What does it mean to be a female athlete? Running striders till you throw up? Singing with your teammates during your hour-long bus ride to Huntley? Or starting each season with the annual fundraising car wash?
In Lulu Keil’s case, being a female athlete means pairing each homecoming dress with an assortment of bruises from her game the night before.
As a Varsity field hockey, lacrosse, and basketball player, Keil is no stranger to the guts and glory it takes to be a female athlete. Whether it’s fall, spring or winter, the pride she takes in wearing her jersey to school is undeniable and it inspires her peers to follow in her footsteps.
“I love coming to school in my uniform. It’s so fun to represent your team and having teachers ask you about your game really makes the school feel more like a community,” said Keil.
Like most aspiring athletes, Lulu grew up playing a variety of sports: tennis, golf, ice hockey, and soccer. It wasn’t until her freshman year when she decided to try out for the girls field hockey and lacrosse teams, and to no one’s surprise, she was a natural.
With her unwavering determination and hunger to succeed, Keil quickly became a vital player on both teams, earning her a starting position, and a captain title.
“Lulu’s probably one of the most competitive, if not the most competitive person on our team, she hates to lose, and she’s willing to fight. Watching her do that throughout tryouts, watching her do that everyday in drills, I never doubted that she was ready to be a Varsity level player, even when she might’ve doubted it,” said Girls Varsity Lacrosse and Field Hockey Coach Catanzaro.
Catanzaro credits Lulu’s success to her unpredictable movement on the field.
“Lulu stands out as an athlete primarily because she can do things you don’t expect. She is dynamic, she is smart on the field, regardless of what sport it is, and she has an amazing ability to read the situation and adjust to it before other players do,” said Catanzaro.
Not only has Keil mastered the skills it takes to win a game, she understands the criteria for a strong team dynamic. Amongst her teammates, she is recognized as the “heart and soul” of the team. She exemplifies the perfect balance of focus and hard work, while also maintaining a supportive, and lighthearted attitude for her peers.
“Lulu and I sat on the bus together during field hockey and basketball season and we always had so much fun together. She really helped ease my nerves before a game, and those bus rides were some of the most memorable parts of my athletic career,” said teammate Ryan Rice.
LFHS athletics has provided Keil with memories, skills, and friendships that will last a lifetime. From an intimidated freshman to a starting Varsity captain, the four years she has dedicated to her teams has shaped her into the person she is today and taught her the importance of being apart of a team.
“It’s not just a one person sport, and in order to be successful in field hockey, everyone on the team has to be doing their part,” said Keil, “I also love meeting so many new people and making connections with people I wouldn’t otherwise know.”
Regardless of her success at LFHS, Keil never imagined continuing her athletic career onto a collegiate level.
“I decided pretty late that I wanted to play field hockey in college. At first, I thought I wanted more of a traditional college experience, but during my final season at LFHS, I realized that I couldn’t picture my life without field hockey,” said Keil.
After emailing back and forth with the coach and visiting the campus, Keil announced her commitment to play field hockey at Dension University.
“Lulu is a Divison 1 level player. Denison is getting far more than they bargained for with her; she is going to go there and do great things. I can see Lulu being an All American, if she choses. The sky’s the limit for her, and I think she will take Denison by storm,” Catanzaro said.
