From the Lacrosse Field to the Gym: How Letting Go Led to Growth

Growing up, lacrosse wasn’t just a sport for me—it was my passion, my identity, and the future I saw for myself. I played a lot of sports in high school—football, soccer, basketball—but lacrosse always had my heart. The dream? To play in college. And it came true when I was recruited by a handful of Division III programs and ultimately committed to Ithaca College in upstate New York.

Coming from Seattle, it was a huge leap—new place, new pace, new pressure. When I arrived, I quickly learned the team had brought in over 20 freshmen to compete for just 14 roster spots. It was intense. I pushed hard through every preseason session. And by the final week, only four of us were left vying for two spots. I gave it everything I had.

But I didn’t make the cut.

I was devastated. But instead of quitting, I walked up to my coach and asked to stay with the team during the offseason—just to keep training and stay ready. He agreed. I lifted. I conditioned. I showed up early and stayed late. By winter break, I got another shot.

That January, I officially made the team.

Just weeks later, at a brutally cold practice, I tore my hamstring. The diagnosis? An eight-month recovery. My roster spot was gone again. And I’d need to try out all over again next fall.

It would’ve been easy to walk away then. But I wasn’t ready. I swam laps, worked on my stick skills, and built strength however I could. With running off the table, I focused on what I could do. Off the field, I dug into my academics and joined business school clubs. I was learning to build a life outside of sport—one that still fueled me.

By the time tryouts came around the following fall, something had changed. My heart just wasn’t in it anymore. Not in the same way. I realized I didn’t need a roster to feel successful. I had gained so much from the journey already. So I thanked my coach, hung up my cleats, and pivoted.

I started playing for the club team. I invested in my fitness in a new way. And I carried forward everything I learned: resilience, self-discipline, and how to keep showing up when it’s hard.

Today, that same drive shows up every time I walk through the doors at CrossFit Train. I come for the community. The shared goals. The accountability. It reminds me of what I loved most about lacrosse—the grind, the teamwork, the constant pursuit of better.

Letting go of the dream I had as a kid wasn’t failure. It was just the first step toward the next version of myself.

-Jack MacIntire