Hogan was in third grade when he first picked up a lacrosse stick. His father urged him to try the sport- knowing that Hogan would love it, just as he did when he was younger. After Hogan’s first practice, playing along side his friends and improving by the minute, he instantly developed a passion for lacrosse. He saw himself in the future, playing through middle school, trying out for varsity in high school and setting the all time goal of competing in college. In high school, he made the varsity team and eventually was chosen as a captain, leading his team to winning the state championship. During his junior year, it was time to start applying to colleges. He visited a friend at the University of Oregon and was drawn to the beautiful campus, the social scene and of course, the well-known athletics. After receiving his acceptance letter, he knew that was where he was going to spend the next four years. Freshman year, he steered away from the fraternity path that many of his friends followed and instead, was excited to try out for the competitive men’s club lacrosse team. It was the second week of school and the first week of tryouts. He was doing very well, holding his own if not beating out the current players in drills and making new friends while he was at it. On the fourth day of tryouts, Hogan was in a 2v1 drill. He went after a ground ball with two defenders on his back. He beat them to it and picked up the ball, one foot in front of the other. One of the defenders took one last leaping step to prevent Hogan from getting the ground ball, landing directly on Hogan’s back foot. His toes were pointed into the ground with his heel in the air. The defender’s weight was hammered onto his heel, crushing the front of his foot into the ground and breaking his ankle. In subconscious denial, Hogan believed it was a sprain. He wanted to get up and continue the drill, but his leg wouldn’t let him. After doctor’s appointments and X-rays, the break was confirmed. His dream of continuing his passion through college was stripped away from him in that one moment. He went into surgery (8 screws and a plate) and was non-weight bearing on crutches for the three next months. After the injury, he went through a period where he was lost. He was in an unfamiliar place trying to figure out college with new friends that were either busy with fraternity events or lacrosse practice. However during the long and difficult recovery, Hogan remained positive. He went to all of the lacrosse games and cheered his friends on. Once his ankle healed, he decided to focus his energy on his education, getting a job and studying abroad in New Zealand. Now, he is perfectly happy at the UO, graduating this upcoming June with a major in GSS Economics and Business with a minor in Multimedia and excited to see what his future has in hold!
p.s. bonus picture
2010 Colorado State Championship
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