Eljay Schellenberg '26 Recruiting Profile

I started playing this fantastic sport in the 1st grade. I had played only in the spring season for most of my career and rarely had a summer season. I also played soccer for my entire childhood until I recently decided to dedicate my time to lacrosse. I was born in a year when they changed the age brackets so I would have had to wait another year to begin playing. Instead, we insisted on playing early and we did.

 I didn’t take lacrosse seriously until my U12 year. When we switched to the full-sized field everything changed. The game got more competitive and players started focusing on specific positions. The contact became immense and the game was faster. When the first game of that season started, I was thrilled to be on that field. I have had some memorable coaches who changed how I look at the game. When I played U10 lacrosse, we were all still young and learning the game. 

One of my coaches taught my team that lots of dodging and quick feet will excel your game, but most importantly, ball movement and teamwork will unsettle the defense the most. I have taken that lesson and implemented it into my lacrosse career. I take my chances when the time is right but I use my team to generate better chances for others. From playing lacrosse, I have learned how to better work with others and how to become a leader. Part of becoming a leader to me is having dignity. Owning up to a mistake, but not just complaining about it, fixing it on the next play. Being a leader, you have to lead by example. Show up to practices ready to go, be coachable, and practice as you would play. When you go to games, be the loudest on the field, and sprint your hardest until the final whistle blows. Training your mind is just as important as working out or putting reps in on the field. 

I am a student who has a challenging academic four years ahead of me. I will be participating in the International Baccalaureate Program in my Junior and Senior years and my school's Pre-IB program called the ‘middle years’ program for my Freshman and Sophomore years. I hope to develop my critical thinking further and broaden my perspective on how everything is affected nationally and internationally. The path to where I am now have not been easy. Coronavirus hit in 2020, hitting pause on the world. I stopped playing lacrosse and started to fall out of shape. Getting back to lacrosse was a struggle but I endured. I like challenges in any way, shape, or form. I appreciate difficult academics and lots of sports. I juggle many things at a time, which helps me a lot. I am also a dedicated Boy Scout and have the rank of First Class hoping to make Eagle Scout. I take every opportunity to improve myself and help others whether it's in school, boy scouts, lacrosse, or just in my everyday life.