Megan Douty Walks Away from USA Career with Memories for a Lifetime

Who doesn’t have a photo or message saved on their phone that means just a little bit more than all the others? 

For Megan Douty, her treasured file is a voice message from Ricky Fried, the head coach of the U.S. women’s national team when she was first trying out for the program. 

“I’ll remember that for the rest of my life,” Douty said. “I was just starting my training business with Alex Marino and I was driving to her gym. It was pouring rain and I was in my mom’s old car and it didn’t have Bluetooth. I remember getting a call from Ricky, but I didn’t answer it because I was scared of the rain, and I was just nervous to answer it while I was driving. He left me a voicemail and told me I made the team. I ran into that training session and told everyone I just made the U.S. team. I was so excited.” 

It was an early step on a national team career that lasted over a decade and included World Cup championships in 2017 and 2022 and a World Games championship in 2017 as well. She played with the U.S. team at the IWLCA President’s Cup in November 2024 under new head coach Acacia Walker Weinstein and was invited to training camp for the U.S. team this summer, but Douty has made the decision to step away from her international career. 

“It definitely was difficult,” Douty said. “I love the staff – I played with two of them (assistant coaches Kayla Treanor and Devon Wills) – and with Acacia I kind of wanted to experience their style of the U.S. system. It was definitely hard to say no, and it’s bittersweet. I loved every minute of my U.S. experience. I’m really grateful to all of the coaches that have come through the U.S. system for giving me the opportunity. 

“I’ve been playing with the U.S. system since 2014, so everything I’ve known has been working hard, training, doing all the extras, but my focus now has been on my club and training companies, All Lax Select and Goals Performance Academy, and coaching at Monmouth. I’m hoping to help the next generation achieve similar goals and be an inspiration for them.” 

Douty, a New Jersey native, was the IWLCA Defender of the Year in both her junior and senior years at Maryland and helped the Terps to national championships both of those seasons. She’s gone on to play in all four iterations of women’s professional lacrosse – the United Women’s Lacrosse League, the Women’s Professional Lacrosse League, Athletes Unlimited and most recently with the Women’s Lacrosse League, playing sixes during its Championship Series in February with the Maryland Charm. 

“She’s one of the best defenders to ever play the game,” said Cathy Reese, Douty’s head coach at Maryland. “She just continued to get better and better – and it’s really hard to be a defender in women’s lacrosse. She’s just really tough, consistent and disciplined.” 

“In my opinion, she’s one of the best 1v1 defenders ever,” said Fried. “She's kind of a quiet player, if that makes sense, meaning she doesn't get a lot of caused turnovers or doesn't throw a lot of checks, but her girl doesn't do a lot. To me she’s the epitome of a lockdown defender.” 

Douty’s on-field game hasn’t slipped. She was named to the Athletes Unlimited All-Defensive team last summer and she’s interested in seeing what comes next for the WLL in 2026. But the timing is right to sunset a U.S. career that has given her so much.

Her first tryout for the U.S. team was at Georgetown in the summer of 2014 and it left an impression. 

“I think I was rooming with Katrina Dowd and I was just in awe,” Douty said. “It was definitely intimidating. It was the hottest few days together and I think we had morning, afternoon and evening sessions. It was grueling, but in the grand scheme of things, it was just so much fun. I think that’s what so special about this sport and the people you’re surrounding yourself with. We enjoyed every single aspect, no matter how many runs were thrown at us – and that staff absolutely loved to throw runs at us. We embraced it. It made us better, made us stronger and I still have really great relationships from that group.” 

Douty was one of the younger players that eventually made the 2017 U.S. World Cup team, but she fit in right away. 

“She doesn't have an ego,” Fried said. “She's all about the team, so it was really easy. We had some really good leaders like Jenn Russell defensively who allowed people to be who they were. I think Meg appreciated that and respected the people that had come before.” 

Douty earned All-World honors at the 2017 World Cup in England and then helped the U.S. win the first gold medal in The World Games in Poland right after. She took on a leadership role with the 2022 U.S. team that repeated as world champions in Towson, Md., under Jenny Levy’s guidance. 

“It was unique because we were in the States and you have the ability to be with all of your family and not just those that could travel,” Douty said. “I even had my own club kids in attendance for the World Cup. That to me was so special because not only was I able to compete at the highest level, but they got to see it first-hand. There was a USA Instagram post recently with pictures of the World Cup in 22 and my girls were there in the front row cheering as all of us were running by the stadium. This is a memory for me, but also for them. They got to see the people that they look up to right there, so to me it was extra special just because it kind of like tied everything in.”

 

 

 

 

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Douty’s cheering section was nothing new. 

“Even at Maryland she had young girls there waiting to get her autograph,” Reese said. “They love and adore her. It’s just special to see her do what she loves.” 

Douty’s connecting with the younger players is not surprising to Fried. 

“She’s somebody that you like being around because she cares about other people,” Fried said. She doesn’t take herself too seriously and really gives back. I mean the whole club piece that she’s doing. I think she’s done a tremendous job growing that because she’s selfless and puts the kids first. It’s not all about her and I think that is really attractive to people that want to get better and be around people like her.” 

As much as she felt stepping away from the U.S. system was the right thing to do at this point in her life, it’s a chapter she’ll look back on fondly. 

“I've loved every every bit about playing, and it's emotional for sure now that I'm rethinking everything,” Douty said. “I'm just really proud to have represented the U.S. for this long.”