Sports Spotlight: Jaime Schlager | Observer Preps

After a stint playing basketball, Ocoee junior Jaime Schlager made the switch to lacrosse last year, and it has paid off. So far this season, Schlager has scored the game-winning goal against Evans and picked up a team-high five goals in a win over Oak Ridge. Along with scoring goals, she’s the face-off specialist for the Knights.

How did you first get into lacrosse?

This is actually only my second year playing, and last year I decided I wanted to try something new, and lacrosse looked fun, and I like a challenge. I didn’t really know anyone on the team, so I was just kind of going in on my own, and I’m glad I did.

What’s been the biggest difficulty going from basketball to lacrosse?

Definitely having something in my hands all the time, like with my stick. Getting to learn how to work with it is a lot harder, while in basketball it’s like, I don’t have the basketball all the time.

What’s been your favorite thing about playing lacrosse the last two years?

Just how new it is — it’s a lot different from basketball and it’s a whole new scene; like I’m out on the field, and I have a lot more teammates playing with me at once, and I got to know all these new girls, and it’s really awesome.

What’s some of the best advice you’ve gotten?

With our team especially — our team is pretty inexperienced — the best advice they have given is to not worry about the score in the game; just worry about how we’re playing and work as a team and keep uplifting each other, and make sure we’re staying positive.

Is there one thing you’re working on this season to better your game?

Personally, I’m trying to work on my stick work, because I’ve got a hang of using my right — since I’m right-handed — but I want to be able to transition more smoothly to my left hand and work that into my game.

Has there been a highlight moment for you so far?

This season there have been two. We played Evans and we were tied 4-4 and there was 10 seconds left on the clock, and I had the ball at the goal. I didn’t know there was 10 seconds left — I thought we had three minutes, so I was taking my time — and everyone was yelling, “Jaime, you have to shoot!” So I went in and shot, and I got the game-winning goal right as the clock stopped. And then we played Oak Ridge and we won 16-0 and I got five of our goals, which was the most of anyone on the team.

Do you have plans for after you graduate next year?

I hadn’t really thought about playing lacrosse in college — I thought it may be fun, but I’m not sure if that is something I would be able to commit to, because school is very important.