As England and Great Britain goalie Dylan Whittington continues to prepare to make her mark on the world stage for the first time in her career at The World Games in Chengdu, China on Thursday, she been chatting to the British Lacrosse Instagram channel.
“For me personally, it's another step up and I'm excited for the challenge but as a team we're just doing kind of lots of trainings.
“I think there might be potential for a social gathering beforehand if Cece [Green] our social secretary can get that booked in.”
It’s no secret that the sixes version of lacrosse is very different from the traditional 10-a-side format, especially for those who stand between the pipes, something which Whittington has been relishing with Great Britain.
“The biggest difference I’ve found is if the ball goes wide in 10s and the other team is closer to the ball, they'll get it back. But in sixes, if you leave the ball, it's mine or ours. So being able to kind of balance between knowing when to go for a shot and not go for a shot, and whether you want to go for that tip and potentially get that save, or leave it and know that you're going to get the ball back, that's the biggest difference I've found.
“I mean, I've loved having more shots. It makes games much more exciting. Goalies can impact the game a lot more, which I really enjoy.”
Many athletes across all sports have a range of pre-game rituals and superstitions that help them get into the zone before playing and Whittington is no different.
“I love an energy drink,” Whittington said, “I think everyone on the team knows that. I probably drink the most out of anyone. So I have that.
“I also love to have a little dance in the changing room and a bit of a sing-along, and then, this is the weirdest thing, when I step onto the pitch each quarter, I have to tap my head three times and do a little breathing routine. And I do that before each quarter that I'm on, and that's just my little thing.”
Whittington and her Great Britain team begin their The World Games campaign at 7:30am (UK) on 7 August in Chengdu against hosts China in Group A.
For more information about the competition, click HERE.