By JACOB WEEKS/Special to the Sentinel
LINWOOD – Samantha Rothman, 17, is quick on the field and faster in life. She is always looking toward the future.
The Mainland Regional High School senior is ahead of the curve. Rothman is taking both high school- and college-level courses. “I am taking classes right now at ACCC (Atlantic Cape Community College) and after the summer I will be two semesters ahead of my peers,” she said. While she waits to finally graduate, Rothman is training prior to her fourth and final season as a varsity lacrosse player for the Mustangs.
“I have been playing lacrosse since I was 8 years old,” Rothman said. “My biggest influence was my mom.” Rothman holds a lot of respect for her whole family, but she credits her mother specifically for her constant and consistent support. “She loved coming to watch me play. It [still] motivates me to play hard and make her proud.”
There is no doubt that her mother has been more than happy with how her daughter has chosen to assert herself on and off the field. Rothman plans to take her athletic and academic skills to Bloomsburg University for the 2021 fall semester. She reflected on the beloved program she will sadly be leaving behind for her new experiences at college. “I have been playing on the varsity team since [my] freshman year. I have always loved the team feeling.” She also mentions the important sense of family the team holds. “I feel like I have 40 sisters that all like lacrosse,” she said.
As it is in her nature, Rothman is peeking even further into her later goals. When she is not on the field or logged into the online classroom, Rothman exercises with a personal trainer at 220 Second to None, located in Absecon. After conditioning with Ty Rzemyk, a Mainland alumnus himself, for quite some time now, Rothman has developed her own passion for physical training as well as therapy. “The rehabilitation of the body has always been something I knew a lot about, so I figured it would be suitable,” she said. Rothman hopes that after finally completing her academic studies at either Stockon University or Rutgers University, she can one day open her own practice.
“I hope to work with high school and college athletes,” she said. Whatever the future holds, it is a good bet Rothman will be well prepared for it.