Charlotte North Didn't Know What Lacrosse Was in 5th Grade

Every lacrosse player has to start somewhere. Charlotte North just happened to start later than we all might have thought.

One of the most decorated players in NCAA lacrosse history, North plays as if she was born with a stick in her hand. That couldn't be farther from the truth, as she revealed to former Barstool Sports CEO Erika Ayers Badan.

To all the sports parents, Charlotte North didn’t even know what lacrosse was in 5th grade pic.twitter.com/qsK0fz9luO

— Erika (@erika_) February 5, 2024

“You know, I didn’t know what lacrosse was when I was that age,” North said in response to a viewer question. “I was a big-time basketball player. But the thing that I knew about sports was that I loved it, and I had a passion for whatever it might have been within that certain sport. And when I found lacrosse, I quickly was lucky enough ... just encouraged to find what I love about it.”

North continued to address specifically what drew her in.

“There are very specific parts of the sport that I learned to love,” she said, “whether it was stick work, whether it was going to the wall, whether it was finding a teammate to have a pass with.”

It turned out pretty well for North, who transferred from Duke to Boston College after her sophomore year and went on to win two Tewaaraton Awards and the first-ever national championship in Boston College history. She owns the NCAA career goals record, a gold medal with the U.S. women’s national team and 63 goals across two professional seasons in Athletes Unlimited.

Not bad for what some might consider a late bloomer in the sport.