A week has passed and the star dust has settled, but what was achieved has not been forgotten. In fact quite the opposite…

Lacrosse is long ingrained in the history of Moreton Hall and being part of the first Lacrosse team is something that many aspire to do throughout their time here. Our trophy cabinet is full, our achievements are many and our reputation in the North of the country is undeniable, but there is one title that has never been won. Until now.

Moreton Hall are National Champions.

It feels like this one has been a long time coming, and whilst it has often been in sight, it has always felt like a bridge too far and just out of reach. The schools that win this title don’t come from the North, the teams that win this title have hundreds of girls to choose from, tens of staff to support them, they have big budgets, lots of time and incredible facilities. The teams that win this title have more than three subs! It just isn’t possible, it can’t be done. Well, thirteen young students from Shropshire with huge talent, even bigger determination, unwavering commitment and a resilience that I am in awe of, have proved everybody wrong. They did it.

This season has been one of huge highs and some lows, but the lows have never felt long lasting and we have always been able to learn from them and use them to drive us forward. At the beginning of the season I asked the girls how much they wanted this, and whilst there would be no pressure from me, if they want it, I will do all I can to support them and make it happen. If I had their commitment, they had mine. So, we committed, we went ‘all in’, and they have given absolutely everything they have. From travelling last minute to play in the StoneX stadium, from competing as Shropshire without any other players, and winning, to going to Oxford on a Sunday morning to play yet another tournament, and making a last minute Monday night trip to Oxton to play just one more game. They have never wavered and there is no group more deserving of this huge title than this ‘small but mighty’ squad, than these ‘Queens of the North’.

This season, we have long battled with a ‘Moreton Moment’, a ‘third quarter wobble.’ A big focus was to iron that out, to always ‘ride the wave’, and to never give up. We even had a call to pick the team up if they dipped, but this weekend at Nationals, we didn’t need it. After our last practice game at Oxton, I felt something had clicked. I told the team it was the best I had seen them play, I had tears in my eyes on more than one occasion watching them, as I absolutely knew they were going to do it. They were steadfast, they were relentless, they were the best U19 team I have ever seen play, and I have ever had the privilege to coach, and they had clicked. Nobody was going to stop them.

Over the weekend of Nationals these girls didn’t just win, they were undefeated, something that just does not happen; ‘the winners of Nationals always drop a game.’ Not only were they undefeated they also were the only team working their way through the knockouts without playing a period of over time. Even after going down on a number of occasions, they never gave up. I had told them before every game, we don’t wait to warm up, we are never complacent, we play every moment and every game with a ‘last game mentality’, and a ‘last minute mentality’ and they did just that, they played every minute with passion and they never gave up. They simply could not lose!

Every player on the squad played their role perfectly, they were no longer playing for themselves, they were playing for each other, each one of them selfless in knowing exactly what they had to do in order to get over the line for each other. The true sign of a great team is when each member of that team is no longer playing for themselves, but playing for their teammates. It is rare, but when it happens it is hard for anybody else to conquer; you cannot beat one player when twelve of their teammates have their back. Our Upper Sixth girls, who I cannot thank enough, or praise more, played every minute, and they never wavered. They set the bar for their younger teammates to reach, they led by example, and they gave this absolutely everything they had. Not once did they ask me for a break, to sub, not once did their head drop, they played with every fibre of their being and they did not stop until that final whistle blew.

What was also remarkable about this weekend, and this entire season, is the support the families have given this team. Whichever pitch we went on at Nationals, whoever we faced, I knew with absolute confidence that there would be a sea of blue striped bobble hats shouting louder than anybody else, and supporting us every step of the way. If I was ever on the same side as our supporters pacing down the sidelines, barking instructions, I would feel a hand on my shoulder, or a reassuring ‘they’ve got this Miss Walsh’, and it meant the absolute world. This victory didn’t just mean everything to me and the players, it meant everything to their parents, their supporters, and their school. Even to the region, with other Northern Schools, coaches and parents, saying to me and to the girls ‘you can do this’, we felt like a Premier League football team playing at their home ground! We were playing for so much more than just the trophy. So, thank you. Thank you to everybody for your support, we simply could not have done it without you.

Finally, as a small school with fewer staff than most it is often the case that we coach alone, but having Mrs Sanderson and Mrs Lewin on our bench for the final made it even more special. Mrs Sanderson was the calm reassurance by my side at nearly every game, her presence ever felt and so special given her long standing history with the school, having been the one to really put Moreton Hall Lacrosse on the map at the beginning of all of this.

And Mrs Lewin… Where would Moreton Hall be without Mrs Lewin? There are a few people in this world who are special, who give selflessly to others, who truly care, who place others before themselves and who give a small bit of themselves to everyone they work with, and Mrs Lewin is one of those people. After all the decades of dedication, commitment, selflessness, support, guidance and true Moretonian magic, what better gift could we give her, than finally making us National Champions! We did it!