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Parkland’s Ella Bishara Gears Up for Second Year of College Lacrosse at Colgate University

by Matt Rothman December 24, 2023

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Parkland Star Ella Bishara Gets Set For Year 2 Playing Division I Lacrosse at Colgate

Ella Bishara. {Colgate Athletics}

By: Matt Rothman

Parkland’s own and local lacrosse star, Ella Bisahra, is set to play her second year at Colgate University.

She says college lacrosse has been a lot of fun but a major adjustment. She recalls one of her club coaches telling her that some of the most challenging practices she experienced in high school would be the easiest ones in college. Bishara says she could not agree more and enjoys being surrounded and challenged by her teammates and opponents.

“College lacrosse is not only faster-paced but also filled with highly talented athletes, making the competition much more intense,” Bishara said. “Each year, college coaches selectively pick the high school stand-outs from all over to join their program, putting the best of the best against one another.”

Bisharam, born on Long Island, moved to Parkland in 2006. She began playing lacrosse in second grade and competed for the Parkland Redhawks before joining her first club team called MadSkillz the following year. While playing all the different sports as a kid, Bishara transitioned to another club team called LaxManiax.

“Going into high school, I knew I needed to be on a club team with a coach who had experience with college recruitment, which is why I joined LaxManiax going into my Freshman year, Bishara added. “It’s an amazing program that prepared me so well for my college years.”

Bishara also played for Pine Crest and scored 156 goals, including 72 during her senior year. She also had 42 assists as a four-year starter and was named Athlete of the Year.

Ella Bishara. {Pine Crest Athletics}

While lacrosse has always been her passion, Bishara wanted to find a strong academic school. Despite not knowing much about Colgate, she began communicating with colleagues as a junior. However, with COVID, Bishara was limited to schools she could visit due to restrictions. Still, she made a road trip and felt like Colgate checked off all the boxes with excellent academics, Division I sports, seasons, an authentic college campus atmosphere, and a small size.

“I thrive in close-knit, interactive experiences, and knew that school size was an important factor in my decision, Bishara said. “I love how my biggest class at Colgate has 25 kids and that I have a personal connection with each of my professors.”

During her freshman year with Colgate, Bishara, majoring in Biology on the Pre-Medical track, played in 13 games and scored four goals, including winning her second game against Cornell. Biahara also found the back of the net against Binghamton University, Bucknell, and American while her team went 4-11. She is set to begin her sophomore season in February and says her primary goal is to work on time management to shine both in the classroom and on the field.

“Many people think that student-athletes just have the addition of practices and games, but there’s so much more that goes with it,” Bishara said. “The additional hours of lift, scout, and film, plays to memorize, and training room appointments for injury treatment/prevention are just some of the many examples.”

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Matt Rothman

Matt Rothman is a 2018 graduate from Florida Gulf Coast University receiving his bachelor’s degree in journalism and then graduated from the University of Florida as a graduate student. He also works for the Mohave Valley Daily News in Bullhead City, Arizona covering high school sports.