Antonio Puopolo '24 Recruiting Profile

As a kid I didn’t really like team sports like baseball or soccer because I didn’t want to rely on others for my accomplishments. Then I found lacrosse my dream sport!  My father and all his siblings had played and I never knew.  It wasn’t until I actually played that I fell in love with the nature of the game. It’s  the perfect combination of physicality, team work, and analytics.  There’s nothing like the bonds you establish on that lacrosse field. The sounds of your pole hitting another. Or the cheers when you make that “yard sale” happen.

I was overweight as a kid and had no idea then all the challenges that I’d face wanting to play lacrosse. I was determined. I went to every practice, every clinic offered, and watched any YouTube video and college game I could. I worked all summer long and after my second year of playing defense for my recreational league, the Cougars, I decided to try out for travel teams. Those tryouts meant subjecting myself to a lot of disappointments and rejections.  I even had a coach tell my parents I was too obese to play, but that all strengthened my mind to never give up.   This has made me a strong player both mentally and physically. I consider my work ethic, organization and dedication attributes that I bring to any team.

My family and I moved to North Carolina for my high school years.

I made the Red Devil travel team where I’m a starter for the defense.   I also made The Holly Springs Hawks lacrosse team for my high school. This year I was team captain for the JV,  where we were conference champions.  Then I was honored to be moved to our Varsity team.

Lacrosse centers me! After all those challenges it’s amazing to see how coaches now support me, encourage me, reward me and give me team leadership. It still isn’t easy and you still face challenges. So, for me, it’s not just a game or the thrill of winning. Lacrosse embodies the complexities of life. Not everything is easy, you don’t get everything you want, but if you believe in yourself, you can run that field, get that ground ball and cause that game changing turn over. Obstacles will be there, its how you bounce back from them that matters.