This Maryland high school player profiles series is presented by the U.S. Army.
Mae Beins, a senior goalie for the Frederick High School girls’ lacrosse team, was nominated for the Maryland high school player profiles series by Cadets head coach Brandon Brewbaker.
Beins wasn’t always a goalie. When playing lacrosse growing up, she played attack. Then, when she was in seventh grade, the goalie on her recreational league team moved away. With the team in need, Beins tried her hand at goaltending. She figured, “It can’t be that hard!”
“So I suited up for practice, and the first ball they shot at me, I stepped toward the ball instead of away from it,” Beins said. “And then it just kind of stuck from there.”
Beins stayed in goal and became quite good. At Frederick High School, she recorded a save percentage of 48 percent as a sophomore. She lost her junior season to the COVID-19 pandemic, but in late September, the senior committed to play lacrosse at Rockhurst University, a Division II school in Kansas City.
But for Brewbaker, it’s what Beins does off the field that stands out. He said she took on a leadership role within the team during the pandemic.
“She took it upon herself to check in with younger teammates throughout the spring and summer,” Brewbaker said. “She made sure they were doing OK with their schoolwork and within their lives.”
Brewbaker also highlighted Beins’ volunteer work. Beins works with the Frederick County 4H Therapeutic Riding Program, which provides horseback riding experience for people with special needs. She’s also an officer for the Frederick chapter of FFA.
“I’m a really strong believer of giving yourself to others and helping out in any way you can,” Beins said. “I’ve just always lived by those mottos and giving myself to others. Volunteering is super important to me.”
The pandemic was difficult for Beins with lacrosse canceled. At first, she thought school would only be closed for a few weeks and the season would continue. During those first few weeks, she went to the field with her friends and teammates nearly every day to pass the ball around and stay active.
Once it became evident school wasn’t reopening anytime soon and the season wouldn’t happen, she and her teammates started doing individual work.
“I played a lot of wall ball during coronavirus quarantine — the beginning of it, at least,” Beins said. “And then my gym finally opened back up and I think that’s when I started kind of pushing myself harder than I have before. Because I’ve always been a hard worker, but I think my gym opening back up and realizing how much I missed lacrosse made me want to work even harder to be better at it when I did get back.”
After her senior lacrosse season and after graduating high school, Beins will head to Kansas City to continue her lacrosse career. She said she still has to officially sign, but she’s verbally committed to Rockhurst. She plans to major in biology with a pre-veterinary focus. She wants to later attend graduate school to earn a doctorate in veterinary medicine.
To nominate an athlete or team for a future U.S. Army Player/Team Profile, visit PressBoxOnline.com/Impact.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Brandon Brewbaker