Women of Midwestern Winners: Ella Mautz

Women of Midwestern Winners: Ella Mautz

Ella Mautz is a freshman at Kettle Moraine High School in Wisconsin and will be attending the Midwestern Winners showcase this summer. She has made a big impact already, scoring 26 goals and handing out 13 assists through the midpoint of her first varsity season. The talented freshman plays both attack and midfield and joined us to talk about her decision to attend the event and how she hopes it will help her become a better player in the future.

What are you most excited about for Midwestern Winners?

Ella Mautz: I am excited about the opportunity to work with Marquette Head Coach Meredith Black and the other great coaches that will be there. Having an opportunity to learn and be coached by them in competitive games was something I couldn’t pass up.

What do you hope to get out of your Midwestern Winners experience?

EM: I love lacrosse, and I am always looking for ways to get better. At Midwestern Winners, I hope to be challenged by the coaches and the players around me. I hope to leave the camp knowing that I worked hard, that I got better, and that I had fun playing the sport that I love. I also hope to make some new friends that I will continue to stay in touch with after the camp.

How do you think you’ve grown as a player in your first high school season?

EM: For my club teams, I primarily play at attack. However, in high school I have been playing as a 2-way midfielder. Being on both sides of the field has quickly helped me grow to become an all-around better player. Β Seeing the entire field, and working with both the offense and the defense, has made me closer with my entire team faster than I had expected. High school lacrosse has also helped me grow as a leader. In club, you are normally playing with teammates in your same graduation year, so it’s a bit easier to be viewed as a leader just by playing well at tournaments. In high school, becoming a team leader as one of the youngest players on the team has been a new experience for me. As the season has progressed, I think my teammates have gotten to know me as a person they can depend on, both on and off the field. We all have the same goals, and it has been a ton of fun so far!

What made you decide to want to play lacrosse collegiately?

EM: I started playing lacrosse in 4th grade, and since that time I have absolutely loved the sport. I seriously can’t get enough of it. I also love the places the sport has taken me, and the friends that I have made along the way. Playing lacrosse in college will continue to give me the opportunities to grow in the sport and make new relationships with coaches and teammates. After I am done playing lacrosse, I hope to become a coach. I have learned so much from my coaches, and they have made a great impact on my life. Β I want to keep that going.

Ella’s parents further discussed their decision to send Ella to Midwestern Winners and what they are hoping she gets out of the showcase.

How did you hear about Midwestern Winners and what ultimately made you decide to sign Ella up for the showcase?

We knew from previous experiences with our son that Trilogy hosted great events. We wereΒ  looking for additional opportunities for Ella to get exposure, and we were very happy to see this event being made possible so close to home. Being from the Milwaukee area, when we saw that Coach Black was leading this event along with so many other great schools, we knew Ella had to be there.

What are you hoping for your daughter to get out of the experience at the Midwestern Winners showcase?

We hope Ella learns something new about lacrosse, meets some great new people, and has a lot of fun at this event. We also hope that she establishes some connections with some of the coaches that will be there. It is never too early to start to make a positive impression on coaches. Camps like this give players an opportunity to work hard, hustle, and start to show coaches that they might be a good fit for their program someday.

What questions/advice do you have as your family goes through the recruiting process?

We are still early in the process, so we will take any advice other families will give us. The advice we always try to give is that hard work pays off. We have learned from Ella’s club lacrosse experience that players from non-traditional lacrosse areas like the Midwest still have great opportunities to be recruited. They need to work hard every day and take advantage of every opportunity they can find to play with, and against, the best players possible.

Thank you to the Mautz Family! We look forward to seeing Ella at Midwestern Winners and are excited to see what she does on the field!