Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 10/19/19 – From US Lacrosse
Kara Ariza Cooke (Penn Wood) was a three-time collegiate All-American and a two-time member of the U.S. World Cup Team, wearing the red, white and blue in both 2001 and 2005.
Despite those accomplishments, she points to a couple of her “failures” as key moments in her career and pivotal to preparing her for future successes. The lessons of perseverance and commitment from a Hall of Fame player.
“I had coaches who encouraged me to just try,” she said. “They would tell me to put myself in a situation even though you may not feel like you’re ready for it.”
She said each opportunity served as a learning experience for the future.“Get out of your comfort zone,” said Ariza Cooke, who will be inducted into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame tonight. “You can learn from it and be even more prepared for things in the future.”
The National Lacrosse Hall of Fame, a program of US Lacrosse, was established in 1957 to honor men and women who by their deeds as players, coaches, officials and/or contributors, and by the example of their lives, personify the great contribution of lacrosse to our way of life.
Ariza Cooke and the other members of the Class of 2019 will be officially recognized at the induction ceremony in Hunt Valley, Maryland.
Ariza Cooke credited her high school coach Kathleen Geiger – now a Springfield-Delco assistant who starred at Temple – for her development as a young player. Click here for a story on Ariza Cook from Lacrosse Magazine.