When Colleen O’Connor first arrived in Würzburg in 2010, she came as a Fulbright assistant teacher who had long since given up hopes of a post high school lacrosse career. Originally, she had planned to stay only for a couple of months. Now, three years later, she is still around and will soon be boarding a plane to the Women’s Lacrosse World Cup as a member of the German national squad.
Colleen representing Germany on the field
Colleen, a Boston College alumna, is not only the first ever member of FTW Lacrosse to receive national team honors – she is also a game grower in every sense of the word. Along with Jabbi (Julia Gaspar), she has built the FTW women’s team literally from the ground up and has been a leader on and off the field ever since.
Colleen’s ambition to become a German national player is rivaled only by her determination to overcome the challenges that face a grassroots program like the Würzburg Women’s team. Although quite draining at times, she has never let her team down while pursuing her personal dream. Moreover, she continues to manage her duties as a professor at the University of Würzburg and earn her Master’s degree, all while carrying this team on her shoulders.
During her three years with us Colleen has become a cornerstone of the Würzburg Lacrosse family. She has truly set a legacy for others to follow. From day one forward, she has been a role model, not only for her teammates, but for everyone who has been involved with and loves this community as much as we do.
To see Colleen represent the country she learned to love (in every sense of the word ;-)) fills our hearts with joy. She truly deserves the honor of being a member of the 2013 German world cup squad and the Würzburg Lacrosse family could not be more proud of her!
Colleen and her team will keep you updated during the world cup in their blog. If you would like to show your appreciation for Colleen and her teammates feel free to share this piece of text among your friends. If you want to support their journey to Canada financially, you can do so by following this link.