Danielle O’Malley, Editor-in-Chief
For some athletes, it’s hard to shine in even one sport; shining in many is almost unheard of. Across the field, court and turf, one Ram athlete sticks out among the rest – proving that versatility is just as valuable as talent. Balancing multiple seasons, intense training and the demands of leading three different teams, this multi-sport athlete has become a powerhouse in every arena they enter. Notre Dame lacrosse commit Ceci Patterson proves that it’s possible to be a star in a variety of sports, from the way she plays to her leadership abilities.
Ceci has participated in soccer, basketball and lacrosse all four years at the high school with lacrosse being her main sport. However, her initial focus as a young athlete was soccer. “When I lived in Arizona, I was a huge soccer player, that was my main sport by a mile,” she said. “When we moved to New Canaan, I had never played lacrosse, I’d never even heard about it. All of a sudden, all my friends were playing it, so I played lacrosse for the social aspect.”
Ceci always had a competitive nature, both at youth practice and family activities. “At tiny tot soccer she would dribble around and score while other girls were picking flowers,” said Ceci’s mom, Sarah Patterson. “Whether it was Uno, board games or ping pong, she gave it 110%.”
Despite being competitive, Ceci participates with a lightheartedness that helps her keep a positive energy even in tough situations. “Ceci has always been competitive and never wanted to lose, but she also hasn’t taken any sports too seriously. She is always smiling and enjoying herself,” Ms Patterson said.
Kim Palmer, Head Coach of the girls basketball team, shared this sentiment. “We say she’s like a goldfish, because of her short term memory, so she just moves on to the next play or to the next game. She doesn’t let it weigh on her, which is not always easy to do,” she said.
As goalie for the lacrosse team, this characteristic helps the entire team. “She definitely continues on no matter what and she always has her head up. She is a positive kid that people follow. Even after a loss or after a goal, she doesn’t hang her head,” said Kristin Woods, Head Coach of the girls lacrosse team.
Ceci’s mentality during practices and games sets a positive example for those around her. “She’s been a fantastic mentor to Macyn Callahan, the underclassmen lacrosse goalie. How you handle pressure as a leader is important because the younger kids see that. She projects herself in a way that is positive and other team members build off of that,” Coach Woods said.
Ceci’s leadership ability was not always as strong as it is today. It took time for her to gain comfortability to be able to lead her respective teams. “My sophomore year was my first year starting on the lacrosse team, and I had a lot of pressure to help the seniors and do my job. I had to step up and find a way to be really confident in myself and my play,” Ceci said. “In the big state championship game, I was trying not to let down my sister and all the other seniors. I think that was a time where I flipped a switch and realized that even though I’m a sophomore, I can still be a leader and be confident in myself when playing with the older girls.”
This confidence has been translated into all the sports she plays as she is capable of stepping up and showing out in big moments for her teammates. “In the FCIAC soccer championship, Saint Joe’s scored a goal with one minute remaining. As a captain, she stepped up and got everybody back together – she’s a big reason they won that game,” Coach Woods said.
“Last year in the girls basketball FCIAC tournament, she hit two big layups for us to help seal the win to get us to the FCIAC championship. That really comes down to her being more confident in her play,” Coach Palmer said. “She’s been a big part of creating such a strong foundation for the basketball program.”
However, Ceci’s leadership style varies from sport to sport. “I’m not the best one on the team for a lot of the sports I play. So, knowing that, I have to be able to be humble in some and be more of a leader in others; it’s important,” Ceci said. “As a captain for each of them, it was definitely important for me to step up in different ways. I find the most important thing is to be really open with everyone and communicate.”
Each sport demands different skills out of athletes. Many find it hard to switch gears between different seasons, so Ceci’s ability to do so sets her apart from other players. “Even though her main focus is lacrosse and she’s going on to play at a really high level, she still has put the time into other sports. There are very few three sport athletes and it’s unfortunate. There’s something to be said about the work ethic and the dedication that it takes to play three sports at a high level,” said Coach Palmer.
Playing sports all year round is also a large time commitment as well. Ceci has had to navigate juggling her schoolwork and athletics in order to stay on top of everything. “Balancing academics and sports is something I’ve always done. I feel like it was the hardest junior year because I had a heavy school load on top of a lot of sports,” Ceci said. “You learn how to take advantage of the time you have and manage your time well.”
“I want to be remembered most as a great leader who helped the teams and left them in better places than when I got there.”
ceci patterson, ’25
Outside of high school, Ceci manages a variety of other activities regarding sports. Between being named an STX Women’s Athlete and being committed to Notre Dame to play lacrosse, Ceci has accomplished many feats.
As an STX-user from the beginning, being named an STX Women’s Athlete was a surreal experience for Ceci. “It’s really cool to be recognized like that. I think it shows how the game is growing and how women’s lacrosse can have a big impact on people’s lives,” she said. “I love STX. I’ve used STX since day one, so it’s cool to have that relationship with them now.”
Ms. Patterson was also thrilled for her daughter for earning this title. “I was proud of Ceci’s recognition. She is very professional and it was impressive to see how she dealt with the STX executives and marketing personnel on her calls with them outlining her role,” she said.
On top of this, Ceci has also been committed to Notre Dame for lacrosse since the beginning of her junior year. The recruitment process was a new ordeal to maneuver. “The recruiting process was a whirlwind. After a year of playing in front of coaches and not really knowing where you stand until midnight on September 1, when coaches were allowed to contact her class, many coaches were calling, texting and emailing. Ceci had a short list of schools she was interested in and they all reached out to her,” Ms. Patterson said.
Ceci was put at ease when she could speak with college coaches. “On September 1, finally being able to talk to coaches was relieving. You’re kind of in the dark until that day, and you have no idea what’s coming. But it was a really cool experience, it was definitely a unique one, but it was fun,” she said.
Despite the comfort that came with many of her desired schools of interest contacting her, picking a school was not easy. “It was a little different as a goalie because schools wanted to know right away, and Ceci had some quick deadlines to decide. She was under a lot of pressure and even had coaches travel to our house to meet. After visiting Notre Dame, Duke, University of Virginia and Boston College, she picked Notre Dame,” Ms. Patterson said. “It was a busy two weeks and I was so proud of how she handled the process. She was under a great amount of pressure from these adults and managed her process on her own, always being very professional and ethical in her conversations with coaches.”
Ceci will enter Notre Dame as the number one lacrosse goalie in the high school class of 2025. She is ready for her collegiate career to begin and to play at a high level with the best. “I’m really excited to be on the Notre Dame team. I feel like I already know a lot of the girls really well,” Ceci said. “I can’t wait to be one of their peers and get into practices and games and to compete at that level, it’s something that I’ve dreamed of for a long time, so it’s really cool that I can make that happen next year.”
Though being ranked the number one lacrosse goalie in the country is a lot of pressure, Ceci has high expectations for herself. “I want to establish myself right when I get there, make sure that I am playing my best and that I can compete with all these shooters that are older than me. It’s going to be a different being from being a senior in high school. I’m going to be a freshman again, so that adjustment and making sure my academics are up there, too is important,” she said.
Despite Ceci’s bright future at Notre Dame, Ms. Patterson hopes she can take away useful lessons from being a tri-sport athlete in high school. “I hope she gains confidence and knows that she can tackle anything life throws at her. Athletics teach you so much about how to handle disappointment and be gracious in wins. I also hope she will always be a strong leader and help others be their best,” she said.
Coach Palmer also believes that Ceci’s high school experience will aid in her development at college. “The fact that she’s played three sports in high school for all four years is also going to help her when she gets to Notre Dame. I think she’s going to knock it out of the park.”
Although Ceci is looking ahead to her collegiate career, she still wants to leave a lasting legacy at the high school. “I want to be remembered most as a great leader who helped the teams and left them in better places than when I got there.”
