Windham’s Riley Beem is currently a junior playing for the lacrosse team at Franklin Pierce University in New Hampshire majoring in health science. She plans to apply to the school’s doctorate physical therapy program.
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| Franklin Pierce University junior and Windham High School graduate Riley Beem moves around a defender during a collegiate lacrosse game at Southern New Hampshire University in 2022. PHOTO BY JENN MULLIN |
“Lacrosse was such a positive experience for me at a young age because I didn’t feel as much pressure to go out on the field and perform to a certain level expected by coaches,” said Beem. “It was a learning experience for everyone involved. The more I was involved in lacrosse, the more the sport grew and evolved, which made me love the sport even more.”
She was fortunate to start on a full team of seniors at Franklin Pierce University. Unfortunately, three games into her freshman year, she dislocated her elbow, which took her out for the entire season. Beem had to learn to adapt and fulfill a role on a team despite not being able to play.
Returning for her sophomore year, she was excited to get back on the lacrosse field. In October 2022, she tore her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in a fall ball tournament. She was unable to play for her entire sophomore season and needed knee surgery and nine months of intense rehabilitation.
“Riley is a huge asset to our team,” said Sammi Gallant, her teammate and a Franklin Pierce University graduate student. “Her skills are high level, and it is shown in how she competes on the field. Even with her not being able to play the last two years, she has become a leader in this program. Everyone looks up to her and respects everything she has to say. She is always ... available for advice when anyone needs it. Riley is the epitome of a great teammate, and I am so excited to be on the field with her this year.”
Beem said she’s learned in her recovery process for her ACL that you have to take things one day at a time and celebrate the small victories; whether it was a few more degrees bending her knee or learning to run again. It was necessary to celebrate the small accomplishments because recovery takes longer than you want it to.
“Although being injured is something I would never wish on anyone, it taught me so much about myself as a person and a player,” said Beem. “I had to adapt and find ways to make valuable contributions to my team from the sideline.”
It was very important to her to still be able to contribute and have a positive impact on her team. Beem learned that being on the sideline helped to improve her game awareness and IQ. She provided her perspective to her team on what she saw from the sideline, giving advice and feedback about what could be fixed or improved on.
“I fortunately have been able to watch Riley play since her freshman year on campus,” said Franklin Pierce University interim head women’s lacrosse coach Caroline Lounsbury. “Her work ethic and competitiveness are both something that shows consistently every day she is on the field, and that energy is contagious to her teammates. Even while going through the recovery process for both injuries each year, she selflessly has shown up for her teammates from the sideline. She has been able to see the game from a different perspective ... this has tremendously helped not only her game, but her teammates as well.”
For Beem, being part of athletics at Windham taught her that nothing is handed to you. A strong work ethic and coachability allowed her to succeed on the field and in the classroom. She said something she learned from playing on different Windham teams was if you want something you’re going to have to work for it; that might mean putting in more outside time and energy than others.
Her advice to high school athletes who want to play collegiately is to believe in yourself and your capabilities. Start looking at schools and reaching out to coaches early because it’s better to have more options.
When not on the field, Beem’s spare time goes toward homework as her grades are very important to her. She also likes to relax with her friends, run, play basketball or pickleball. She also attends a lot of Franklin Pierce University sporting events. <
Returning for her sophomore year, she was excited to get back on the lacrosse field. In October 2022, she tore her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in a fall ball tournament. She was unable to play for her entire sophomore season and needed knee surgery and nine months of intense rehabilitation.
“Riley is a huge asset to our team,” said Sammi Gallant, her teammate and a Franklin Pierce University graduate student. “Her skills are high level, and it is shown in how she competes on the field. Even with her not being able to play the last two years, she has become a leader in this program. Everyone looks up to her and respects everything she has to say. She is always ... available for advice when anyone needs it. Riley is the epitome of a great teammate, and I am so excited to be on the field with her this year.”
Beem said she’s learned in her recovery process for her ACL that you have to take things one day at a time and celebrate the small victories; whether it was a few more degrees bending her knee or learning to run again. It was necessary to celebrate the small accomplishments because recovery takes longer than you want it to.
“Although being injured is something I would never wish on anyone, it taught me so much about myself as a person and a player,” said Beem. “I had to adapt and find ways to make valuable contributions to my team from the sideline.”
It was very important to her to still be able to contribute and have a positive impact on her team. Beem learned that being on the sideline helped to improve her game awareness and IQ. She provided her perspective to her team on what she saw from the sideline, giving advice and feedback about what could be fixed or improved on.
“I fortunately have been able to watch Riley play since her freshman year on campus,” said Franklin Pierce University interim head women’s lacrosse coach Caroline Lounsbury. “Her work ethic and competitiveness are both something that shows consistently every day she is on the field, and that energy is contagious to her teammates. Even while going through the recovery process for both injuries each year, she selflessly has shown up for her teammates from the sideline. She has been able to see the game from a different perspective ... this has tremendously helped not only her game, but her teammates as well.”
For Beem, being part of athletics at Windham taught her that nothing is handed to you. A strong work ethic and coachability allowed her to succeed on the field and in the classroom. She said something she learned from playing on different Windham teams was if you want something you’re going to have to work for it; that might mean putting in more outside time and energy than others.
Her advice to high school athletes who want to play collegiately is to believe in yourself and your capabilities. Start looking at schools and reaching out to coaches early because it’s better to have more options.
When not on the field, Beem’s spare time goes toward homework as her grades are very important to her. She also likes to relax with her friends, run, play basketball or pickleball. She also attends a lot of Franklin Pierce University sporting events. <
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