8 Questions with Marie McCool

Thoughtful Thursdays - 8 Questions with Marie McCool

May 2019 - Today we share with you my interview with Marie McCool.  I had the opportunity to watch Marie for a long time and got to know her really well in her time as a University of North Carolina Tar Heel.  Marie was a two time Tewaaraton Award finalist (2017 & 2018), 1st Team All-American and Midfielder of the Year (2018).  Marie was the first player to ever be named ACC Midfielder of the Year two times.   In 2017 she was one of only two collegiate players playing for the USA World Cup team.  So I guess we can say that Marie is pretty good at lacrosse!  

Marie is an EXTREMELY hard worker who pushes herself all the time to be great.  She also finds the time to help out the next generation of younger players whenever she can.  Marie is now entering her second year in the WPLL and last year she was a unanimous All-Star Selection.   She is also a New Balance & Brine Lacrosse spokesperson and sponsored athlete.  

Please share this interview and please click on all the links in this article to help Marie and her sponsors, Team USA and the WPLL.  

1. What helped make you into the great player you became?

Practice, practice and practice. I’ve always been an energizer bunny and I could never sit still as a kid. Sometimes my parents didn’t love it, but other times they appreciated how I never sat down in front of the TV! I always begged my siblings to come outside and play with me. They said no most of the time, so I went outside on my own. I didn’t do many clinics or camps growing up, my backyard was my own personal clinic. I had a rebounder and no matter what the weather was like, I went outside everyday and did 100 right hand, 100 left. Drop the ball, start over. Skills are important but I also worked hard to stay in shape. As a midfielder, it’s important to be in great shape as a two way player. I ran sprints at the turf and hated taking days off, so

I rarely did!

Along with the practice, I was also very fortunate to be surrounded by great players at Moorestown and to learn from some of the best high school coaches in the country, Deanna and K.C. Knobloch.

Watch this great video of how Marie is “changing the game”

2.  What advice would you give your 14 year old self today?

If I could go back to my 14 year old self and give advice, I would tell myself to focus on being the best individual player I can be and not practice to be better than my own teammates. I think it’s so important for young girls to work hard each day in order to become the best player THEY can possibly be. It’s easy to get blinded by competitiveness but the best way to get better is to focus on your own individual areas that need improvement and then everything on the field will fall into place.

3. What is your definition of a great player?

When I think of the “GOAT” from every sport there’s a common theme and set of qualities that each person possesses. A great player is one who is not only skilled, but is always one of the hardest workers on the playing field. It’s someone who has the desire to get better and spends extra time outside of designated practice hours to work on his or her game, someone who is a leader by example, confident and determined. Finally, great players put the TEAM before themselves.

4. If you could make one change in the game today what would it be?

           

If I could make one change it would be 9v9 (hold three back making it 6v6).  

Note: The Women’s Pro Leagues have gone this route and it has opened up the field for more offense!

5. If you had one thing you wish you had done differently in your career what would it be?

My playing career has been far from perfect and there have been may road block and bumps along the way. With that being said, I don’t have any regrets and can’t truly say what I’d do differently. My past experiences have played an important part in shaping me into the person / player I am today. Rather than thinking negatively about the past, I try to find the positive outcomes from my experiences and use that to my advantage. While I sometimes find myself dwelling on the past, I don’t have many regrets because I know it has all been a great learning experience.  

6. Is there one moment where you had to overcome some real adversity and if so how did you do it?

I think that at some point in life, everyone faces adversity no matter what others think or see from the outside. Luckily, I didn’t have any serious injuries but my freshman year was definitely the most challenging year. It’s not easy adjusting to the collegiate game or the schoolwork. You may be a top recruit in the country, or the best player on your high school team, but once you get to college, you’re placed on a team with 30 other girls who were the best and you have to go in with an open mind. I put pressure on myself to prove to my teammates and coaches that I belonged and unfortunately, it was mentally destroying me. At one point I honestly didn’t think I was going to make it at UNC because I felt I wasn’t good enough for a national championship caliber team. When I came back in the spring for my first season, I worked really hard to control my mental game. Rather than worrying about what others thought of me and trying to prove anything to anyone, I just went out there and played. It’s important to focus on individual goals and areas to strengthen rather than thinking about how other teammates are playing and how you can be better than them. This approach helped me and I went from coming off the bench and being another body on the field to give people a rest,  to a starter on a team that reached the national championship.

7. Where can we stay in touch with you most on social media?

8. Favorite scene/quote from a sports movie is and why!?

“I play for the United States of America” -Mike Eruzione, Miracle

Probably one of the most notable scenes in sports movie history, when Herb Brooks says “again.” many many times until the USA players are basically crawling on the ice. This is a powerful statement and is significant for anyone involved in sports. Always remember you represent and play for the name across your chest, not the name on the back of the jersey.

Bonus Question from Michele Tumolo:  I think you should interview Marie McCool! Ask her what her favorite memory of the World cup or world games was!

Obviously winning gold against Canada with 17 incredible teammates by my side! Also LOVE when Michelle Tumolo was my Roomie and brought me back pierogies in Poland!

Who should we interview next and what question should we ask them?

You definitely have to interview Taylor Cummings next! Ask her what it is like being part of the WPLL!!

Taylor Cummings you are on the clock!