Born with one hand, Park of Cottage Grove's Hollen Thompson defies limits in lacrosse

Park of Cottage Grove senior Hollen Thompson gravitated toward the lacrosse field from the first moment she watched her older brother play the sport.

Born without the lower half of her left arm, Thompson never shied away from trying different sports. In sixth grade, she told her parents she wanted to join a youth lacrosse program in Cottage Grove.

"It was always, 'You can do it, you just might have to do it differently,' " said her mother, Kari Thompson. "It was never a crutch for her. It was a gift."

Thompson's mother placed a few calls. First, she spoke with the head of Cottage Grove Youth Lacrosse, who connected her with Park girls lacrosse coach Scott Leonard. Eventually, Hollen picked up her first stick at 11 years old.

"She adapted well and figured it out because that's who Hollen is," Kari Thompson said. "Hollen is extremely determined and persevering. Nothing is an obstacle to her."

For Hollen and her youth coaches, the initial learning curve was steep. Through trial and error and dedication to her newfound craft, Thompson sharpened the fundamentals of throwing, catching and cradling with just one hand.

Patience was essential during the early stages.

"With coaches, it was new for them to ever see someone play lacrosse with one arm," Hollen said. "They were willing to figure it out [with me] and find work-arounds in different drills."

Last season, Thompson transitioned from midfield to defense during her first year on the Park varsity squad. Now, she is a key contributor to one of the state's stingiest defensive units, with the Wolfpack surrendering only 3.2 goals per game. Park is undefeated at 10-0.

Josie Leonard, a senior attacker for Park, said Thompson's elite lacrosse IQ facilitated an almost seamless position shift.

"She just embraces being herself," Leonard said. "She doesn't have any doubt."

Six years after Thompson first fell in love with the sport, she will soon actualize her dream of playing collegiately at Division III Edgewood College in Madison, Wis. For now, Thompson's sights remain set on helping the Wolfpack contend for a state title.

Developing comfort with both sides

Kari Thompson said her daughter's partial left arm is a "gift from God." She has watched her daughter confront challenges head-on — in the classroom, on the field and throughout Hollen's laundry list of extracurricular activities.

She said that when her daughter joins a new team, there's always an adjustment period for her teammates. Sometimes, it's almost subconscious.

"Every athlete has to prove themself," Kari Thompson said, "but she has to prove herself extra because there's just always a hesitation by everyone at first."

Thompson captained the Park cross-country squad and has participated in National Honor Society, Student Council, Key Club, the math team and various volunteer activities.

When she began playing lacrosse, Thompson looked to avoid using her left side. But as her confidence and comfort on the field grew, so did her ability to use her left arm.

"I just had to do a lot of skill work on my left side, especially not having the control other people do," Thompson said. "I rely a lot on the strength of my right hand doing a lot of the movement and then using my left arm as a balancer for it."

With slight tweaks and adaptations to her grip, Thompson can confidently handle her stick and throw down decisive checks on either side.

"She makes it look natural," Leonard said. "If you were a fan in the stands and she's on the far side of the field defending on the 8-meter, you probably wouldn't even notice. She's truly amazing with the stuff she does."

Finding a collegiate fit

Since a young age, Thompson has attended and worked at various camps and events through Shriners Children's. Thompson said her time with Shriners has been "life-changing."

"They're always willing to ask if I need any help with lacrosse, and they've offered me so many camps and opportunities to meet other people," she said. "It's helped me gain confidence in being who I am."

Thompson said meeting other athletes with disabilities is an especially inspiring experience, and she has connected with several young lacrosse players who are also missing limbs. This includes Ruby DePalma, a junior attacker for Division II Seton Hill in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, who was also born with one arm.

"Seeing people older than you do what you want to do definitely gives a big encouragement," Thompson said. "If they can do it, I can do it because of how hard I work."

When a college coach approached Thompson at a club showcase and handed her their card, the young defender realized her goal of playing collegiately wasn't out of the question.

When considering schools, Thompson heavily weighed her future career goal of directing camps like those she attended through Shriners.

"She wants to run camps for kids who are in wheelchairs or missing limbs — the type of camps that she's had so she can invest in students and let them know they can overcome anything," Kari Thompson said.

Thompson and her parents discovered the Child Life program at Edgewood, as well as the school's accelerated master's program. After she was admitted to the school, Thompson reached out to the varsity lacrosse coach.

"The coaches just showed how much they cared for all their players when [I] met them," Thompson said. "All the players are super great people. They made me feel welcomed on their team."

An ever-growing love for the game

While she aspires to inspire the next generation, Thompson has already developed an uncanny knack for leadership.

In the fall, Park cross-country coach Brad Narveson watched Thompson take extra effort to make all team members from grades 7-12 feel like integral parts of a cohesive unit.

"You're not surprised by anything she does anymore," Narveson said. "She's amazing. She's earned everything she's gotten just by being the person she is and how hard she works."

This spring, Thompson has helped three varsity newcomers blossom into defensive starters for the Wolfpack. Her efforts have paid major dividends, with Park soaring to the No. 9 ranking in the most recent MSHSL coaches poll.

Thompson said she appreciates that her teammates and coaches don't treat her any differently on the field. But Thompson hopes her story encourages young athletes with disabilities to pick up a stick and play the game she's poured countless hours into.

"Lacrosse is a sport I've just continued to love," Thompson said. "I've never had this much passion, and it's continuing to grow as I'm getting older. Back when I first started, I wouldn't even go to my left side. Now, I just want to continue growing."