A journey across the pond and into her family heritage paid dividends for University of Detroit Mercy student-athlete Emily Beazley. Just a week after trying out for Team England, the women’s lacrosse sophomore received news that she earned a spot on the 2019-20 England women’s national team.
Beazley’s family has strong ties to England, with both of her brothers born and raised there. Her family moved from England to the United States just before Beazley was born in 1999. Almost all of her family resides in England, and she was able to visit some of her family members when she made the quick trip over there for tryouts.
Beazley, who holds dual citizenship between both countries, received a push to tryout from Detroit Mercy men’s lacrosse assistant coach Dwayne Hicks, who has coached Emily — along with her brothers, Josh and Matt — since she was 6 years old. Hicks played and coached professionally in England for several years and still has ties there.
“(Dwayne) reached out to me and said, ‘I think this would be a really great opportunity for you,’ ” Beazley said. “I got an email from the head coach of the England national team that said, ‘Hey, we want you to come and tryout in September for the England national team,’ and things just started rolling from then.”
Beazley flew across the ocean and went to the England national team tryouts from Sept. 6-8 at the University of Surrey, just south of London in the United Kingdom. She participated in several fitness tests before training with the other players trying out for the team, nearly all of them from England.
“It was kind of weird being the only American. I kind of felt like an outsider, but the girls were super welcoming right when we stepped on that field,” Beazley said. “It was kind of interesting to see working as a team and working with all of the girls and encouraging all of the girls and then at each other and competing for that spot to be on a national team.”
Beazley will make more trips across the Atlantic Ocean for training weekends with the England national team, along with preparing for the U23 championships in Poland next summer.
“It’s going to be an intense school year, but I’m really excited to see my family again, but also have the support of coach Megan, coach Dwayne as well as coach Trevor, who have all helped push me and wanting me to do this,” Beazley said. “I have this incredible opportunity and to have their support 100% has been something I’m so grateful for.”
Beazley played in 13 games in a defensive midfield position for the Titans as a freshman in 2019, scoring on her only shot of the season as well as totaling four ground balls and three caused turnovers. She was a US Lacrosse All-American as a senior at Hartland High School in Michigan and totaled 221 points during her high school career.
— Original story by Detroit Mercy Titan Athletics.