My Lacrosse Life: 'Enjoy the Journey' with Sheehan Stanwick Burch

This article appears in the January edition of USA Lacrosse Magazine. Join our momentum.

Sheehan Stanwick Burch joined an elite group as one of nine new members inducted into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame in October. For Burch, the award was in recognition of an outstanding playing career that has morphed into a successful run in broadcasting.

WHY LACROSSE

I did play a little bit of everything while growing up — basketball, soccer, swimming — but I only wanted to do each of those sports in season. With lacrosse, there was a different type of bug that made me want to work all the time to be the best I could be. I don’t know if I’ve found anything like that in my adulthood

LAX MOM LIFE

When I’m on television as an analyst, I’m looking at the game completely differently and thinking about more of the strategy. I don’t necessarily wear that same hat when I’m watching my kids play. I’m not as vocal or voicing every single opinion. Seeing the youth game, I realize now, especially with young girls, it is so hard to learn. Those early years can be very frustrating, learning how to catch and cradle and move.

WHEN THE CLOCK STRUCK MIDNIGHT

My senior year (2001), we made it to the national championship, and it was almost the perfect story. But we didn’t end up winning. (Georgetown erased a seven-goal deficit but lost to Maryland 14-13 in triple overtime.) That season was a ton of fun, and we had a lot of firsts, like beating UNC on our home field. That just felt like a huge milestone. Now, the further I get away from my playing days, I realize how hard it is to get there and how it is so hard to win. But 2001 was a special year. There is something different when you’re a senior and you know that it’s the last time that you’re going to be able to have an impact.

ADVICE FROM THE BOOTH

Enjoy the journey. Being a college athlete can be hard at times, with all the preparation and the pressure to perform. So enjoy the journey, and while you work hard, also work smart. Make sure that you build your craft and do it in a smart way that is effective. And have fun doing it because in the end, we can only play for so long.

A FAMILY AFFAIR

The game is such a strong connector for me and my seven siblings, my parents and the relationships that we built. My mom dragged me to practice, and my dad worked with me so much and instilled a strong work ethic. I’m the oldest of eight kids. The way we connected was by going to their games when they were in college. And doing the TV side, I often had to call them to get an understanding of a rule change, how it feels on the field and the buzz going around. Lacrosse means family to me in the broader sense because it is a great community, but also because it’s tied us together and made my own family really strong.

WHY GEORGETOWN

I remember the recruiting process like it was yesterday. It was fun, but also overwhelming. Georgetown wasn’t on my radar, even though my dad and my grandfather had gone there. But they didn’t push me. I was at a lacrosse camp and (then-Georgetown coach) Kim Simons was one of the coaches. I was just awestruck. She told me a story about her experience at Princeton, how when she first arrived, they weren’t in the top 10, but by the time she finished her senior year they had won the national championship. That just made me want to be part of something similar at Georgetown.

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Career points Burch scored at Georgetown, a school record that still stands today. Her 232 career goals also rank No. 1 in Hoyas history. Stanwick scored at least 50 goals in each of her four seasons, culminating in a senior season in which she finished as the national attacker of the year and set Georgetown single-season marks for goals (75), assists (40) and points (115).

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Burch was a four-time All-American at Georgetown, as well as a three-time team MVP.

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Stanwick brothers and sisters who played Division I lacrosse. Sheehan led the way, followed by Wick and Coco, who also starred at Georgetown. Then came Tad (Rutgers), Steele (Virginia), Wells (Johns Hopkins), Covie (Boston College) and Shack (Johns Hopkins). They combined for 20 All-American honors. Steele Stanwick was the Tewaaraton Award winner in 2011.