• My favorite snack before a race is a luna bar.  After eating one I am no longer hungry but I am not too full.  Plus they taste great!

Do you have a good luck charm?

• My good luck charm is a woven bracelet that my cousin gave me.  I really like being able to look down at it on my wrist because it reminds me of my family who are the ones who have inspired me to be an athlete.

Inspirational quotes? Words to live by?

• I love the quote from Friday Night Lights: “Clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose”

 
Lauren Wood:

• There’s the basic stuff like leading stretches/warmups and making sure all the boats and other equipment are on the trailer before a race and strapped down tightly, and Costel often says “If the riggers aren’t tight it’s your fault.” But we also just need to keep a really positive attitude and try to keep everyone pumped and excited!

What do you do to pump up your team?/ How do you get pumped before a game?

• Costel started this thing where we all sway back and forth in a circle and he says, “Who are we?” and we yell “Sacred Heart!” and then “Go Heart Go!” It’s a little corny but everyone seems to like it and it turns a few heads because we’re louder than all the other teams.

What you predict are going to be your strengths or weaknesses of the team this year?

• Rowing 150 km in Orlando was extremely beneficial for the girls who went. We have a lot of really promising freshmen and sophomores this year who I know are going to be amazing and have really bright futures in the sport. We also have a huge number of seniors and some juniors who have been rowing for a long time; having all that experience gives us an advantage. Our main goals this season are working on making our final sprints at the end of each race stronger and faster, and having quick starts.

 
Varsity Golf:
Alexa deAlessandrini

• I would consider myself responsible for ensuring that every teammate feels she is part of the golf family, as we like to call ourselves.  I want to be sure that each girl feels welcome, comfortable and that she can know she is appreciated whether she wins or loses her individual match.  Besides that, I like to prepare the girls psych-ups before matches, and am working on ordering some cute apparel!

How different is it from being a member of the team?

• Captainship is different from being a team member because it requires a certain ability to reach out to all teammates so that the overall group can feel united, excited and confident about the sport being played.  In golf, it also means collecting scorecards and having a running knowledge of the important etiquette and regulations involved.

Do you have a good luck charm?

• My good luck charm is actually the collective experiences I have had and continue to have with my teammates on the course.  The interactions I have with other CSH golfers while out on the beautiful fairways and greens are priceless – from devising the original “Bunker Song” with Christie Huchro to recall the many ways a shot can be played from the sand, to using the Michelle Peng techique of raising a fluffy headcover to move the bugs away from your face, to singing and miming Justin Timberlake’s “Mirrors” with Grace Campell…the ability our team has to comfort one another on the course is what I think really allows me to feel fortunate in a match.

What do you do to pump up your team?/ How do you get pumped before a game?

• In order to get psyched up for a game, especially if it is an away match, our team will play select songs from an iPod and all sing and dance loudly and animatedly!  Some good Beyonce, One Direction or Maroon 5 blaring, wind blowing at us through the open windows of the white CSH minibus…definitely the perfect way to prepare for the long (and quiet) game of golf ahead.

• Before games it is really important to eat various snacks throughout the day such as fruit, gatorade, nuts, etc., and to have a good lunch. My favorite snack before a game is a chocolate mint Cliff Bar.

What are the responsibilities of the captains?

• There are a lot of responsibilities as captains, such as organizing team events (team dinners/breakfasts/equipment schedules), inspiring the team (brainstorming team goals together), pumping up the team before games and practices (writing inspirational quotes in the locker room/playing music), and setting a good example for our teammates by representing CSH proudly on and off the field through our dedication and good sportsmanship.

How did you prepare for the season?

• As a team, we prepared for the season at Bluestreak Sports Training in Stamford, CT, three days a week where we ran, lifted weights, and practiced our stick skills. This was a great way to bond as a team and work with each other before the season began. We organized team bonding events that took place during our preseason at Sono Field House this past March in Norwalk, CT, such as team dinners, bowling, laser tag and a high ropes course.

Do you have a good luck charm?

• Every season, each player on the team is awarded a small gold pair of wings after a great game or practice where they did something awesome or worked really hard. As this is my fourth season on the team, my three pairs of wings that I have earned are my good luck charms and they are pinned onto my lacrosse bag so I can see them all the time.

• We try to always have a team breakfast or team dinner before a game. Also, we visualize together right before the game.

What you predict are going to be your strengths or weaknesses of the team this year?

• Our strengths as a team this year is the new players on the team. We took a lot of new kids, which definitely changed the team. It’s cool to have a new team dynamic. We also are good at believing and trusting in each other on and off the field. We have no weaknesses!

 
 
Varsity Softball:
Jackie Batrus

• My favorite snack before a game is pretzels and an apple. And also dragon fruit vitamin water.

How different is it from being a member of the team?

• Being captain is different from being a member of the team because you feel a lot more responsible for when the team is not doing well. You also have to be able to lead everyone and be a good role model for everyone to look up to.

Do you have a good luck charm?

• I don’t personally have a good luck charm but I know that a lot of the girls on the team do. A lot of them have a lucky pair of spandex or a lucky sliding pad.

What do you do to pump up your team?/ How do you get pumped before a game?

• Before games, we usually get pumped by getting loud and only saying positive things. We try to look really intense and when we look intense we usually play better because we are already in the mind frame.

 
Varsity Tennis:

• A nutz-over-chocolate luna bar. It provides me with the energy I need before a match.

What are the responsibilities of the captains?

• To make sure that the team is always motivated and focused whether it is in practice or a match.

Do you have a good luck charm?

• My partner and I wear matching hair ribbons during our matches. We think that this will intimidate our opponents.

What you predict are going to be your strengths or weaknesses of the team this year?

• We have a very strong team this year. Half of the team consists of underclassmen meaning the team will continue to be strong for years to come. We have gotten a lot of good practice time in as well as there as not been a lot of rain (knock on wood) I do not see any weaknesses with our team, I am looking forward to a very successful season.

 
 
– Compiled by Molly Geisinger Staff Writer