Entering the lacrosse game against Classical Academy, goalie Autumn Ha (11) knew the March 18 match would be special. And, she was right. During the game, Ha reached 300 career saves, a milestone she’s been working toward since her high school debut.
Before entering the game, she was aware of the upcoming milestone, working as starting goalie her sophomore and junior year.
“I keep track of my saves, so going into the game, I knew that I only had around four or five [goals left], but I had to stay locked in,” Ha said. “After the game, my mom was able to tell my team and they were able to celebrate with me. It’s been a goal this season, 300 saves is amazing, but my end goal for this season is 400. I’m on that road to it, and getting 300 is great, but I’m not finished yet.”
Ha said achieving this goal has been no easy feat and that she reached this accomplishment through intense shooting practice and the support of her teammates and coaches who encouraged her to refine her skills. Another reason for her success, she said, was her positive mentality.
“I start getting in the right mindset an hour and a half before the game,” Ha said. “That’s when I don’t talk to anyone and I get locked in. I’m the only goalie, so once I’m on the field, it’s the mindset of, ‘I’m playing the game, but I’m playing for the team.’ When I stand on the field during the game, it’s the only thing I try to think about. And it’s that hour that I can really tune everything out and just do what I love to do.”
Ha said her journey with lacrosse began at 10 years old.
“I started playing lacrosse because one of my first head coaches was one of my friends’ dads, [and] also my brother started playing,” Ha said. “I was like, ‘Okay, I’ll try it,’ and then it was a lot of fun. The team was always very welcoming, and playing a team sport is important to me [because] not only are you doing what you love, but you’re able to be with other people and work towards that same goal.”
In addition to playing for Westview’s team, Ha coaches youth lacrosse for Mesa Verde and Black Mountain Middle School students who aspire to play at the high-school level.
“Being able to be a factor in their success and be a reason why they want to come to practice and keep playing lacrosse in high school is so rewarding,” Ha said. “I love coaching not only because of that feeling of winning, but also being able to be someone they look up to, and just knowing that twice a week they’re so excited to come see me and catch up and work hard for the things they want.”
As a coach, Ha said she is able to develop her playing skills by furthering her decisiveness on the field.
“[Coaching has] made me love the game more and hold myself to a higher standard to be that role model for them,” Ha said. “It’s helped with how to communicate with my teammates and those different personalities and keep me sharp on the field.”
Ha said that coaching helps her gain experience for her ideal future career in sports management. Ha has already committed to Gannon University in Pennsylvania to continue her career in lacrosse by playing for the Division II school.
“Coaching is so fulfilling for me because it’s not only doing what I love while not playing but helping others do that,” Ha said. “I’m majoring in sports management for college, so being able to use that [knowledge] and hopefully be a collegiate coach, or just stay in that area [to] help people grow the game that I love makes me excited for the future.”
With the reassurance that she will have a future in lacrosse, Ha said she is able to focus on having fun this season instead of stressing about making mistakes.
“My mindset for the season has changed because it’s [important to maintain] that balance of playing seriously but also having a lot of fun. This season, I’m able to have that fun and be able to reach my goals with my high school team, and then know that once I’m beyond that, I’ll have a team that will support me in the same way.”
