Ian Holmes '06

College: Haverford College (Pennsylvania)
Year: Sophomore
Major: Biology major with a Psychology minor and a premed concentration
Lakeside Sports: Football and lacrosse
Haverford Sport: Lacrosse (goalie)

How I got involved in football and lacrosse

I was drawn to lacrosse in 7th grade in part because it was an ideal middle school sport with lots of equipment, and it was very physical. I decided to give football a shot during my freshman year, and enjoyed it so much, I played all four years.

Favorite Lakeside coach

Bill McMahon was a great role model. He seemed to really care about the welfare of our team, and he taught me a lot of life skills that I’ve carried on since leaving Lakeside.

Successes

• Lakeside Football—a couple of promising years; sophomore was the best because we almost made Metro playoffs
• Lakeside Lacrosse—more consistent success; made it to state playoffs three of my four years
• Haverford Lacrosse —during freshman year, we were an under-the-radar team that experienced a lot of success, upsetting the number two team in the country. That was pretty much unheard of, and was the first time that our school beat their school, so it was very exciting. We’re looking forward to a lot of success this year.

Challenges

I had a series of dislocated shoulders the spring of my senior year that carried over through my freshman year at Haverford. I had corrective surgery last winter and haven’t had any problems since.

Lakeside’s impact

I think the main thing is that football taught me how to work toward a goal and how to work outside of practice to achieve my best possible results. That’s helped me a lot, especially in college, and in high school lacrosse.

Impact of sports on personal/academic life

In addition to the goal-setting skills that football and lacrosse taught me in high school, having to balance my commitment to sports and homework has taught me how to be organized. On a personal level, it was really nice to be going into a team environment my freshman year in college. I think that helped a lot, just to quickly establish a social network.

Advice for current Lakeside students considering college athletics

I would encourage interested Lakesiders to pursue lacrosse at the college level. I’ve met a lot of great guys through lacrosse, and I really enjoy the effect it has on my schedule and how it helps keep me in shape.  Being part of the game is probably the most fun I’ve ever had. In terms of recruiting, because it is such a small sport on the West Coast, I’d recommend joining a club select team of some kind, and contacting college coaches as early as possible to get a lot of face-to-face time with them. Work a lot over the summer—do leagues, camps. Also, I’ve found the act of teaching makes you think a little bit more about what you need to do yourself.

Sports hero

I admire my younger brother, Dylan ’08, especially his work ethic. He’s at Lakeside right now playing lacrosse. I respect how much he has poured himself into the sport.