As this year‘s lacrosse season is coming to a close, Senior Soren Tharp is ending his time as one of the McIntosh Boys Varsity lacrosse’s close defense players.
The lacrosse team itself is close and makes an effort to spend time together.
“We’re pretty close. Lots of weekends we will go out and we’ll shoot around and play little pickup games here and there,” Tharp said.
Tharp’s defensive position requires him to need constant communication with the rest of the team.
“We have a six foot stick instead of a three foot stick, our main objective is just to stop [the opposing] attack men or midfielders from scoring, and in combination with our defensive midfielders working together either we’re running a zone or man, working together, communicating and helping our goalie out, because some shots he can’t save, so we have to just make it as easy as we can,” Tharp said.
A big part of Lacrosse is the team itself.
“It’s a very team oriented game, one person can’t do it all. Everybody has their part, and if one person doesn’t do it, then everything falls apart,” Tharp said.
Tharp has been a significant asset to the team for both moral and work ethic.
“Soren has brought toughness, consistency, and a relentless work ethic. He’s someone who gives 100% all the time, no matter the situation, and he never complains. He’s always looking to improve and push himself, and that mindset has had a big impact on the rest of the team. His presence, both on and off the field, has been a steady force for us all season,” varsity boys lacrosse coach Kevin Panky said.
Although he has had a lot of commitment for high school, he doesn’t plan to play in college.
“I hope [to play after high school]. Probably not in college, but there’s adult leagues around that I’ll definitely try to [play for],” Tharp said.
If Tharp could go back, he would still make some changes to his career.
“I definitely would have started playing it earlier if I’d known what it was and definitely stuck to it a lot more,” Tharp said.
Even in freshman year, Tharp had strong highlights.
“[My favorite moment was] beating the Northgate region championship game my freshman year. That was a really big game, winning that game meant we had an automatic playoff spot and we were region champs,” Tharp said.
Tharp has had coaches that have stood out to him during his career for being supportive and forming the team.
“[I’ve] only had a few [coaches], but definitely Coach Smith and Coach Panky. They do everything for the team. Especially Coach Kevin Panke, without him the offense wouldn’t be where it is today,” Tharp said.
Derek Smith, coach of both the lacrosse and football team, was the one who convinced Tharp to play for the lacrosse team instead of football in the first place.
“I played football. I had an aggressive attitude with football, but I guess [Coach Smith] just wanted me to try [lacrosse], and kind of fell in love with it after a few practices,” Tharp said.
Coach Panky remarks that it was more than Tharp’s experience that recruited him to the team.
“What stood out right away was his effort, coachability, and quiet demeanor. He wasn’t someone who needed to be loud to be noticed because his work spoke for itself. From the moment he picked up a stick, he showed a willingness to learn and get better. Over the years, that mindset has turned him into a leader and captain,” Panky said.
Tharp makes an effort to have good communication on the lacrosse field in order to be a good team player.
“[I’m best at] communicating, I’m always the loudest on the field, other than coach Panky. He’s always yelling, but [I’m] definitely [good at] communicating with my teammates,” Tharp said.
Tharp also shows up and steps in when the game needs energy, and that energy charges everyone around him.
“He plays with a high level of focus and effort every single rep, and that sets the tone for everyone around him. When he does speak, it carries weight because of how he plays the game. His teammates trust him, and that trust makes his communication effective,” Panky said.
As a senior, Tharp has advice to pass on to those coming into lacrosse.
“Practice as much as you can, wall ball shooting if you’re an offensive player, doing footwork drills if you play defense, but definitely practice as much as you can,” Tharp said.
Tharp has often taken on the role of leader within the team itself, imparting wisdom to the younger players.
“With such a young team, Soren has really taken on the role of an older brother. He leads by example every day and shows the younger players what it takes to compete at the varsity level. Whether it’s through his preparation, his effort in practice, or how he handles adversity, he’s constantly setting the standard. His maturity, patience, and consistency have been a big part of holding this group together. The younger players may not realize it yet, but Soren’s impact is going to last well beyond this season,” Panky said.
His words of wisdom to share to student athletes in general is to stick with it.
“Stay motivated. There’s ups and downs, so all you can do is keep working, and you’ll get there eventually,” Tharp said.
