Be the “glass half-full person.” 

You’ve probably heard this saying at least once, yet, in truth, many people struggle to live by this motto. However, one person that has strived and succeeded in embodying this attitude is Katie Reed ‘23.

Reed has been a multi-sport athlete all her life, but she recently committed to playing the sport she shines most at– lacrosse– at Washington and Lee in Virginia. 

Reed is influenced by both her brother, Henry, as well as her mom, both of whom played lacrosse in high school and college. 

Reed first picked up a lacrosse stick when she was six. As a midfielder for Baldwin’s team and for the Philly Blast Lacrosse Club in Newtown Square, her dedication for the sport is reflected in the amount of hours and commitment she has put in every week year-round. 

From her freshman to junior year, Reed spent around 16 hours a week either playing on the field or training. Currently, she continues to hone her skills through solo training and hour-long games every Sunday. 

Reed’s career has been filled with countless memories she’s made with her teammates. She is particularly proud of the last game she played with her club team. Reed recalls the joyful moment her team prevailed in an intensely competitive game. 

Reed also highlighted a game last year that gave freshmen and two new players a chance to participate– evidence of her love and support for her underclassmen teammates.

Giving a shout-out to Meg South ‘25 and Sabine Kim ‘25, Reed said, “The whole team started jumping up and down. It’s always fun to see newcomers who are learning or just trying out the sport succeed.”  

In understanding the importance of team spirit, Reed falls short of no one. When asked about the most important thing to remember for playing lacrosse as a team, she confidently replied that it was “knowing and exploiting your teammates.” 

Reed said, “Acknowledge your teammates are there and for a reason. There is no ‘I’ in the team and it’s difficult to win a game when you’re just trying to play ‘me against the other team.’” 

As an advocate for team chemistry, Reed stated that bonding between teammates is what “makes or breaks a team.” 

She said, “The connections you make off the field are what decides the connections you make on the field.” 

For Reed, lacrosse has not only strengthened her enthusiasm for working with others but has also taught her important lessons about her own mindset as a student athlete. She stressed that there are times for putting yourself first, as well as times for putting others before yourself. 

Most importantly, lacrosse has taught her discipline. She recalled, “There isn’t a single year that has gone by since first grade that I haven’t had to balance school activities and lacrosse.” 

However, this has only cemented for Reed the importance of balance. She said, “It’s important to start early and make habits. Academics is always the stronger choice between lacrosse and academics, and prioritizing is important to prevent stretching yourself too thin. There are times when you have to make difficult decisions because you can’t be in two places at once, so having the power to decide which is the more important event is crucial.”  

Reed’s ability to juggle multiple activities at once is not shocking, considering her involvement in several other extracurriculars. She is captain of the soccer and indoor track teams, head of Athletic Association, and Senior Head of KIVA. 

Going forward in her college career, Reed is looking forward to “playing with a totally new group of girls.” 

She sees her future at college as “basically starting over,” adding, “I’ve had very limited experience with starting over, as I have been in the same place for a long time.” 

In addition, she’s excited to play at a higher level, alongside her brother who will be a senior on the Washington and Lee’s men’s lacrosse team next year.