The transition from high school to college can be a big leap, but for some athletes, the Oakland University club lacrosse team offers not only an opportunity to continue pursuing their passion, but also a chance to build camaraderie, hone their skills and leave a lasting impact on the program.
“What inspired me to play lacrosse was my older brother who played in high school,” junior Paul Briggs said. “I didn’t even know what lacrosse was until I watched him play. I had no intentions of playing but little did I know that as soon as I went to high school my freshman year I would be eating, sleeping and drinking lacrosse for the next four years.”
At the collegiate level, the game is faster, the competition tougher and the stakes higher, but playing lacrosse at OU offers a sense of community and teamwork that makes it all worth it. In a sport like lacrosse, where success is often determined by teamwork and chemistry, this sense of camaraderie becomes essential to the team’s overall success.
“In lacrosse 95% of the time, the only people who score the goals for your team are your people on offense,” Briggs said. “But that other 5% of the time you might get to see sometimes defense running down the field with their 6-foot pole and if they are lucky enough, they will be able to go coast to coast and take a shot on net and maybe even make it and if you can make it everybody goes crazy.”
After a limited experience in high school, the president of the club, Malik Bakari felt the need to push himself further and embrace the collegiate lacrosse experience. The transition to college lacrosse might be challenging, but the rewards are clear in terms of both personal growth and team development.
“I find collegiate club lacrosse to be vastly different from the high school level,” Bakari said. “The pace and athleticism of the game and players is much greater. The commitment is very different as well, while the team builds the same camaraderie, we understand everyone has a life outside of the team. It makes it that much better when we come together for practice or competition.”
The commitment to improvement is evident, as players like Briggs and Bakari are constantly working on refining their individual skills while also strengthening their teamwork.
“My most memorable experience has been the immense growth we have experienced as a program,” Bakari said. “There are some truly talented guys on the team. Coming off of a few dead seasons with low participation, I am really grateful for the guys that continue to bring this team life. If we continue on this track, we can easily have some record-breaking years.”
With the continued growth of the program, it’s an exciting time for Oakland club lacrosse — and the players are eager to see how far they can go.
For those interested in joining the club or learning more about lacrosse, visit their GrizzOrgs page. To keep up to date on the team or to ask any questions, visit their Instagram page at @oumensclublax.
