"My name is Dacey Redman and I'm a 21 year old college student at Grand Valley State University. I'm also a member of the GVSU Women's Club Lacrosse Team (WCLO) as well as the Head Coach for the Byron Center Girls Varsity Lacrosse team. 

 

I started playing lacrosse in middle school and have let it become my life ever since. Playing all throughout high school, years of travel teams, continuing my athletic career in college, and lastly, becoming a coach of the game.  I started coaching girls lacrosse at only 17 years old and have been coaching ever since. I have also spent time coaching various club lacrosse teams in both Ohio and Michigan. 

 

Deciding to play lacrosse has been one of the best decisions I have made in my life.  However, the level of competition, dedication, and physical and mental strain it placed on me, lead to struggles with mental health.  While being involved in the rigorous world of high school and club lacrosse, I was often only seen as an athlete and a jersey number rather than a human being. Throughout high school and also through my current college career, I'm constantly feeling like I'm not performing well enough on the field in the game of girls lacrosse. There has been times where I felt that I was only as valuable as the goals I could score or the plays I could make in a game.  Going through these feelings as an athlete is what made me decide to start coaching girls lacrosse. I never want another player to feel the thoughts that I felt at such a young age. Once I started coaching, I promised myself that I would always value the person over the player. I teach my girls to not let this sport consume them like I did at one point in my life. I teach them to find a balance within their life. Which is why I started my own club lacrosse team called Balance Lacrosse. A club lacrosse team exclusive to female lacrosse players that makes mental health a priority while also developing sophisticated lacrosse players and even better young women. 

 

Balance Lacrosse is an all female travel club lacrosse team out of Grand Rapids, Michigan. We create an environment where these young female athletes can thrive in, both mentally and physically while also not being in the shadow of boys lacrosse players." 

 

-Dacey Redman

Director of Operations of Balance Lacrosse ... a West Side Organization

Founder of Balance Lacrosse