After years of dedication and hard work, Amador Valley Junior Samantha Nissen (‘26) has committed to the University of Oregon to continue her journey in playing collegiate lacrosse.
The Start of a Journey
Her journey started in 3rd grade, with her cousins and family motivating her to try out for lacrosse. Later, she developed a passion for the sport.
“I started playing lacrosse, I think, when I was in 4th or 3rd grade, very young. My cousins were playing it, and then they said I should, so I tried out and ended up loving it,” said Nissen.
Nissen’s family provided lots of emotional support during the final stages of recruitment. They stayed right by her side during important moments of contact with college coaches.
“When I was talking with Oregon, my parents were very supportive. On the day of September 1st…they made sure I was calm, and kept telling me to be myself, and that I’ll be okay, which really helped me,” said Nissen.
The recruitment process can be a challenging experience, filled with highs and lows. Nissen opens up about the emotional side of her journey.
“It’s definitely been like a roller coaster, but exciting at the same time and nerve-wracking. Ever since I was little, I’ve always wanted to play in college. But these past few years have been, stressful knowing that college recruitment is coming up. So I’ve been putting in more work, but it has all paid off,” said Nissen.
Future at College
She explained how her journey through college went through talking to coaches and overcoming great problems.
“I started freshman year. I started emailing coaches, then sophomore summer is when it really started to hit that I had to go to all these camps and narrow down my list on where I wanted to go and what I wanted to major in,” said Nissen.
With guidance from a coach recruiter, Nissen managed the complexities of narrowing down her options and finding the right fit.
“I had a coach recruiter that helped me get through this process, and she helped me just narrow down where I wanted to go, what schools would fit, and, where she could see me going and wheres somewhere I know I can go,” said Nissen.
Lacrosse hasn’t just helped Nissen improve as an athlete. She explains how it has developed her communication skills off the field as well.
“Outside of the field, it’s also going to help me going forward with, getting a job or something. It’s just going to be very helpful. So I think lacrosse has helped me both off and off the off and on the field,” said Nissen.
Her accomplishments by playing at the collegiate level helped her reflect back on her time at Amador.
“Going through these past few years, I put in so much work, and I feel like this is a goal that I’ve worked for, going to all these camps, seeing what treatment the athletes get, and seeing what I could have, just knowing I can continue to play the sport I love and what’s brought me so much joy, it was something I have wanted to continue,” said Nissen.
Ultimately, Nissen knew that the University of Oregon was the right choice after attending a camp and experiencing the supportive team environment.
“I knew after the camp (at The University of Oregon). I loved the coach. I’ve never seen the school or, like, the team dynamic, and I just felt like once I saw all of that and when the coaches and team were talking to me, I felt like at home already,” said Nissen.
“If it’s something you wanna pursue, definitely, go for it. But just know the process isn’t fun all the time. But if you just keep pushing through, you’ll end up on the right path,” said Nissen.
