On the uneven terrain of Bronx Science’s back field, where the spring wind cuts through practice pinnies and the ground feels perpetually half-frozen, a group of girls lace up their cleats, scoop their sticks off the turf, and get to work. The Bronx Science Girls’ Varsity Lacrosse team isn’t flashy. They don’t have the pristine turf or prime field slots. But what they lack in facilities, they make up for in sheer determination, grit, and an unshakable sense of team spirit. In a school known for its academic rigor and powerhouse math team, Girls’ Lacrosse is writing its own narrative—one that deserves just as much recognition.

The team’s culture is one built on hard-earned trust, a healthy disregard for mud, and a deep love for the game. Practices are intense, often beginning with dynamic stretches and fast-paced drills. When it’s too cold or wet to practice outside—and in New York springtime, that’s often—the team takes things indoors. And by indoors, we mean running up and down the school’s staircases. It’s an unglamorous tradition: sprinting from the first to the third floor, sticks in hand, sweat dripping, legs burning. It’s grueling. It’s exhausting. And for the girls on this team, it’s bonding.

There’s something almost poetic about the stair runs: climbing the very steps of a building known for launching students to Ivy League schools, not just with brains, but with blistered feet and sore quads. During these indoor sessions, the gym echoes with laughter and the sharp bounce of lacrosse balls against the walls. Drills might shift to passing relays or defensive footwork, but the core focus remains the same: improving together.

Still, to understand the team is to understand the game. Lacrosse is fast. Faster than people think. Played on a full-sized field with twelve players per team, including a goalie, girls’ lacrosse is a mix of strategy, speed, and split-second decisions. The rules are often misunderstood, especially compared to the more well-known boys’ version of the sport.

Girls’ lacrosse emphasizes finesse and positioning. Players pass using mesh pocketed sticks, aiming to shoot a rubber ball into the opposing team’s goal. There are boundaries, restraining lines, and an 8-meter arc around the goal where fouls can result in free shots. Unlike the boys’ game, girls’ lacrosse allows for far less physical contact, but the aggression still exists. Defense is about footwork and stick placement, anticipating movement rather than overpowering it. Offense is about creating space, cutting with purpose, and keeping your head on a swivel. It’s a mental game as much as it is physical.

Bronx Science’s Girls’ Varsity Lacrosse program hasn’t always been on everyone’s radar. Lacrosse at Bronx Science started small. For years, the team struggled for visibility, recognition, and wins. Many players joined with no prior experience, drawn in by a poster on the wall or a friend’s encouragement. Equipment was borrowed. Jerseys were mismatched and tattered. But slowly, season by season, the team carved out its identity.

Now, they’re a force in the PSAL. Not yet a legacy, but no longer a footnote. What they have isn’t just a roster; it’s a family. Every year, seniors hand down their knowledge, their favorite cleats, and their positions to the underclassmen. Ninth graders are folded into the team like younger siblings. Traditions are passed down just like plays: with precision, pride, and a touch of class.

Traditions include smaller morale boosters, as well as fully-coordinated team events. Another more recent tradition involves indoor winter practices ending with team races, slingshot-style relay sprints across the locker-lined hallways, complete with questionable Spotify playlists and shouts of encouragement.

PSAL doesn’t provide much resources for the sport. Practice time is often shared, fields are booked tight, and the weather rarely cooperates. However, the team makes the most of what it has. You can find them practicing shooting against chain-link fences or turning tennis courts into stickwork labs. In the offseason, many girls head to city clinics or club teams, but just as many rely on their own hustle: wall ball in the backyard, jogging laps in Van Cortlandt Park, or trading training tips over GroupMe.

The team is coached by passionate educators who understand that being an athlete at Bronx Science is a balancing act. Players juggle Advanced Placement classes, research projects, and hours of homework before and after practices. It’s common to see girls reviewing flashcards between drills or huddled together for a team study session on the bus to an away game. They are students first, yes, but that doesn’t mean they don’t play like athletes.

Games are fast-paced and high-stakes. The sidelines are alive with teammates yelling support and strategy. When the team scores, there’s a signature jump-hug pile. When they lose, it’s quiet but never cold. There’s always reflection. Always growth.

The Bronx Science Girls’ Varsity Lacrosse team is still building its legacy. They’re not the loudest team or the flashiest, but they show up. Muddy, tired, out of breath, they play their hearts out. They might not be on every student’s radar, but on the field, they matter to each other. And in the end, that’s what counts.

So the next time you pass by the back field in early Spring, or hear the sharp clatter of sticks echoing through the stairwell, know this: that sound is the sound of something real. Something earned. Something extraordinary. It’s not just a sport. It’s a sisterhood. It’s lacrosse.

The Bronx Science Girls’ Varsity Lacrosse team isn’t flashy. They don’t have the pristine turf or prime field slots. But what they lack in facilities, they make up for in sheer determination, grit, and an unshakable sense of team spirit.