Megan Kinna was one decision away from leaving lacrosse for good until her support system urged her to keep playing.

Kinna grew up in British Columbia, where her lacrosse journey started with playing box lacrosse. The only option for 4-year-old Kinna was to play on a boys’ team. She quickly learned physicality and developed a hard shot.

Canada slowly built up its field lacrosse youth system, including creating girls’ teams. Kinna made the switch just before she was a teenager. The adjustment period was met with frustration because she had to relearn fundamental skills to use with shallow pockets and different-sized sticks.

“It was a frustrating process because of the pocket and having nothing to work with,” Kinna said. “The sticks weren't very good back then, so I personally didn’t love the girls' side. It took a bit of a switch. I grew up with physicality, so not being able to hit or go in for a check meant I really had to tone everything down.”

The forward refused to make excuses for her struggles and embraced the creativity aspect of the new playing style. She transferred her powerful shot from box to the field, which made her a threat from long distance. While others used finesse tricks to score, Kinna relied on the strength she learned from the boys’ team to pick up ground balls and get transition goals.

The more she played, the more she realized a collegiate or professional pathway was attainable. Kinna’s recruiting process landed her at Northwestern, learning from Kelly Amonte Hiller. She played with the likes of Erin Coykendall and Izzy Scane, who both now play for New York Charging.

Kinna underwent even more adjustments since the American and Canadian styles of lacrosse have slight differences. Kinna was no stranger to tweaking her game. She adapted some of her skillset to match the Americans while staying true to herself.

“Everyone has their own little ways of doing things and cradling,” Kinna said. “Canadians play a little lower because of box lacrosse and cradle differently.”

Kinna felt she finally settled in, but then suffered mental health setbacks that affected her passion for lacrosse. It got to a point where she considered giving up the sport and prioritized ensuring her body was in the right condition. Kinna leaned on her family for guidance.

“At times I remember talking to my parents, and they pushed me to keep going,” Kinna said. “I’m super grateful for having my family. The moments where I’ve had mental health struggles, I just reminded myself to keep living.”

Kinna’s Northwestern teammates wrote her letters of strength and encouragement, which she still has today. She stuck with the game and rediscovered her passion for the sport.

She credits the lacrosse community for helping her, too, especially becoming a coach and role model to the next generation of athletes. Kinna didn’t have many female lacrosse role models to look up to, so she wants to give young girls someone to emulate.

“Lacrosse literally lifted me out of it,” Kinna said. “I was in a really low state. I thought I lost lacrosse forever, and that was the most heartbreaking thing.”

Now, Kinna will join the WLL All-Stars for their trip to Japan, which will be her second time playing there. Kinna participated in a tournament in Japan last fall, during which she faced Team Japan.

Reflecting on her journey, Kinna was always honest with herself. She believes having the opportunity to compete again is a privilege, which might not have been possible without her perseverance. Kinna believes it’s important to express both sides of life, too, even tough moments.

“It was a very isolating time,” Kinna said. “Being able to showcase that and be honest to show the real me, that’s what I’m about. Even professional athletes go through it. We’re all human and we’re all very similar.”