In the realm of collegiate sports, few individuals possess the courage to break conventions and carve their own path. Senior and varsity lacrosse player Karam Khurana will pursue his passion for the sport and challenge traditional sports pathways by opting to play club lacrosse at San Diego State University. 

This being his first year of playing lacrosse, Khurana said he never imagined himself finding so much love and skill for a new sport, much less committing to play it at the collegiate level. 

“One of my friends just said that we should play lacrosse since it’s our senior year and it’ll be fun,” Khurana said. “I never really played before until this year, so I was like ‘Why not?’ Senior year, I’ll just start something new and try it out. I grew to love this sport, and I started playing two weeks before the season started.”

Vastly different from intramural sports, college club sports are similar to varsity college leagues such as the NCAA teams, according to Khurana. However, club athletes come from more diverse community-based competitions rather than college-based and often include students who aim to push themselves by competing in a larger league, according to CollegeVine.

Traveling as a college athlete, meeting others with similar competitiveness and having the opportunity to play in a friendlier environment motivated Khurana to commit to playing for SDSU’s lacrosse club.

Khurana also competed as a varsity soccer player for three years at Portola High, which contributed to his decision to play lacrosse during his senior year. Khurana said his experience in another competitive, team-oriented sport helped him quickly adapt to the lacrosse environment and learn the skills required for his position as a defensive midfielder.

“When it comes to athleticism, soccer has definitely helped because if I stepped in the field not knowing anything about sports, it would be harder for me when it comes to footwork and agility,” Khurana said. “I think that my cradling skills have improved throughout the season, because when I first started, I didn’t know what I was doing at all, but having a good coach by my side and having a lot of teammates helping me day-in and day-out definitely worked.”

Despite Khurana’s short time on the lacrosse team, he quickly bonded with his teammates and achieved feats difficult even for more experienced lacrosse players. His personal connection with his teammates and leadership abilities created an environment where it was easy to try new things and make mistakes, according to Khurana.

“I think my proudest moment was when I got my first Yard Sale against University High earlier this year,” Khuram said. “It was a big milestone for me. Basically, a Yard Sale is when you check an opponent so hard that their stick falls out of their hands, and it’s like a big ‘woah’ moment. When I got my first one, it was like, dang I just did that.”

Khurana said he is looking forward to continue playing lacrosse at a high level and exploring the peak of his athleticism.

“I definitely think that traveling would be fun when I play for SDSU just because it’s a college sport,” Khurana said. “And the fact that I’m playing with one of my friends here will definitely make it more enjoyable.”