinking about how one day I get to tell my kids I went to the University of Alabama during its golden age with Nick Saban. It’s also having Jalen Hurts sit near you in two of your classes and watch as everyone (mostly the guys) go gaga over him while you just act as natural as possible.”
-As told to Chris R. Vaccaro
