Noelia Ramirez is a sophomore criminology and sociology double major at Cabrini University. She is also one of the goalies on both Cabrini’s field hockey and women’s lacrosse team.
Ramirez grew up in Philadelphia, Pa., living with both her mother and her grandmother. Her mother and grandmother are originally from Venezuela, which makes Ramirez a first-generation Venezuelan-American.
Ramirez’s heritage has always been important to her, because it is important to her mother and her grandmother that she knows where her family came from and that she stays aware of all of the advantages she has had growing up in America.
Ramirez does not consider it a setback that she was raised by solely by women, but an advantage that made her who she is today.
“It shaped me to be strong and independent, to follow my dreams and to never give up when things get hard,” Ramirez said.
Growing up, Ramirez had a love for sports. Field hockey and lacrosse were not her first love though; basketball was.
At 3 years old, Ramirez picked up her first basketball. Soon after, she attended her first professional basketball game at the then First Union Center, now named the Wells Fargo Center, to see her favorite team, the Philadelphia 76ers play for the first time in her life.
“Ever since that game, my love for basketball only grew,” Ramirez said. “From that moment on, I could never put the ball down.”
Ramirez started playing when she was 5 years old. Growing up, if she was not playing the game, she was shooting around.
For a while, it seemed as if basketball was going to be Ramirez’s life. It was her passion growing up, at least until she got to high school.
When Ramirez started her freshman year at St. Hubert’s Catholic High School For Girls, she decided to try out for the field hockey team. She wanted to try something new. She thought that it would be fun and since it was not a fall sport, it did not conflict with basketball season.
Come winter time when Ramirez tried out for the basketball team, she did not make it. She was not as sad as her friends and family members thought she would be and that was because she had found a love for field hockey.
During her sophomore year season of field hockey, a friend of Ramirez’s convinced her to try out for the lacrosse team that spring and she made it.
“Being a part of many different teams, Noelia has learned to be responsible, dependable and, most importantly, she has learned how to follow through on her commitments until the end,” Dina Ramirez, Ramirez’s mother, said. “Playing sports has instilled a confidence in her that she has carried into both her academic and social life.”
Ramirez played four years of field hockey in high school, as well as three years of lacrosse. She ended up doing an overnight at Cabrini with another St. Hubert’s alumna as well as Cabrini field hockey alumna, Taylor Mack.
At her overnight, Ramirez fell in love with Cabrini’s campus and knew that she wanted to continue both her academic and athletic careers here.
Ramirez is playing both field hockey and lacrosse at Cabrini which are both coached by Jackie Neary.
“Noelia brings a contagious enthusiasm to our team,” Neary said. “She is always upbeat and loved by her coaches and teammates! She knows her role on the team and I count on her every day to be the best she can be and she always delivers!”
Ramirez’s teammates feel the same way. They can always lean on Noelia for support both on and off of the field, at practice or during a game, both in season and out of it. She is a team player all around and is well-respected by many.
“Noelia is a great team player,” said Brittney Morello, Ramirez’s field hockey teammate. “She’s always cheering everyone on and is constantly picking the team up when we’re down.”
Ramirez’s favorite parts about playing field hockey and lacrosse at Cabrini is that she feels as if she is a part of another family aside from her own. She knows that she can go to anyone on either team if she ever needed someone to lean on.
“Playing sports has always been a passion of mine and I think it always will be,” Ramirez said. “Field hockey and lacrosse are constantly encouraging me to do my best on and off of the field, and for that, I could not be more thankful.”
