Talking school and sports with student-athlete extraordinaire Lilly Donovan.
High school can be a hectic time in a young person’s life, and Newburyport High School junior Lilly Donovan has it tougher than most. Instead of the typical after-school routine involving homework and socializing, Donovan leaves school each day and heads to the field or the court for practice. We talked to the triple-threat athlete (she plays soccer, basketball, and lacrosse for the Clippers) about balancing academics and athletics, and what makes it all worthwhile.
How did you get into sports? I’ve always been a very competitive person, and [sports] help to keep me in shape. Playing three sports, I play with a wide range of females, and I get to play against a lot of girls who I have gotten to know better through camps and tournaments over the years.
The Cape Ann League is a tough league full of rivalries. Are there any big wins you want to score this year? Competitively, Masco, Pentucket, North Andover, and other big schools have become the big wins that we strive for. For soccer, Amesbury is still a big rivalry.
What will you miss most about high school sports after you graduate? Playing with all my friends, who will most likely be going off to all different colleges, and the people I’ve met along the way, like my coaches.
Do you want to continue to play in college? Although three sports may be unrealistic in college, I would love to continue playing at least two. I am still undecided as to which ones I would choose. I’d love the opportunity and challenge to play sports at a Division I school.
Do any of your teams have special traditions? After practices on the day before a game, we get together and have a pasta party. We talk about strategies and things that we want to accomplish throughout the season. On the day of a game, the whole team dresses up in weird outfits. My favorite and the weirdest outfit that we have to wear is a cape. We dress up in all black under a random cape that you find around your house and then wear it during the school day. Some people show up with capes from vampire costumes and other people show up with fuzzy purple capes. -Alyssa Rosenthal