Women’s lacrosse bonds with ‘wing woman’ system

The women’s lacrosse team at Chapman has fostered team chemistry through specific traditions, one of which is their ‘wing woman’ system, which echoes the big-little model of Greek life. RYAN CARTEE Staff Photographer

Chapman’s fraternities and sororities aren’t the only groups on campus to use the terms ‘bigs’ and ‘littles.’ The women’s lacrosse team has coined the term “wing woman” to connect new players with veteran players.

“That mentorship is really valuable,” said senior attacker Leah Donnelly. “Coming from high school, the game is a lot quicker, and having the guidance is beneficial.”

Along with having a year-long wing woman, each upperclassman is given a weekly letter-writing assignment. They get paired up with someone different from the team, with the ultimate goal of getting each player to support one another.

“I have a stack of letters from my freshman year,” Donnelly said. “I remember going back reading a letter from a senior saying, ‘We’ve seen you progress so much.’ Having that boost means a lot.”

The wing woman concept can foster a deep connection between older and younger players who might not otherwise spend much time with one another off the field, said freshman midfielder Avery High, Donnelly’s wing woman.

“Leah and I have a super fun relationship. We can hype each other up and be silly during practices, but she’s also there for insight off the field,” High said. “Having a wing woman as a freshman is really cool because it’s a mutually supportive relationship if either of us is having an off day.”

The players also hold more superstitious game day traditions to foster camaraderie. Prior to every game, they all sit in a designated spot of the locker room. Afterward, the team meets on the field to warm up and then comes the game ball ritual, 15 minutes before game time.

“We hold the ball in our hands, close our eyes, imagine ourselves in the game and read our letters from that week,” junior Elizabeth Chadwick said.

Despite the bond between players, sometimes a lack of experience, with 10 freshmen listed on the Panthers’ roster, can get the best of any team come game time, Donnelly said. The Panthers lost their first three games in the 2020 season, all by an 11-goal margin.

However, they set themselves on the right track on Feb. 29, defeating the University of Redlands 16-9 for their first victory of the season. And March 7, they took down California Lutheran University 22-6 to improve their record to two wins and four losses. It was a welcome sight for Donnelly, who was part of the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference finalist team three seasons ago.

“It feels pretty good,” Donnelly said. “We had a start that we didn’t really want, but all you can do with a loss is learn from it and we’re going to try to channel everything from the (Feb. 29) game and move forward.”