Sarasota Athlete of the Week: Darling Bergstrom

Darling Bergstrom is a sophomore on the Cardinal Mooney High girls lacrosse team. Bergstrom had four goals and an assist March 15 in the Cougars' 14-7 home win against Bishop Verot. Cougars coach Brooke Eisenacher said Bergstrom has been stepping up all over the field this season. 

When did you start playing lacrosse?

I started when I was 7 years old. I lived in State College, Pennsylvania at the time. I was bored of playing T-ball, and my neighbors happened to have a lacrosse net. All my cousins played lacrosse so I knew about it. I started playing and loved it. But then I moved to just outside Charleston, South Carolina and they don't have much lacrosse there so I didn’t play in middle school. I moved here about a year ago and started playing again. This is my first year of high school lacrosse. 

What is the appeal to you?

I like that lacrosse is a team sport and you can grow with your teammates and become best friends, but you can also have personal goals and moments out there. 

What is your best skill?

I think I am really aggressive on drop controls and I know where to shoot when I am by the net.

What have you been working to improve?

I want to work on my spacing. When we’re moving the ball up to attack sometimes I look for the ball but then I realize, 'Oh wait, I'm not open.' I want to get my lacrosse IQ up. 

How tough was stepping back into lacrosse after not playing in middle school?

It wasn’t that tough. At first I was a little frustrated, but I’m a committed person. I played lot of wall ball and my brother (Duke Bergstrom), who is a really talented eighth-grader, practiced with me. That helped get me back to speed. 

What is your favorite lacrosse memory?

I joined True Lacrosse when I moved here about a year ago. In December we went to National Cup in Tampa and we made to the Final Four. We lost to IMG Academy, but we really came together as a team. 

What are your goals for this year?

I think as a team we want to win our first game in the district tournament. We still have a lot of work to do but we are coming together as a team and improving every game, and that's what we want. 

What is your favorite food?

My favorite food is cheeseburgers. I just get them with meat and cheese and lettuce. 

What is your favorite TV show?

My favorite show is definitely 'Friends.'

Which superpower would you pick?

I would pick invisibility so I could hide and still hear conversations. 

What is your favorite subject?

English. I like that there is usually not a true right answer. You get to support yourself and your answer. I am an opinionated person so I like doing that. 

What are your hobbies?

I love to surf and I read a lot of books. My favorite book is 'The Summer I Turned Pretty' by Jenny Han. I have read it probably 100 times. 

What is the best advice you have received?

Don't give up, just keep working. And don't worry about what others think. 

Finish this sentence: "Darling Bergstrom is …"

… Obnoxious. (Laughs.) I have a strong personality. I talk all the time. I don’t like silence.