On Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2016, Abington seniors Lindsay Baer, Jordan Campbell, Casey McCallister and Samantha McGee were recognized for committing to play lacrosse at the collegiate level. To view photos of the event, please visit the Photo Gallery at the following link: http://photos.suburbanonesports.com/g/110916_-_signings_-_mjs
“Whenever you come in as a new coach, the biggest thing is getting the kids to buy in,” coach Amanda Kammes said. “Any time a program is taken over by a new staff, no matter what level you’re at, there’s a lot of new expectations, systems, etc. to learn, and the key to making that all come together is really your players. I can’t say enough about how these kids have bought in to the things we’ve asked of them. It certainly has become a more year-round expectation and thinking about our high school team more regularly rather than just in the spring. It’s a tribute to them and how they’ve bought in and done things that we’ve asked them to do and worked really hard, quite honestly, in the offseason to make these things happen.”
Lindsay Baer – Old Dominion University (Lacrosse)
Major: Education
Final list of colleges: ODU, La Salle, Boston University
Reasons for choosing ODU: “I was considering staying closer to home so I was kind of feeling out La Salle or even going up to Boston University, but I picked ODU because when I went there I kind of got a different vibe compared to the other colleges. It was - not more welcoming, but I just felt it was a better fit. Also, Casey Kellogg, our (assistant) coach, had an influence because her sister (Ashley Waters) is the assistant coach on that team, so I got to meet with her on different occasions and that kind of led me to picking ODU.”
What was the progression that led you to play lacrosse at the collegiate level? “I never thought that I would stop playing lacrosse after high school. I’ve always wanted to play in college, I’ve always been an athletic person. There was a point where I didn’t know if I was going to play (after tearing my ACL the summer before junior year), but I rehabbed and worked hard and made it my goal to play in college.”
Coach Amanda Kammes says: “Any time you tear your ACL, it’s a sometimes career-ending injury. I think there was a lot of the unknown for Lindsay in her head last year, whether she was going to come back and be the same player she was or not. When I got here, I started asking some of the kids when I got to know them – ‘Where are you committed? What’s your process?’ Lindsay and Jordan (Campbell), in particular, were both very frank with feeling they didn’t have a process and their recruiting opportunities were over, so it just really shows you what a fighter that kid is to work really hard to rehab that knee. She really worked through the whole year last year to stay healthy and be a contributor and really find her role. I think that was the hardest thing for her. I always say – it takes a year to rehab a knee and then it takes another year to figure out how to play again. They’re two really separate things, and she really started hitting her stride at the right time last year right around playoff time. I felt that I couldn’t take her off the field. She was a calming force out there. She really has a strong understanding of the game and what we’re trying to do in certain situations. I really think that’s her strength - she’s a coach on the field. I think she was kind of a sleeper last year. No one really knew about her. I’m pretty sure people are going to know about her this year. I’m excited to see what she does after getting through rehab and a year under her belt.”
About Lindsay:
Favorite food: “My Grandma’s lasagna”
Favorite movie: High School Musical
Favorite music: Pop
Jordan Campbell – La Salle University (Lacrosse)
Major: Accounting
Final list of colleges: La Salle, Tampa, West Chester, St. Bonaventure
Reasons for choosing La Salle: “When I met the girls there, they were very much like me. When I was looking at the schools, a big part was I wanted to decide on the chemistry of the team. I knew that if I went to a team that didn’t have great chemistry and didn’t work well together I was not going to have fun and also I knew the team wasn’t going to be as successful as we could be in the future. I have a big recruiting class and there’s a big La Salle team, and I kid you not – I like every single girl on that team. What’s awesome about it is every single girl is different in her own way, but when we’re together, we’re like one big melting pot family, and it’s awesome.”
What was the progression that led you to competing in lacrosse at the collegiate level? “In all honesty, (I didn’t start thinking about it until) my junior year in the offseason. We had just met Amanda Kammes and Casey Kellogg, our new coaches, and they came up to me and said, ‘Jordan, do you want to play in college? Are you playing?’ I said, ‘No, I’m not.’ In all honesty, I never thought I would. This will be my fifth year playing, so I never even thought about it. I watched Sam, I watched Casey, I watched Lindsay, and I was like, ‘These girls have been playing since third grade. Amazing.’ They said to me, ‘ If you want to play, we’re going to make it happen.’ I said, ‘Okay,’ and I literally just listened to everything they said. They did everything they could, they bent over backwards to help me. They got me on a summer club team, they showed me showcases. They would literally send me e-mails and say, ‘Sign up for this,’ and I’d be like, ‘Okay,’ and I’d just do it. They helped me talking to coaches and everything. I just trusted what they said.”
Coach Amanda Kammes says: “After maybe a month of winter workouts, coach Kellogg and I thought she was talented. Still not really knowing the kid, we said, ‘Hey, why aren’t you playing in college? What’s your deal?’ She said, ‘I’m not good enough to play in college.’ Basically, no one ever told her that was something she could even achieve, so we sent her away and told her to think about it for a couple of days. The very next day she came up to us in the parking lot and said, ‘Coach, I want to play in college. What do I have to do?’ From that point on, she did not look back. She did every single thing we asked of her and beyond. She worked her tail off in the offseason on her own – stick work, skill set, quickness. Anything we needed her to do, she did it.
“Jordan is one of those loyal, always-has-your-back kind of kids. That’s one of my favorite things about her. If I had to go into war, Jordan would be it because I know she would kill for me. Honestly, what makes her good is her grit. She’s a gritty Philly kid. That’s the best way I can describe her. She embodies that blue collar, gritty style. She’s physical. She’s vocal on ‘D,’ and she’s really the backbone of our defense. Those qualities – that never-give-up, never-say-die attitude – are intangibles that are going to make her very successful at La Salle. Certainly I think she has her work cut out for her going to the next level. All of them do. That’s just part of playing D-1 lacrosse. There’s a learning curve. The rules are different, but the reason it’s going to work in Jordan’s favor is that the rules are going to be tailored to her skill set. She can be more physical on the D-1 level. She can be loud and vocal – that’s celebrated at the Division One level. All these qualities she might not get recognized for in the high school level are things she’s going to be celebrated for at La Salle. She’s just scratching the surface of her potential right now. We are only a year in with her really seeing what she’s capable of, so imagine what she’ll be when she’s a junior in college. It’s remarkable. She’s a great kid.”
About Jordan:
Favorite food: Mom Mom’s Mashed Potatoes
Favorite movie: Burlesque
Favorite music: Sam Smith
Casey McCallister – Lehigh University (Lacrosse)
Major: Business
Final list of colleges: Lehigh, Brown, Colgate, Drexel, Franklin & Marshall
Reasons for choosing Lehigh: “I really liked the campus when I visited, and the coaches were so welcoming. They have a really great combination of strong academics and competitive Division One lacrosse, and I felt at home when I visited.”
What was the progression that led you to play lacrosse at the collegiate level? “The summer going into my sophomore year I became really serious with summer lacrosse, and my club coach started helping me look for colleges. That’s when it all started.
Coach Amanda Kammes says: “Last year I asked Casey to do a lot of things that were different from what she was normally asked to do. By that I mean - we kind of changed her score-first mentality to let’s see what you and McGee can do as a two-man duo. Can you be a feeder first, and when McGee gets face guarded, then it’s go time. There were some days when I know she tried to really embody that, and there were some days when she struggled with it as anybody would, but she never questioned it, which is one of the coolest things about that kid. She really tried to understand what I was asking of her and she tried to embrace that. If you watch her on film, whether it be the Garnet Valley game or one of the games down the stretch, there were games when Casey didn’t have any goals, but those were games where she normally had four or five assists. That quality and that lesson she learned last year is something that’s going to make her extremely valuable at Lehigh, understanding that – I’m not having a good scoring or shooting day. All right, I’m just going to drop five dimes and set somebody else up. Other days, she might have had three goals and three assists. The point is - she’s extremely well-rounded, and she really grew in her lax IQ last year in understanding when to score, when not to score, when to turn it on and when not to turn it on.
“Casey had the ball on her stick the entire last possession in our game at Owen J Roberts. She was the kid I wanted the ball in her stick. McGee was being face guarded, and she was basically out of the game at that point. That’s the kind of kid Casey is. I trust her. I know she’s going to make a good decision. She’s got a great stick, she’s a solid athlete. Lehigh is a great fit for her lacrosse-wise and academically. I really think she made a great decision.”
About Casey:
Favorite food: Chicken Teriyaki
Favorite movie: Wedding Crashers
Favorite music: John Mayer
Samantha McGee – St. Joseph University (Lacrosse)
Major: Food Marketing
Final list of colleges: St. Joe’s, Lehigh, Vanderbilt, Colorado (Boulder)
Reasons for choosing St. Joe’s: “My dad coached at St. Joe’s and my cousin went there, and it was really familiar to me, so all the schools I was visiting were far away and they were bigger, and they were a little more enticing. I heard there was a coaches switch and Alex Kahoe, Colleen Dawson and Becky Lynch were the coaches now. They contacted me after a 3v3, and they were really interested in me. I went and stayed overnight with one of the girls. Of all the schools I stayed overnight, the St. Joe’s team was the one I connected with the most. I went and I saw more of the campus. I really liked how the field was in the middle of the campus, so everyone going to class, everyone walking by sees it and knows it. The coaches were the most interested in me, and they were so complimentary. It made me feel so at home, and they were a huge reason I chose the school. At the end of the day, the coaches and the team are the people you’re going to be spending most of your time with.
What was the progression that led you to playing collegiate lacrosse? “I’ve known I wanted to play in college since third grade. In fourth grade, I used to go to varsity practices here because my dad coached alongside Julie Martinez. I practiced with the jayvee, and I just loved it. I would do hills with them. It was always something I knew I wanted to do.”
Coach Amanda Kammes says: “Sam’s a special kid. You can be that caliber of kid and have a lot of other baggage to come along with you, whether it be an attitude problem or being cocky, but Sam, in particular, is quite the opposite. She is a really sweet kid. She’s very thoughtful on and off he field. I can always count on her to make sure everyone’s included and be a good leader and make good decisions. I never have to ask her to work harder. We have really good conversations regarding systems and why we’re doing certain things. She really is that coach-player bridge that helps me relate to the kids and get messages across. I really think St. Joe’s got a steal with her. It’s a fairly new staff over there. I won’t be surprised if they build the program around her. She’s that special of a player.”
About Samantha:
Favorite food: Trader Joe’s Microwaveable Mac ‘N Cheese
Favorite movie: Good Will Hunting
Favorite music: Coldplay & Jack Johnson
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