Messinger Eager to Go Hard or Go Home
In arguably the toughest district in Northern Virginia, the Concorde Lacrosse teams allow no room for error. Year after year, Chantilly Lacrosse has faced aggravations with rival schools. Chantilly senior, Nick Messinger, has seen these disappointing results and is determined to make every effort count in giving the Chargers a respectable season this year.
Messinger has been a vital piece of the puzzle from the first day he stepped on the field for Chantilly. During a district playoff in his freshman season, Nick tied the game within the last seconds on the game clock, allowing the Chargers to win in overtime and eventually make the regional tournament. This season, he enters his fourth year as a varsity mid-fielder and knows that he will need to give the game all he’s got in order to prove Chantilly’s success on the field. “I want to gain a lot of respect for Chantilly,” says Messinger, “too many times I have seen us falter in the last minutes.”
Nick started playing lacrosse a step behind everyone in his youth league. During his sixth grade year, his friend would always carry a lacrosse stick, which intrigued him towards the game. Out of curiosity, Nick tried out that season with no experience on the field; however was instantly hooked. “Lacrosse seemed to be much faster and intense than any sport I had played,” he says, “I didn’t want to put my helmet and stick down!” As he progressed in his youth teams, Messinger began to outshine his teammates on the field, gaining a huge spotlight early on. By his eighth grade year, Nick became a top pick for Chantilly’s youth A-Team, giving him a good reputation entering the high school level.
Once Messinger reached the high school level, he began to realize that the sport would consume a primary part of his life. During the off season, Nick would participate in the Explosive Performance Training League to advance his agility, endurance, and strength. After practices, he would shoot around his backyard at least four times a week to develop habits with the stick and the goal. This past summer, Messinger also qualified and played for the elite NOVA Advantage Team which went on tour during the month of July. Nick is most proud with this accomplishment and says, “This was big for me! The best players in this area tried out for this team and playing with them everyday was so rewarding.”
“That summer tour was fun, but I’m putting it all on the field this season,” adds Messinger. As he begins his last year for Chantilly, Nick is especially motivated and wants his team to succeed. The Chargers finished with a .500 record last season, finishing 7-7. Messinger knows that he must excel this year in order to prepare himself for college next season. He would like to receive a regional honors award by the end of this year and is driven to make himself one of the best players in the Northern Virginia region. Earlier this school year, he received a four-year academic scholarship to St. Johns University to play midfield for the Red Storm. Nick is convinced that if he had not played on the summer NOVA Advantage Team, this scholarship would have never came to him.
As Messinger trains himself for the next seasons in college, he will reflect on the memories and lessons he’s learned as an athlete for Chantilly. Before every game he plays, Nick will have an energy drink, spit sunflower seeds, and join his teammates is their infamous ten seconds of swearing in the locker room. “That’s what really gets me pumped,” he says, “we will turn off the lights, close the door and just yell for ten seconds of straight cursing – it calms my nerves.” Messinger has also gained the respect of all his teammates as well as two head coaches. After his sophomore year, the Chargers faced a head coaching change, and the introduction of Head Coach Kevin Broderick. Over the past two seasons, Nick has developed a close relationship with Broderick, and says Coach Broderick is someone that he loves to play for. “He has so much respect for all of us and will go the extra mile for our team. He is the drive behind lacrosse for me right now,” says Messinger.
So as he takes his Chantilly #5 jersey for his last season, Nick is ready to do whatever it takes to thrive for his team and head coach. Despite the overwhelming talent in their rival schools, the Chargers are ready to go hard or go home with their senior captain, Nick Messinger at midfield, leading the way.
