Amtahcha Talk: A Conversation Between WCLA Players of the Year

When it comes to top talent in the USA Lacrosse Women’s Collegiate Lacrosse Associates, no one produces better players than Georgia.

Since the introduction of the Amtahcha Award in 2012, the school has produced six WCLA National Players of the Year — including two of the last three.

Katelyn Sparks, the 2024 Amtahcha Award winner, works full-time at USA Lacrosse now as regional manager for the Southwest. Sparks interviewed her former teammate, 2025 and Amtahcha Award winner Kayleigh Page, on the benefits of the collegiate club experience.

KS: Why do you enjoy playing collegiate club lacrosse?

KP: Being able to do lacrosse and still having time to do other things is college has been so rewarding. Playing on a WCLA team requires a lot less time commitment than playing on a varsity team, allowing time for Greek life and other clubs, and still having time to focus on academics. You don’t feel like you are missing out. It’s so rewarding.

KS: How competitive is WCLA lacrosse?

KP: A lot of girls on these teams used to play D-I lacrosse, or could have played D-I lacrosse, and they are really talented. They all have their reasons for choosing to go to a school that either doesn’t have a varsity team or does have a varsity team, and they choose to play club lacrosse instead. Personally, I didn’t want to go to a school just because of lacrosse. I loved Georgia, and when I got accepted and found out they had a club lacrosse team, I was pretty happy because I wasn’t ready to give up lacrosse yet. It has worked out perfectly.

KS: Are you involved in your club’s leadership?

KP: Yes, I’m a team captain and I’m also the club’s vice-president for fundraising. At Georgia, we are a player-led team, so the captains basically run the practices and do a lot of the planning for the season, including game schedules and social events for the team.

KS: What are some of your favorite sites you have visited with Georgia’s team?

KP: My three favorites so far have been the tournaments we have played in Colorado, Arizona and our annual league tournament every April in Panama City Beach, Florida. That one is so much fun because we stay right on the beach with the whole team.

KS: Are there any matchups in 2026 that you are especially excited to play?

KP: I always love playing against Florida State. We usually meet them afterward and have a great time, wherever we are. I also love playing Boston College and Clemson because they are both big challenges for us, but that’s how we grow as a team. The competition in those games is high level.”

KS: Georgia has been in the national semifinals in each of your three seasons but hasn’t won the championship since 2016. What makes the national tournament so challenging?

KP: It’s the competitive level of all the teams there. There’s no room for error in that tournament [single-game elimination] environment format. If you mess up, you don’t get a second chance. It’s hard to get there, and sometimes it can get into your head, where we start overthinking and forget to just have fun. And when that happens, it takes us away from just playing our game.

KS: What’s it like to play in the WCLA National Championship?

KP: I always enjoy it. It’s typically our last hurrah for the season and comes after school is out for the year, so I get to travel to a different city with some of my best friends. You play a ton of games and you get tired, but you’re motivated by being national champions, so that’s what keeps you going. I’m hoping we make it into that top 16 and get another chance again this year.