Co-Captain Jo Caico ’19 is motivated to work her hardest and serve as an inspiration to her teammates by her position as captain.
Caico plays as both a defenseman and a midfielder. According to her, she plays with passion and aggression in each position, using her speed to her advantage.
“I love midfield because I love to shoot and I love to run, but I also love defense because you have to be really quick but also have good reaction timing. I also love to be aggressive and the contact is limited in girls lacrosse, but the most of that contact is in the defensive position,” said Caico.
Caico cites the team dynamic as one of her favorite aspects of the sport. According to teammate Lily Rademacher ’21, Caico is a strong contributor to this team dynamic because she can easily read her teammates and help them refocus their worries.
“I love lacrosse. I love to run and I love the sport. I also love the team dynamic on lacrosse teams. We’re all playing for the same goal. It’s a really cool thing to have in common with people,” said Caico.
Rademacher said, “Jo is a Captain that never fails to lift others up through her competitive spirit and easy ability to laugh off mistakes. She has an amazing ability to see when people need help shaking off what’s worrying them and always knows exactly how to bring them back to the play. She is an automatic leader always.”
As Co-Captain, Caico has learned how to give all of her effort at every moment, whether in practice or in games.
“Being a [Co-Captain] has been a huge transition for me but at the same time, not so much. There have definitely been responsibilities that I otherwise wouldn’t have had or even thought about, but I have now. As a [Co-Captain,] everything I do is being watched. There’s very little space for slacking. Be I have to lead by example. sometimes it’s been a challenge on the days I might not be feeling it or maybe I have something going on in my personal life. But with that, I’ve really learned to put everything behind me when I’m on that turf,” Caico said.
According to Abby Ryan ’21 and Rachel Neyman ’21, Caico leads the Andover Girls Lacrosse team by example.
“Her energy is just awesome. She is such a hard worker and so dedicated. She motivates other people because she keeps it light. She enforces a lot of the standards that the coaches and other Captains set for us this year. She’s just someone the whole team looks up to,” said Ryan.
Neyman added, “Jo is a really a great [Co-Captain.] She’s not only one of the hardest workers on the field, but she’s also one of the most committed players off the field.”
Following graduation, Caico will go on to play lacrosse at Bowdoin College.
Caico said, ” I’m super excited to play at the next level while also studying at the next level. Sports [have] always been a really important part of my life, so I’m so glad that I’ve been fortunate enough to be able to continue it beyond high school.”
Editor’s Note: Lily Rademacher is an Eighth Page editor for The Phillipian.
