Julia Petry: Breaking barriers for Batavia lacrosse

BATAVIA, N.Y. (WHEC) — "It’s not, ‘Oh, Julia’s a girl on the team.’ It’s, Julia’s their teammate," said Batavia boys lacrosse head coach James Dillon.

That’s because Julia Petry isn’t just a name on the roster. She’s the captain of the team.

"Once I realized that I could be a leader and I could step up and be that person it definitely was a goal," Petry said.

Petry’s flourished in her role as captain. In fact, Dillon told me it didn’t take long at all for her to settle into a leadership role. She’s played lacrosse with the boys all her life and is looked at as any other teammate.

"Kind of in my face a little bit. Like pushing me to do better. Challenging me. Not to like the rude extent but making sure I’m in that leader position and making sure that I’m not just getting walked over," Petry said.

Petry has excelled as captain. Between being the first to practice, leading team stretches, and setting an example in practice drills, she comes prepared, ready to work, and look out for the other blue devils.

"Oh, I always have their back. If somebody’s saying something, I’ll be like, you got it, come on, get in their face too. You can do it. Or even just skill-wise, I support them as much as I can," Petry said.

"It’s just her nature. She wants to make sure kids are doing better regardless if they pick up a stick yesterday or have been playing as long as she has," Dillon said.

The Blue Devils can see it coming together. The team is still searching for win number one on the season, but Coach Dillon sees the progress that’s being made, and that starts with Julia Petry.