Wonder Woman of the Week: Jen Adams

In case anybody is unfamiliar with the game of lacrosse- including me…- the sport was developed by the Iroquois (aka Haudenosaunee) warriors who used wood branches with nets to pass a ball from one side of the field to the other with the intention to launch it into a small goal. The sport evolved into a hybrid of rugby and baseball. [1] This week’s Wonder Woman may be the greatest female lacrosse player in the sport’s long history- Jen Adams. The Australian-born Jen Adams grew up in Adelaide where she began playing lacrosse with the Brighton Lacrosse Club. She first represented her nation of Australia at the U19 (under 19yrs old) world championship with the 1995 gold medal team. She was only fifteen years old. [2]

Jen Adams left Australia for college to study at a university in Maryland where she continued to play the sport. While at Maryland, Adams was named three-time national player of the year, four-time NCAA National Champion, and set the NCAA record for making 445 points in her career (267 goals, 178 assists) along with earning the first women’s recipient of the Tewaaraton Trophy in 2001. [3] When Jen Adams graduated, her career in lacrosse continued. After returning to her Australian national team for a brief time, Adams accepted a job as head coach for Loyola University’s Women’s Lacrosse Team. By 2008- when Adams began her new job- Loyola’s team had dropped to a 6-10 record. In 2009, through Adam’s leadership the Greyhounds reversed their skills to end the season with an 11-6 record and 17-3 by 2011. Adam’s team appeared in two BIG EAST Championships and three NCAA Championship appearances between 2011 and 2013. [4]

In the original Iroquois version of lacrosse, women were banned from competition due to cultural gender rules. Only the bravest of men were even allowed to play the sport. Today, Jen Adams stands as the greatest and most well-rounded woman in the sport with impressive records as both athlete and coach. While the Haudenosaunee of five hundred year ago may disagree, Jen Adams proves women are worthy of playing lacrosse. For that, Jen Adams is the Wonder Woman of the Week.

Aveni, Athony. "History.org: The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation's Official History and Citizenship Website." The Indian Origins of Lacrosse : The Colonial Williamsburg Official History & Citizenship Site. Accessed March 11, 2015. http://www.history.org/foundation/journal/winter10/lacrosse.cfm.

"Jen Adams: Biography." Jen Adams. January 1, 2013. Accessed March 11, 2015. http://www.jenadams7.com/biography/.

Demorest, Ryan. "Lax Her Essentials: A Quick Twenty With Jen Adams." Inside Lacrosse. November 5, 2013. Accessed March 11, 2015. http://www.insidelacrosse.com/article/lax-her-essentials-a-quick-twenty-with-jen-adams/11621.

"LoyolaGreyhounds.com Jen Adams Bio - Official Athletic Site Official Athletic Site - Women's Lacrosse." LoyolaGreyhounds.com Jen Adams Bio - Official Athletic Site Official Athletic Site - Women's Lacrosse. Accessed March 11, 2015. http://www.loyolagreyhounds.com/sports/w-lacros/mtt/adams_jen00.html.