person smiling, outdoors

February 20, 2017 – As part of our Biola Lacrosse Connections newsletter, we feature a player from the current team, and ask them “Why did you choose to join the Biola lacrosse team?” February’s featured player is Isaac Delgado. Isaac is a graduate student, having earned his undergraduate degree from Biola in 2016. Here’s why Isaac chose to play lacrosse at Biola:

My story of coming to Biola lacrosse is sort of a wacky tale. I had never really seen any lacrosse played other than in movies or a very short clip here and there throughout my life. I grew up in southern California in the Inland Empire where lacrosse has almost no presence. It was fall semester of my sophomore year at Biola when I came to the team. I was approached by Josh Nordstrom while playing hockey on the Hope basketball court to come try out lacrosse. I told him I’d drop by a practice if I had the time but that I’ve also never played. It wasn’t an issue of course because many guys never had experience. Since he was so welcoming I decided to go seek out a practice. I watched for a bit and also threw around with Coach Klett and it wasn’t such a natural movement for an ex-baseball player. All the guys were extremely encouraging and Coach Klett was helpful also. I decided to actually participate in practice the next day at practice, which happened to be a conditioning practice. What a way to start off, right? I was the last one to finish in the running but all the guys on the team were just amazingly encouraging and never once put me down. Some guys on the team admitted to me later that they thought I wouldn’t come back because of all the running I did on my first day.

However, here I am 3 year and half years later leading the team in the 2017 season. I chose to play because I always loved being a part of a team and competing. It keeps me active and is always an interesting fact to say you play for a team. In high school I wanted to play college baseball but that got axed when I was cut from my school’s baseball team. When the opportunity to play lacrosse here at Biola had come to me I knew I had to take it because it was the only way I would be able to play any collegiate sport. Beyond the sport itself, the culture of this team is phenomenal and nothing like I’ve ever seen or heard of. Most sports teams I’ve been a part of have never had the same uplifting and joyous spirit to be playing a sport and being in unison with one another. I love the fact that the team puts glorifying God above winning and being a super great lacrosse player. I remember our motto the first year I played was “For One” and that really stuck with me whenever I played at practice or in a game.

There have been many ups and downs for me on the team as I tried to be a team player and do anything that my team needed. However, I’ve come to love the sport of lacrosse, but even more I’ve come to love this team. All of my teammates, past and present, are like brothers to me. I would do anything for them on and off the field. Even step up between the pipes to take 80-100 mile per hour shots to the body. It will be tough to walk away from the sport and the team as player, but I hope to stay involved in the future in assisting Coach Klett with coaching duties.

CLICK HERE to learn how you can support Isaac and his teammates.