As the sun sets on another season of high school sports, one name emerges prominently: Ryanne Lehman. Just by sophomore year, Ryanne is already a force to be reckoned with on the field, her agile movements and strategic plays earns her respect among teammates and opponents alike. Her skills, determination, and passion indicate that this is just the beginning of a journey destined for greatness.
When she first started she was shy and quiet but her coaches helped to bring her out of her comfort zone and make her the person she is now. “I would say my Coach Beetle has helped me a whole lot my whole time playing lax. He has been my coach. Anytime I needed help with anything he was there with the answers and he was always so happy for me when I told him I was doing club and doing camps. He always supported me and helped me make good choices on and off the field,” said Lehman.
This is Ryanne’s third year playing lacrosse, she originally decided to join the team because her dad started coaching and it was a way for them to get closer. She automatically showed great promise in her first year and her dad was able to find and teach her many new drills to set her apart from others. Before the start of the season last year on April 2nd Ryanne broke one bone in her right arm, a buckle fracture. Then three days later on April 5th, she broke both bones in her left arm, this one being a complete fracture. She had to get plates in her left arm the following Monday. Because of this, she was out the whole season in recovery.
“Last year when I got injured at first I just thought, ‘Oh, this is horrible’ but as it got later into my injury I was really sad. I didn’t really care about lacrosse going into freshman year, but I was doing so well and lacrosse became my home. When it got taken away from me I didn’t know what to do. I was bored because all I did in my free time was lacrosse. It was really hard and I didn’t even think I would be playing again. I thought my dreams of playing in college were crushed. However, over the summer I worked so hard and I’m so happy with myself because I came out of it 9x better and it showed me how to work hard to achieve my goals,” said Lehman.
Now that she is back, Ryanne Lehman has been impacting the field this season. She’s scored 13 goals, assisted with 12 assists, and grabbed 21 ground balls. Plus, her 3 caused turnovers to show she’s tough on defense. Ryanne’s been crucial to the team’s success this year, and it looks like she’s only getting better from here.
Lacrosse isn’t the only arena where Ryanne excels. As the seasons shift, so does her focus, seamlessly transitioning from lacrosse to field hockey. She demonstrates finesse and determination that belies her age. Whether she’s weaving through defenders with lightning speed or executing a perfect defense, Ryanne commands attention and admiration from all who watch her.
Ryanne has honed her skills through numerous tournaments, each one a testament to her dedication and hard work. “There was one time when I was doing a tournament for the school and I was doing really well. I scored multiple times on varsity and many times on JV and I saw many of my club coaches. I then saw them the next day at a club game and they were telling me how good I did at the tournament and it made me feel really good and I felt like the work I was putting in was really paying off,” said Lehman.
Ryanne brings a dynamic presence to the field hockey team this season. Despite her relatively short time playing the sport, Ryanne has quickly become a valuable asset to the team. Her journey in field hockey began just 2 years ago, making this her 3rd year playing. Her passion and dedication have already led to remarkable achievements. Last season, Ryanne showcased her amazing defending skills for the last few years and has made her name very known. Her ability to contribute both offensively and defensively has been crucial to the team’s success. As the upcoming season approaches, Ryanne is expected to continue growing and refining her abilities, making her a player to watch.
“I would say my long-term goal for lax would be to play at the collegiate level. There is currently no real pro league or anything but if one would come up I would love to play in that. I need to work really hard for both of my goals so the way I plan to achieve them is to work with my dad this summer because he has a lot planned for me over the summer with drills and workouts. I also am playing for my club team Intrepid and we have tournaments so I need to go 150% in all of them. I also have a recruiting team and we are attending many showcase events this year,” – said Ryanne
While Ryanne displays remarkable skill on the field she also does when she is off the turf. While she’s great at sports, she’s humble and doesn’t seek attention, though it often finds her. She works hard, practicing long after the games end. In school, she’s known not just for sports but also for being kind and easygoing, which earns her a lot of support.
“The biggest lesson sports have taught me is to be confident. I was super shy when I started and I didn’t really talk to anyone on my team. Once I got more. Confident on the field I was not only performing so much better but I had a much better time hanging out with the team. I became friends with pretty much all of them and it just made the whole experience so much more fun,” said Lehman
Fathers Reflective on Ryanne’s Journey:
“I started coaching lacrosse seven years ago. I tried to get Ryanne to play because she was an athlete, and she played all kinds of sports but hadn’t found that one she was crazy about. She played softball, soccer, gymnastics, etc. She finally agreed to go out and try lacrosse her 8th grade year. And she fell in love with it… she wasn’t the best. But she worked constantly to get better. Almost everyday. She then went out and made the JV team her freshman year and was one of the better girls on JV.
Less than a month in she broke both bones in her left arm and was done for the season. The whole time she was wearing a cast she would go out and play wall ball one handed and shot one handed, just working on her skills every chance she could to make sure she got better and didn’t lose her skills. But mostly because she loved the sport and wanted to play varsity her sophomore year. She worked everyday at the grind to make sure she made varsity. I told her she didn’t have to worry. I was sure she would make the varsity squad for playing time. After a year off and her working so hard she came out for the team and was much better than she’d ever been.
My proudest moment is when they announced her as a starter on varsity after everything she had been through with injury she never let it stop her or deter her from being a varsity player. But to be a starter was amazing! I had tears in my eyes when they announced her name because I know how hard she worked and wanted it. She is truly amazing! Love you, Pookie!”
– Steve Lehman, father
