A two-time silver medalist at the Junior World Games with the US Indoor Lacrosse program, Cornell University-bound Grady Taylor ’25 is no stranger to representing US Lacrosse on the international stage. In 2021, Grady was a part of the first American team to defeat Canada in indoor lacrosse. The next year, as a 16-year-old, he was named captain of the U18 US Indoor Lacrosse Team. Earlier this summer, Grady once again had the opportunity to represent his country at the U20 US Field Lacrosse Team tryouts. 

“The experience was amazing. I was among the youngest at the camp, but being able to compete at that high a level was eye-opening,” said Grady. Seventy-seven of the country’s best U20 men’s lacrosse players received invites to the three-day training camp at USA Lacrosse headquarters in Maryland. Among the invitees were college All-Americans from some of the top programs in the country. “One huge standout was everyone’s athleticism and their ability to be physically dominant,” Grady said. Grady believes that seeking out the best competition possible has played a key role in his development as a lacrosse player: “The only way you can get better is by going against kids who are better than you. That’s something that we strive to achieve at every Holderness practice too. Playing against upperclassmen these past three years has given me the opportunity to get better every day.” 

The desire to put himself in uncomfortable situations and embrace high standards made Grady a natural fit for the US Lacrosse environment: “While coaches are always pushing us to maintain a high standard, what was unique at this tryout was that every player also held themselves and the other players to that standard. It’s important to accept the fact that you’re not going to win every rep, and hopefully you don’t because that means you are going to get better.” 

Adopting this mindset is central to how the Holderness Boys Varsity Lacrosse team approaches their season. “I think it’s absolutely healthy that we face adversity. It’s not a walk in the park and nobody wants it to be a walk in the park,” said Grady. “Facing adversity helps us recognize weaknesses and allows us to become better and prepare for the next time. We love to play tight games for this reason.” Helping to foster this mentality and uphold the team’s culture is one of Grady’s goals as he heads into his senior year. 

He believes that “When everyone on the team wants each other to succeed, the team is going to succeed. Whether it’s a new ninth-grader or a post-grad, we want to incorporate them into the team culture and show them what Holderness lacrosse represents, what we stand for, and our values.” While Grady leads the Bulls on the field as a two-time captain of the lacrosse team, he is also one of this year’s Weld Hall Supervisors: “I’ve come to see leadership as something that is 24/7. When you set the example, younger students will follow in your tracks. This extends to the little things such as being on time to class, seeking extra help when you need it, and saying hi to people on the path. Those things make a huge difference.”

In Grady’s eyes, growth at Holderness stems from engaging in the school community, “You don’t carry a single identity at Holderness. At some point, you will find yourself in a situation you didn’t expect to be and that is when you will start to see everything Holderness has to offer.”