profile Grace Kim, 10 LIA KOLT, STAFF WRITER
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Kim poses with her lacrosse stick. LIA KOLT, STAFF WRITER
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ince Grace Kim began playing lacrosse, it has always been a time-consuming, demanding, and tiring passion of hers. However, no matter the physical or mental hurdles that she has to overcome, she has always risen above and faced the challenges head-on. There are many reasons why she chose to pursue this sport and continue playing at the high school level. "Lacrosse helps me because it’s a stress reliever for me. It is a lot of exercise every time I play and practice, and I always get to meet new people at camps,” Kim said. “It's just something that I've grown to like a lot, and I've been playing very consistently since third grade, so it's something I'll keep doing.” Aside from excelling at high-school lacrosse, Kim also plans on playing at the college level if given the opportunity. “I think all around I’ve just improved because I’ve been practicing all year, and I’ve played club so I also play during the summer and the fall as well,” Kim said. “If I have a chance then I definitely do plan on playing in college.” For Kim, a big element of being a good teammate and player is the ability to recognize growth in the team setting. "I'm looking forward to this season because I think we have a higher chance of making playoffs than we did last year,” Kim said. “Our schedule is a lot easier than last year, and I think we have a little bit of a stronger team than we did last year.” Another important aspect of being a growing lacrosse player
highlights
5 goals in her first game
1 assist in her first game
Played for Korea in U19 Women's World Cup
is the skills and athletic ability that players must acquire over time. Kim's coach, Desmond Royal, noticed this in her and decided to place her on the team. “Grace is very fast. She’s definitely athletic, and her skill level is very high. She can play defense and offense. You can basically put her anywhere and she’ll get the job done,” Royal said. “She just has the ability to do a lot of things on the field.” As Kim moved up in the lacrosse hierarchy, there were a few teammates that stuck with her through thick and thin. Holyn Trautwein, another sophomore at Northview and a teammate of Kim’s, has been playing with Kim since the fifth grade. “Over the years she’s just gotten so strong, and she just immediately learned the sport and understood how to play well. Grace does a good job of getting everyone involved on the field and doing things that will help the team during practice to grow together as a family,” Trautwein said. “She’s always an option for me during a play, and I can always count on her to get the job done.”