Editor’s note: Athlete of the month is released by ASB a week after the month ends. Stories on each athlete are delayed for this reason.
Lacrosse stick in hand, varsity lacrosse team captain Ross Jacobsen (12) was named March Athlete of the Month. Jacobsen, an attack and midfielder, began playing the sport in first grade and competed at the varsity level all four years at the school. Now, he prepares to continue his academic and athletic career playing Division I men’s lacrosse at Dartmouth College in the fall.
Jacobsen is one of the primary offensive contributors and emphasized the flexibility that the sport offers.
“There’s not one way to play the game; you could play it in a hundred different ways,” Jacobsen said.
His approach shapes how he views the sport.
“My favorite part is the creativity in lacrosse,” Jacobsen said.
Before games, preparation is crucial for Jacobsen.
“I try to visualise success in my mind,” Jacobsen said. “I get really pumped up, and then … I kind of slowly calm myself down before the first whistle.”
Jacobsen practices daily.
“I do a lot of shooting and stickwork on my own,” Jacobsen said. “I do about 1,000 wall ball reps per day, I also do stretching and recovery stuff to stay healthy.”
Outside of his lacrosse, Jacobsen described how he manages his schedule by prioritizing what is most important.
“It’s definitely tough to balance all those things,” Jacobsen said. “It’s mostly just kind of school and lacrosse right now, sometimes you have to sacrifice stuff to be successful.”
Jacobsen’s routine dedication is something varsity head coach Jono Zissi highlighted when describing his development. Jono Zissi highlighted Jacobsen’s routine dedication.
“He’s obsessed with his craft, with the process of getting better,” Zissi said. “He’s really the most improved player.”
Zissi explained that Jacobsen’s work translates in the field.
“He’s two-handed, which is really important in lacrosse,” Zissi said. “He can play, attack or midfield and hurt you all over the field and he’s a super smart player too, high IQ.”
Jacobsen explains that, within a team setting, “we are all trying to do our very best.”
“If you see someone not doing their best, you kind of let them hear about it… everyone’s holding themselves and the team to a high standard.”
Attack and midfielder Greyson Rossetie (10) describes how Jacobsen’s standards show up in practice.
“Ross is always the first one at practice and the last one off the field, getting extra reps in,” Rossetie said.
He explained that “a lot of the underclassmen are super inspired by Ross’s work ethic” and “look at what Ross is doing” as a model.
Zissi honed in on Jacobsen’s leadership.
“Ross is just a tremendous example for younger kids, who we have a lot of, you know,” Zissi said.
Everyone always asks you, ‘What should I do to get better?’” Zissi said. “I’m like, you know what? Just copy Ross. Do everything Ross does.”
Jacobsen took on a larger role this season as team captain and became “more assertive and vocal,” according to Zissi.
During a time period when there was a coaching absence, “he kept the team going and was sort of in charge,” which required him to become “more mature and responsible… whether he liked it or not.”
Zissi went on to say that Jacobsen is “closing in on” the program’s all-time scoring record.
“He’s such a great player and just makes everyone around him better,” Zissi said.
