Athlete of the Week: Cece Burt

Junior Cece Burt has been named Athlete of the Week for her standout contributions to the women lacrosse group this season. She has anchored the group as a midfielder, taking part in on each ends of the sphere, whereas additionally rising as one of many group’s most trusted and beloved leaders.

Cece’s path to lacrosse started pretty merely: She picked up the fundamentals in eighth grade, going out to follow with buddies for lack of a Middle School group—however Cece at all times had her eye on taking part in in highschool. After becoming a member of the Upper School and making an attempt out for ladies lacrosse, she was positioned on the JV group.

Her love for the sport clicked early in her lacrosse profession. During certainly one of her first JV video games, she took the faceoff to start out the sport and felt one thing she hadn’t anticipated. “It was just really fun,” she stated. “I was also playing with one of my close friends, so we had great chemistry. That’s when I knew I was going to love it.”

Her time spent on JV was short-lived. After only a month and a half of floating between rosters, she was requested to maneuver as much as varsity formally. “That’s when it became more serious to me,” she stated. “I was surrounded by better players and had to work harder to keep up.”

That drive to enhance has carried her all the best way to turning into a varsity captain as a junior—a title that displays how far she’s come since her time on JV as a freshman.

Cece sees this captaincy as a mirrored image of her deliberate effort to guide by instance, on and off the sphere. “I feel like it shows that my coaches recognized my leadership when they named me captain, which is something I really try to work on,” she stated. “I want to be someone my teammates can talk to and look up to, like how I looked up to older players when I was a freshman.”

Cece adopted her recreation mentality and mojo from a selected particular person. “When I was a freshman, I really looked up to Reese Benford [Latin Class of ‘24]. She was a senior and an incredible player, and now she plays D1 lacrosse [at Johns Hopkins University],” she stated. “I always wanted to be like her.”

Now an upperclassman herself, Cece is aware of how she reveals up for her teammates, particularly in troublesome moments. “Attitude is really important in my opinion,” she stated. “It’s easy to get frustrated, but you can’t take that out on your teammates. There’s a difference between playing with urgency and being negative. Staying positive helps everyone play better.”

Cece’s angle has produced outcomes which have formed the group’s tradition this season. “We have really good team chemistry, and we’re a pretty young team, which is exciting,” Cece stated. “Everyone puts in effort, and we’ve had some good wins.”

Cece has contributed to the group’s development not simply as a pacesetter, however as a participant keen to adapt—switching from offense to midfield this season. Her new place requires her to cowl each inch of the sphere whereas offensive and defensive gamers get to remain on their respective halves.

Instead of complaining concerning the calls for concerned with being a midfielder, Cece embraced the problem.

“You’re taking part in each offense and protection, so that you’re always shifting. Midfielders can go anyplace on the sphere, in contrast to different positions,” she said. But the chaos is part of the appeal to her. “I like how fast-paced it’s. It’s tremendous bodily and excessive depth, which makes the place actually enjoyable.”

The transition between positions hasn’t been with out challenges, although. Over the primary few weeks of the season, Cece has been specializing in sharpening her defensive instincts and taking management of the sphere, whereas eyeing refinement in her taking pictures and footwork. “I still have a lot to improve,” she stated, “but I think I’ve gotten better this year because of the effort I’ve put in.”

For anybody on the fence about making an attempt lacrosse, Cece has a easy pitch: “It’s pretty easy to pick up, but it’s hard to get really good at. It’s definitely worth playing, though, because it’s a lot of fun and you make great memories.”

And for youthful gamers arising, her recommendation is even less complicated. “Just give 110% effort,” she stated. “Coaches and teammates notice that more than anything. It doesn’t matter if you’re the best; what matters is that you’re trying your hardest.”