Ask an Athlete: Rachel LaMar

Rachel LaMar during halftime against the Fredonia Blue Devils on March 30.

By Collin Bolebruch

Rachel LaMar, a junior midfielder and captain for Plattsburgh State women’s lacrosse, has maybe the most rewarding experience of any student athlete on campus. 

Last year, Rachel applied for and was accepted to become an official ambassador for Morgan’s Message, a national organization dedicated to raising awareness for mental health in sports. Rachel has worked with multiple teams on campus to host Morgan’s Message dedication games. Her team will play theirs at 11 a.m. Saturday, April 20.

Rachel is an avid outdoor enthusiast, and can often be found on the slopes or trails of the Adirondacks. Rachel has reach all across athletics, as she is a former member of Plattsburgh State’s women’s soccer team. She can also play a mean flute.

This question and answer was conducted with Rachel over text April 16.

LaMar attempts to scoop up a ground ball against Norwich on March 13.

Question: What is the coolest place you’ve seen Morgan’s Message reach on campus?

Answer: Honestly just spotting people in my classes who I’ve never met wearing Morgan’s message bracelets feels super rewarding. It’s been really cool seeing the lacrosse team in their new apparel too. Getting the men’s teams involved has been a goal of ours for a while now, their input in the mental health conversation on campus is so crucial.

LaMar has started all 13 games this season.

Q: You have a free Saturday — where are you going on a hike?

A: There’s a ton of beautiful places up here but my favorite day hikes would have to be flume falls and cobble lookout in Wilmington. Poke-o-moonshine is always a good one too. Especially in the fall, you can’t beat the workout or the views!

LaMar had a season-high three ground balls against Russell Sage on Feb. 27.

Q: What song could you play best on the flute right now? Do you miss your wind ensemble days?

A: Wow really exposing me here but I played a lot of songs from popular movies for my wind ensemble, like Star Wars, Moana, etc. The Harry Potter theme song I could probably nail. I do miss it and actually looked into joining the symphonic band here, but it just wouldn’t fit into my schedule.

Q: What’s a responsibility captains have that most people wouldn’t think of?

A: I think there’s a few unspoken responsibilities that I didn’t realize right away, mostly having to do with communication off the field. For example, having to be very accessible throughout the day when questions and other things come up from Coach or my teammates last minute. I’ve also found myself having to lead some difficult and sometimes uncomfortable conversations in order to keep the team on track and moving in the right direction together.