Every team needs its captain to lead it through good times and bad. Someone who can keep a team motivated and focused at all times. Someone who can hold their teammates accountable while also making everyone around them better. For the past two years, senior Keely Fitzsimmons has been the embodiment of a captain for North Atlanta’s girls’ lacrosse team.

Throughout her early childhood, Fitzsimmons did not play lacrosse because there just quite simply weren’t any convenient options for her. Instead, she grew up playing competitive soccer and tennis. However, during sixth grade, she began playing for the girls’ lacrosse team at Sutton Middle School, and the sport became a major part of her life. “Playing lacrosse really shaped my character in a way that I don’t think I could’ve accomplished in any other setting.” she said.

Throughout her four year career as a starter on varsity, Fitzsimmons played a significant role on the team. Whether it was her scoring goals and setting her teammates up for shots during her freshman and sophomore years, or doing this in addition to organizing player-only and leading as a team captain to close out her career, she always found ways to contribute and help her team win games. Over the course of her career, she scored a total of 168 goals, assisted an additional 35 goals, and racked up 27 takeaways. “I couldn’t have asked for a better time playing at North Atlanta.” she said. “Through all the ups and downs, working on my game and practicing with my teammates and coaches not only help me grow as a player, but as a person as well.”

This season, Fitzsimmons was everything for the Warriors. Individually, she finished the season with 64 goals scored, 8 assists, and 12 takeaways, and she was named the team’s Most Valuable Player. However, for Fitzsimmons, it was never about her own personal stats, but more about helping her team win games and also being someone her teammates can learn from. “I try to support my teammates and be a leader as best I can, and I feel like that starts by leading by example,” she said.

While she had the opportunity to move on and play lacrosse at the collegiate level, Fitzsimmons decided to forgo this chance in order to focus on her academics. She will be attending the University of Virginia in the fall in order to study public policy and political science with a pre-law track. Although her playing days have come to an end for now, Fitzsimmons plans to play club and potentially walk on in college. Whatever happens next, it is certain that her time at North Atlanta will have a lasting effect on her for the rest of her life, and she hopes that her work for the program can be used as building blocks for the future.