Congratulations to Zayda on her college choice and good luck in the future! Name Zayda Fredericks High School IMG Academy Graduation Year 2019 College Choice United States Naval Academy Club Affiliations Soul Lacrosse, Khaos Lacrosse     Why did you choose this college? I chose USNA due to the return on investment; my four years will turn into a lot of success for me in the future. The coaching staff is outstanding and made me feel right at home when I came to visit campus. The great pair of amazing academics with outstanding athletics is exactly what I was looking for and I’m ecstatic that I found the one. What are your first memories of the sport? My first memory of lacrosse was passing with my mom in the grass parking lot next to the field before my first practice in seventh grade. Neither of us could catch a single pass for the life of us, other than one awful pass I had thrown to my mom that bounced off her head and miraculously stayed in her stick. What part of the process was most surprising to you about the recruiting process and what would you like to pass on to those who are going to face it in the future? When I first began the recruiting process, I was shocked by the fact that there were girls my age that had committed to a top school before I had even picked up a stick. For those that have ambitions of collegiate lacrosse, do not allow the daunting idea of having to be committed as early as possible change your experience. Don’t be afraid to email those bigger schools and get your name out there. The lacrosse world is a small one– you never know who knows who. Believe in yourself, always hustle, and everything will work out how it’s supposed to. Who would you like to thank for helping you get here? I would love to thank my mother, Stacey Fredericks, for always believing in and standing up for me. I would also like to thank every single one of my coaches that have played a part in getting me to exactly where I am meant to be.