Leadership can often equate to being vocal and imposing. However, this is not always the case. Senior and girls varsity lacrosse captain Abby Cooney leads by example and plays an integral role on her team.
Cooney started playing lacrosse in kindergarten, later joining a club team and eventually captaining the varsity lacrosse team. This past fall, Cooney decided to continue her lacrosse journey, committing to Ursinus College.
For Cooney, the best part about lacrosse is having a tight-knit, supportive community that lifts her spirit on difficult days.
“My favorite part is that it’s a team sport, and you always have your teammates,” Cooney said. “If you’re having a bad day or a bad game, they are always there to support you.”
Senior and captain Piper Kelly started playing lacrosse with Cooney when she was five. She said her ability to act as a role model to teammates is very effective: Cooney often proves that words aren’t always necessary to lead a team.
“She is not always yelling: she leads by example, and she just knows what to do and how to do it, and she can gently get other people to do it,” Kelly said.
Girls varsity lacrosse head coach Julianna Malloy said Cooney’s composure, paired with her hard work, make her a strong player and leader.
“One of her best attributes is that she has a calmness about her that I think is settling for other people. She’s somebody who has a lot of drive to improve on the field but also to be a leader and to be a role model,” Malloy said.
In addition to her reliability and poise, Kelly said that Cooney embodies the characteristics of a leader through her willingness to do whatever the team and coaches need of her.
“I feel like she can just control any part of the field,” Kelly said. “She’s a very flexible, adaptable player because she initially will always want to be [on] defense, and then our coach kind of threw her around everywhere because she is obviously really good, and she started playing midfield a lot.”
Cooney hopes to remain positive this season and put her individual performance aside to focus on the team.
“Still being upbeat and positive for the rest of the team is something I hope to bring this year because sometimes I feel like after a bad game, I get down on myself. But as a captain, I need to be more positive and uplifting for everyone around me,” Cooney said.
Having coached Cooney for three years, Malloy has seen firsthand Cooney’s presence and influence on the team.
“Off the field, I would say that I think she also carries herself very well. She’s somebody who’s really kind to all of her teammates, and she’s somebody I think that they feel comfortable going to,” Malloy said. “She’s somebody that they really do look up to.”
Kelly said she notices Cooney’s impact on her teammates, especially the freshmen and newcomers.
“Off the field, she is definitely supportive and definitely motivates the younger players really well,” Kelly said. “Nowadays, with freshmen, she definitely has a way with them, motivating new players and helping them out.”
Nearing the end of her high school career, Cooney is preparing for another four years in college.
“Lacrosse can be really hard with it being a team sport and such a big team sport,” Cooney said. “You might feel like you don’t really have a place yet on the team or in a position, but just keep at it and talk to people. Talk to coaches to find your spot because you will.”
Although the recruiting process was initially daunting, once Cooney found Ursinus, visited campus, talked to professors, and got to know the team, she felt it was the perfect place to spend her next four years.
“When I found the school that I am going to, Ursinus, it made me so happy. All the girls were so nice, and it just felt so welcoming and right when I stepped on the field with them,” Cooney said. “I am really excited to go play with them next year.”
