Patryk Wojcik '20 Recruiting Profile

Lacrosse has become an important aspect of my life and has influenced me in more ways than I could have never imagined. I joined my high school team during freshman year as a way to interact with others and be involved at my school. This turned out to be a significant learning experience for me. It helped me to grow as not only a leader, but also allowed me to interact and collaborate with my fellow teammates. My confidence grew and it gave me something that I have never experienced before; a newfound strive for success. This journey was filled with many highs, but it also included a whirlwind of emotions. A year into my lacrosse career, I tore my meniscus on a ski trip. At the time, I did not know I tore it and I fought through the pain. I thought it would eventually go away, and I ended up playing half a season with my injury. I continued to play, and I tried to push through because I loved being on the field. Ultimately, I knew something was wrong and I went to see a specialist. When the specialist told me, I could not play anymore, it broke my heart and wore me down physically and emotionally. It was like taking two steps forward and one step back. I was doing well and even became the top 13^th scorer in New York as a sophomore. Now I was not allowed to play. At the time, it seemed like the worst thing that could have happened to me; however, in the long run, I have realized that it was probably for the best. I had to take time off and focus on myself to get better. During this time, I spent one year working with a sports therapist, while aiming to go back on the field as quickly as possible. Sometimes I would feel as if I was letting my team down because I was not able to play with beside them, but this only made me want to work harder to get better. After a year, I was finally cleared and playing alongside my teammates. I was happy to return, although I had plenty of fears running through my head. I did not want to tear my meniscus again, or risk getting any other related injury. I also had the fear that I would not be able to reach the same level of success I had before all of this happened. Soon enough I realized that I could not let these fears dominate my life. I found myself struggling to find myself and gain the confidence I needed to strive for success; however, I realized that even though I had these obstacles in front of me, I could not give up. That season I worked harder than ever and, in the end, it paid off. Through this experience, I learned that you can dodge past obstacles and accomplish whatever you set your mind to. I was voted captain for my senior year and I finally found that strive for success again. As captain, I want to help my teammates build that same confidence and break down their walls. Everyone has different challenges and setbacks in their life, but those should not hold anyone back.