Anyone can play a sport and anyone can try out, but not everyone can succeed and stand out as a player across hundreds of other competitors. Sports are like school; you have to keep up with it as much as you keep up with schoolwork. Success doesn’t come from doing nothing. If you want a good grade, you have to study, and if you want to be a star player, you must practice. Being an athlete isn’t easy.

Caroline Cooper ’24 is a star lacrosse and field hockey player. She has been playing both sports since as early as the second grade and started her Staples career as a freshman by making both varsity teams.

Alongside Cooper’s primary sports – field hockey and lacrosse – she challenged herself by playing many other sports along the way. Throughout her life, Cooper has played lacrosse, field hockey, squash, soccer, basketball and softball. As a multi-sport athlete, Cooper was constantly busy juggling various sports and school; yet, from the beginning, Cooper managed to stand out as an excellent player in every sport she stepped into.

“Most of the time when I’d ask Caroline to hang out, she would always respond saying she couldn’t because she had a game or workout, or practice that day or early the next morning [… ] which was expected of course,” Kathryn Asiel ’24 said.

In Cooper’s first high school field hockey season, she was only one of five freshmen to make the varsity team. Similar to field hockey, in Cooper’s first lacrosse season she was one of four to make the girls varsity lacrosse team. 

With all her hard work, Cooper was elected to be one of the three captains this past summer. Her co-captains include Shannon Lynch ’23 and Jaden Mello ’23.

“I had no idea I would be captain for the team this year since captains are usually one of the seniors on the team,” Cooper said. 

Being a captain, Cooper is a main starter on the field for her team. She navigates the field as a midfielder despite having been a defender her entire lacrosse career up until just two weeks ago. 

“Caroline is the most hardworking person I know,” Lexi Gay ’24 said. “First of all she’s amazing at every sport she does, being a four-year varsity starting athlete, and is super smart. She successfully juggles taking so many AP and honors classes, while being amazing at multiple sports on the side.”

Cooper is also a gritty, determined lacrosse player who will do anything to win. 

“Caroline is the first one to the ground balls and is constantly hustling,” Amelia Tarsy ’24 said.

Now, Cooper is taking her leadership skills from being captain this year for varsity lacrosse by attending Girls State this upcoming summer. Girls State is a summer mock government program that will take place at the University of New Haven, designed for girls who wish to lead in the real world.

“She is an exceptional captain because she cares about her teammates and will do anything to ensure their and the team’s success,” Athina Sarmiento ’24 said. “Also, she is an amazing leader who communicates strongly to her teammates, respects them, shows empathy towards them, and is self aware. Her leadership is key to the lacrosse team’s success.”