Photo by Ashley Rodrigues and Moravian Athletics
Today we bring you part two of our interview with college standout Jackie Savatore (see our last entry for part one of this interview)…
How do you approach each game mentally and physically to consistently perform at such a high level?
I personally go into every game with no expectations. I have watched so many lacrosse games where the “expected” team to win loses, and where the “expected” team to lose wins, so I genuinely go into every single lacrosse game not thinking whether my team is going to win or to lose because I know anything can happen. Lacrosse is a game in which it can go either way any day, and I believe with that mindset and no expectations you are encouraged to push yourself and work as hard as you can every game no matter who you are playing. This mentally eases my mind because when I think too much about a team we are playing I don’t play to my potential.
Can you share any particular challenges you’ve encountered during your collegiate career and how you’ve overcome them?
During my collegiate career I have had trouble with keeping myself in shape on my own. I was always used to going from back to back seasons in high school so I was always in shape, but in college I had to teach myself how to train on my own. In the off season I would make a schedule for myself where I would either run, shoot, or do wall ball every day. This would keep me in shape and motivated. I have also struggled with figuring out how to eat properly before practices and games. I would struggle on how to find a balance between eating enough to properly nourish me, but also not eating too much to where it’s unhealthy. My strength and conditioning coaches would help me with eating and learning what is good and not good to eat before training, or when not training.
Another challenge I would encounter being in season was with mental health. Being a full time college student while also practicing 4 times a week and having 2 games is a lot. It can be very difficult to keep stress levels low when all of this is going on. Having a bad game and then learning how to try to forget about it and keep playing 100% the next day can be hard, but it is doable. A lot of times this season I tried to remind myself that I only play college lacrosse once in my life, so I should be enjoying it. Seeing it as a privilege and not a job helped my mental health a lot. It allowed me to be thankful for what I have and realize that mistakes and stress are okay, and to know that everything will end up okay.
How has your experience as a collegiate lacrosse player shaped you as a person, both in terms of character development and future aspirations?
Playing collegiate lacrosse has helped me improve my teamwork and leadership skills that I would have never learned in the classroom. I will be able to use these interpersonal skills in my future career. I have learned skills from my teammates and coaches like communication, trustworthiness, commitment, and empathy. I have learned that being committed to something and putting in all my hardwork and effort into something will come with rewards. I have also learned a lot about myself while playing lacrosse like my ability to stay level headed or at least try to stay level headed in stressful moments during games. Although I get frustrated at times, I would say for the most part I stay level headed and have been working on trying to not get frustrated over little mistakes.
Reflecting on your time at Moravian, what achievements or moments stand out to you as the most memorable or significant, on and/or off the field?
I would say my most significant achievement was either beating Scranton in the 2023 season, or beating Susquehanna in the 2024 season. Both of these games were such great team wins and showed what our team was capable of. These were very good teams in our conference who are usually competitive games for us. Not only did these games put another win for us on our schedule, but our team became so much closer because of them. It really puts into perspective how good we can be, and what we can work towards. This was such a unique experience and is really unexplainable at times because of how special it was.
When I came into Moravian as a freshman, I created goals for myself going into my first season. I worked so hard going into that season to get rookie of the year for my conference, but earning offensive player of the year this year, my junior season has been the most meaningful to me. It is such a great feeling being awarded for all the hard work and dedication I put in leading up to this year. It really made me feel like I was working towards something great, and it paid of . There were so many great players in the conference so it really felt great to be awarded for this. I am so thankful for my teammates and coaches that helped me get these accomplishments as well.
Lastly, what advice would you give to younger athletes who aspire to follow in your footsteps and achieve success in collegiate lacrosse?
If I had any advice to give to a younger athlete it would be to never be complacent and that anything is possible when you put your mind to it. Coming in from high school to college, I never would have thought that I would be getting the achievements I have and having so much fun while doing it, but I put my mind and energy into getting better every single day. Whatever level you play, whether it be DI, DII, or DIII, you can always become the best version of yourself with confidence and dedication.
Another piece of advice I have is to find what makes you happy. If you are not happy while playing lacrosse, it is not worth it to try and force it. Do what makes you happy and what you enjoy doing. This can be bitter-sweet, but happiness is the most important thing.
PROGRAMMING NOTE:
If the Whitehall baseball or Northwestern softball teams advance in the PIAA playoffs this week, Astound TV will try to broadcast that state semifinal game on Monday, provided it’s held at a site that is conducive for broadcasting. That decision is made by the PIAA and is out of our hands, but we hope to bring any game involving these local teams in our coverage area home to our viewers, if possible. Please keep checking back to our website for information on any potential broadcasts for this upcoming Monday!
The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Astound Broadband or any other agency, organization, employer or company
