Reflections Magazine Issue #76 - Spring 2012 | Page 12

Athletics Feature

(La)Crossing
New Territory

New Women’s
Program Focuses
on Fundamentals
and Team-building

12

Reflections Spring ’12

Cindy Hill knew it wasn‘t going to be easy.
When Siena Heights University hired the former Tecumseh High School coach to start its
women’s lacrosse program in the fall 2011, Hill
recognized her first priority.
“The big thing was recruiting,” she said.
“Getting a team ready in eight months was a
huge challenge.”
Hill fused her first recruiting class with some
current SHU students on campus to form her
first team. Although the results on the field have
been predictable for a first-year program, Hill
said the Saints’ first team is one to remember.

“I just told them to go out and do their best,”
Hill said. “They’ve just really impressed me with
their stamina, work ethic and their character.
They knew they were doing their best and they
were true sportsmen.”
Hill knew a startup program needed to have
a sense of teamwork before even taking the field.
She decided to take the fun route, hosting player
sleepovers, paintball tournaments—even mini
golf—to build that sense of comraderie.
“I’m a kid at heart, and that’s just a good excuse for me to play with them,” Hill said of the
offseason social events. “That’s all part of build-