Freshman Ciara Donaldson has earned the title of a Tri-sport Varsity Athlete. She is a varsity swimmer, field hockey, and lacrosse player here at Potomac Falls.
For freshman Ciara Donaldson, sports are her life. She has been swimming and playing lacrosse since she was six years old. Now as a high school athlete, Donaldson is making waves in the pool and on the field.
For Donaldson, sports offer an opportunity to make new friends, strengthen relationships, and push herself to be better. “They take up 90% of my social life,” said Donaldson. “I love that I get to go and see my friends in sports. And I like the exercise and competitiveness that sports offer.”
Donaldson decided to try out for field hockey in the fall having never played it before. She was convinced by friends on the team to try out. “They were like, ‘You should play it because you played lacrosse,’” said Donaldson. “So I decided to try out since I wanted to try something new.”
She ended up making varsity, which led her to become an integral part of the team. Even after Donaldson suffered a hand injury during a travel lacrosse practice in October 2023, she didn’t let that stop her from giving her everything during field hockey games shortly after. Her broken thumb left her with a bulky cast on her hand, making it difficult to hold her stick. With practice she was able to learn how to play with it, so she never had to miss a game.
During winter, Donaldson transitioned to the pool, landing a varsity spot on the swim team. “I love the team aspect of swimming at Potomac Falls because everybody was so close and our coaches were amazing,” said Donaldson.
In the off season for Potomac Falls, Donaldson coaches and swims in the summer for CountrySide Waves. “I love summer swim and coaching because I feel like I’m giving back to the community that I loved swimming with,” said Donaldson.
But when spring rolls around, Donaldson finds herself playing what she calls her “main sport” — lacrosse. She wanted nothing more than to make the varsity team this spring season. “Lacrosse is my life. I love it more than anything. Eat, sleep, breathe lacrosse.” said Donaldson.
Her love for lacrosse shined through, landing her a spot on the team. Donaldson has already made a name for herself on the team as one of the top goal scorers. The varsity squad has opened their season with high scoring games including a 20-3 win over Broad Run on Mar. 13 and a 23-8 win over Heritage on Mar. 19 and a 16-3 win over Valley on Mar. 21.
As a defender, Donaldson’s four goals in the first three games of the season felt extra special. “My first varsity lacrosse game is my favorite memory so far because I got my first goal as a defender, so it was just really fun.” said Donaldson.
“Sports have made my freshman year fun because I’ve met so many people, upperclassmen and other freshmen, that are so nice. I’ve made really fun, nice relationships with other people that I’ll get to carry through high school.”
