TOWSON, Md. – Being a student athlete for a
Division I sport can prove to be a challenge. They deal with school schedules
and those demands, in addition to practice, travel and games in their sport.
Imagine
being a student-athlete playing two sports for a Division I program and the
image is pretty clear as to what Katie DeFilippo went through during the
2011-12 school year.
DeFilippo
was a first team All-Colonial Athletic Association selection for the Tiger field
hockey team as a senior in the fall. She started all 20 games and scored six
goals with five assists. In the spring, DeFilippo picked up a stick and joined
the Tiger women's lacrosse squad. She appeared in 11 games and scored a goal against
Temple while
helping the Tigers capture a CAA title and advance to the NCAA Tournament.
TowsonTigers.com
recently caught up with DeFilippo to find out her thoughts on a hectic 2011-12
year.
1. After a busy and exciting fall
with field hockey, what made you want to play lacrosse this spring?
In college, I did not
have a lot of time outside of field hockey to play any of the other sports that
I played back in high school. I love lacrosse and missed playing, so I am
extremely lucky and grateful that Coach LaMonica gave me the opportunity to play
again at a collegiate level.
2. How challening was it to play two
different sports in high school compared to college?
Playing two sports in
high school does not even compare to playing even one sport in college. The
amount of dedication and time put into a sport in college is nothing that
anyone understands unless they are doing it themselves. Your team in college
becomes your family away from home, and really pushes you to be the best
athlete you can be.
3. In field hockey you were counted
on to be one of the main contributors and starters where as in lacrosse, you
filled a role off the bench. Was it tough to make the adjustment?
It wasn't tough to
make the adjustment of not starting in lacrosse. Lacrosse is a team sport, and
the best people deserve to be out on the field to get the job done. Every
person on the team has their own role, and the people on the sideline are just
as important in making sure that your team comes out with a win at the end of
the game.
4. What did you like best about
playing field hockey at Towson
and what's your favorite memory from field hockey?
What I liked most
about playing field hockey at Towson
was the team and going through all of the ups and downs together as a team. My
favorite memory from field hockey was beating Hofstra and Northeastern my
senior year to make it to the CAA playoffs.
5. In lacrosse, you were used for
speed to get to the draw controls. Did you take pride contributing in that role?
I was happy to
contribute in lacrosse any way that I could. Any way that I could help out, I
made sure that I did it to the best of my ability every time.
6. What's the biggest thing you
learned from lacrosse this year and what do you hope to contribute coming back
for one more year of lacrosse?
The
biggest thing I learned from lacrosse this year is hard work pays off and a
strong sense of team unity. Everyone on the team really gives it their all at
practices, and the team really sticks together and works well with each other
to have a successful season year after year. Coming back next year, I hope to
contribute in any way that I can in order for the team to have an even more
successful season then we did this year.