After recently breaking 300 career draw controls in her Andover career, Girls Lacrosse Co-Captain Shea Freda ’24 is no stranger to success on the field. Through her outstanding play, strong ability to make big plays, and prominent leadership, Freda presents the perfect athlete for the role of Captain.
After an electric game where she managed to pick up her 300th draw control, taking control of the ball at the start of a play, her fellow teammate Neily Ware ’25 commented on her huge milestone and the statistical achievement. Ware mentioned the difficulty of such an achievement as well as the importance of celebrating the moment.
“On Saturday, Shea got her 300th draw control which is the face off, as it controls the possession of the play for lacrosse. That was a huge accomplishment for her and it really just shows how she leads by example on the field, and how she leads our team. The milestone was extremely impressive and it’s awesome that we were able to experience it alongside her,” said Ware.
This success on the field has been long in the making. Freda began playing lacrosse early in her life. She spoke on the impact lacrosse has had on her in the decade she has spent on the field.
“The first time I remember starting to actually play was in Kindergarten, and I’ve just loved it ever since. I have made such amazing friendships with my teammates and have had great relationships with all my coaches over the years. Lacrosse has always been a really big part of my life,” said Field.
Teammate Lola Aguirre ’26 highlighted Freda’s traits as a leader on the team. She spoke of her ability as a communicator and her high energy that gives the team drive. Not only that, Freda helps give individualized attention to all of the team members.
“She’s always there in practice and she’s always putting in her best work. She leads by example. She also talks to all of us and reaches out and lets us know she’s there for us. She is just a really inspirational figure and knows how to actively lead us and keep us together as a team,” said Aguirre.
Ware praised Freda’s leadership, speaking to her ability to command the team. She mentioned Freda’s energy and her ability to share the positive attitude to the entirety of the team.
“Shea is a very powerful and competitive leader. She always finds ways to get us fired up and excels in bringing energy to the team so we are able to be hype and competitive whether it’s at practice or in games. She always has a lot of energy and it’s very infectious to the rest of the team,” said Ware.
As Freda has developed as a Captain, she has figured out the leader she aspires to be. She brought up how she hopes to serve the team as a communicator and a friend throughout the season.
“One of my strengths is that I’m a very diplomatic person. I am able to make sure that many people’s voices are heard and I just try to be a friend, above all else, to all my teammates. I want someone to feel that they can come to me with anything and feel like they could approach me. Along with that, I feel like I want to be a voice on the field and feel like people can hear me talking and feel more comfortable. I aspire to be a good communicator of my game sense and my knowledge,” said Freda.
In the fall, Freda will be playing field hockey at Boston University.
