Jordan Koning recently finished her basketball career at FHC, a sport she has played since 2nd grade. Now, as the end of her high school career looms closer, she also looks forward to finishing her days as a Ranger on the lacrosse turf.
However, this will not be a goodbye to the sport of lacrosse. While many athletes retire from their athletic careers in high school, Jordan is part of the 6% of athletes who go on to play college athletics. In the fall, she will head 30 minutes east to play for the GVSU Lakers.
The decision to play college sports wasn’t necessarily easy; Jordan also plays basketball, and she had to decide which of the two sports she wanted to pursue.
“I always loved playing both basketball and lacrosse, and it was hard for me to decide which one I wanted to play until freshman year lacrosse because it was a great experience being on varsity,” Jordan said. “I started to enjoy it more than basketball.”
Despite being ready to play in college, it’s still going to be tough leaving FHC lacrosse because of the team culture.
“I’m going to miss the lacrosse community and playing with my friends the most,” Jordan said. “I loved getting closer with all my teammates throughout the years, and it’s going to be hard to let that go.”
Koning has created quite a name for herself by becoming a stellar athlete both on the turf and on the court, earning many accolades, including all-conference honorable mention for basketball in her junior year, all-conference and all-state honorable mention for lacrosse in her junior year, and all-conference for basketball this year.
Her love for the game, however, and inspiration to start playing, can be attributed to her brother, Jake, another former standout Ranger athlete.
“[I started playing because] my older brother played both sports when he was young, so I kind of followed in his footsteps and ended up loving both,” Jordan said.
Many athletes have graduated from FHC with fantastic athletic abilities because of the culture that surrounds the school. Just like these athletes, FHC athletics have also played a crucial role in developing Koning’s abilities and readying her to take the next steps in her career.
“I think being a part of FHC sports has helped me learn a lot about myself, like how I react in certain situations and how I push through adversity,” Jordan said. “It has allowed me to create new friendships and become closer with lots of people who love the game just like I do.”
Speaking of athletics, Jordan just recently finished her last season on the basketball team as a co-captain and an all-conference-awarded player.
The past few seasons for the Rangers have certainly had their ups and downs, with the departure of two head coaches after the 2022 and 2024 seasons, but Koning has not let this affect her performance on the court or her relationship with the sport.
“I learned a lot about mental toughness [from basketball] and to keep pushing through even when things feel difficult or when you’re struggling,” Jordan said.
This past season was another tough one, with a new coach and conference, but Koning was able to cherish her senior season and reflect on her career. One moment out of all the rest sticks out specifically for her.
“My favorite memory is junior year when we played Jenison because I shot very well that game,” Jordan said. “I remember the energy was very high, and my teammates were cheering super loudly for me.”
Looking back at lacrosse, which officially started on Monday, Jordan is also reflecting on the three years she has already played while getting ready for her fourth and final season.
“My favorite memory is when we beat Spring Lake last year in the playoffs because we knew we were the underdogs, and it felt really good to finally beat them and celebrate afterward,” Koning said.
The sport that Jordan has played for almost 11 years has certainly proved to be more than just that. It has served as another form of education compared to the textbook stuff that is learned in a regular school setting.
“I learned that even though you might be down in a game or you’re underestimating yourself, you should keep pushing and always go 100% because you can always come back,” Jordan said.
Lacrosse has also served as an outlet for Koning. It’s become a place where she can not only play the sport that she loves and excels at, but also has become a place where she can bond with her teammates.
This is part of what factors into what Koning likes about the game.
“My favorite part is the pace of the game and how fast it can be,” Jordan said. “I love setting up offenses and creating chances to score and celebrate with my team.”
Everything eventually comes to an end, however, and for Jordan, this could be on May 13th when the class of 2025 graduates or when the lacrosse season is over.
So, while Koning is looking forward to moving on to GVSU and becoming a part of a new family once she graduates from FHC, she’s also going to remember her old one and leave them with a lasting message.
“My advice would be to always have a good attitude and to keep pushing yourself because you can always get better,” Jordan said.
