By: Kate Lassiter
KENNESAW, Ga. – This season, the Kennesaw State women's lacrosse team brought in senior midfielder
Caleigh Shore. A transfer from Monmouth University, she has taken this season and run with it, while at the same time returning to her hometown. Shore grew up in the Kennesaw area and attended North Paulding High School, not too far from the KSU campus.
"I feel so blessed to have the opportunity to move back home," Shore said in a recent interview, "being back home and being able to be with my family more often and have them there has been so amazing."
For Shore's, family is everything, and being near them once again means a lot to her. She expressed her gratitude for the opportunity to move back to her hometown to play lacrosse. Her father has also been a mentor throughout her lacrosse career, coming to games and practices.
"My dad is one of my biggest inspirations for lacrosse. He has pushed me to be the player that I am," she said. "I just want to make him proud, so I feel like being back home and having him be there even more has just been so amazing."
Shore's confidence has increased since moving back to Kennesaw.
"At Monmouth, I held back a little bit, so I think my confidence has definitely grown," she shared.
"I think confidence is huge in athletics in general; knowing that you can accomplish something and that your training has prepared you for that moment is huge." Shore expressed. She reflected that the mental aspect of sports is often discussed, and that being confident in who you are as an athlete helps you be the player you're meant to be. The confidence she focuses on has allowed her to excel this season in multiple ways, making her a key player for this team.
While confidence has pushed Shore to be her best, her faith has also been a driving factor for her success.
"Especially during the transfer process, trusting God's plan has been super big and just praying about it and knowing that whatever happens, I'm in the right spot at the right time," the midfielder stated.
Shore expressed that she found a community in her new team, which has helped her grow in her faith. Reading her Bible is part of her routine to help her get into the right head space before a game. She shared that, although there were struggles with the transfer process, her faith got her through those difficult times.
"I really have just put my faith in God, and He has pushed me to be the player I am today, so I just try to play to glorify Him."
Head coach
Laura Maness has been a significant part of Shore's lacrosse journey at Kennesaw. She expressed how quickly Shore adapted to the team, formed relationships, and became successful. Maness also mentioned how strong Shore is on the field, with scoring goals and winning in the draw circle, and how her maturity is helpful off the field.
"Her coming in and willingness to learn our system quickly and buy into everything quickly with such a tight turnaround was huge," Maness voiced in a recent interview.
"She is a strong player; you can see that she's bought in and that she can have confidence in the gameplay, and
going into the game and then execute what we need to have done. You can tell that she trusts the girls around her to help execute the game plan."
Shore can be seen on the field this Saturday, April 4
th, as she and her team take on Austin Peay at Walens Family Field at Fifth Third Stadium. This weekend marks Senior Day as well, and Shore is one of our seniors who will be celebrated at this Saturday's game. Make sure to come out to cheer them on! All things women's lacrosse can be found at KSUOwls.com or
@ksuowlslax on Instagram.
The Champions Fund
The Champions Fund is a newly created, 100% tax deductible, philanthropic opportunity to contribute strategic revenue to Kennesaw State Athletics, with the goal of strengthening our ability to recruit and retain top-tier talent in this new era of collegiate athletics. Contributions to the Champions Fund will help aid in funding student-athlete recruitment and retention, as well as helping the Owls provide competitive excellence through investments in coaching, travel and facilities. The fund will also give an elevated student-athlete experience, including enhanced academic, nutrition, wellness, and leadership programs. Donate to the Champions Fund here and help us support our Kennesaw State Owls.
