Even though Callie Kessler didn’t get to play her final season with the North Haven girls’ lacrosse team, the self-described sports fanatic still had a memorable senior year. It was a year that was highlighted by a viral video, a few hundred popsicles, and an appearance from Green Bay Packers’ quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

On Feb. 5, Callie posted a two-minute video of herself on Twitter after she had her tonsils removed. In the video, Callie is under anesthesia and eating a popsicle, crying about how much she loves the Rodgers and the Packers. Toward the end of the video, Callie, still crying, says, “I wish Aaron Rodgers would buy me 400 popsicles.”

Callie’s video was liked 7,300 times and retweeted by 1,600 people. The video was also seen by Rodgers and his girlfriend, former NASCAR driver Danica Patrick. Callie was interviewed by Entertainment Tonight, NBC Sports, and the New York Post, among others. After Callie had gone viral and proclaimed that she and Rodgers would be best friends, the Packers’ quarterback and Patrick sent her those 400 coveted popsicles (Otter Pops, for the record).

“I had a lot of phone calls and an interview with ESPN and iHeartRadio. It was really cool and kind of crazy,” Callie says. “It was pretty awesome. I’m going into communications, and I want to do something with sports. It was cool to see the background of how they put stories together. I was shocked. I just thought my friends would see it.”

After previously playing an offensive midfielder position, Callie suited up as one of the starting attackers throughout her career with the North Haven girls’ lacrosse squad. First-year Head Coach Bernie Pellegrino had worked with Callie for the past three seasons while he was an assistant with the Indians. Pellegrino says that Callie made a smooth transition to the attack and became one of the Indians’ best offensive weapons.

“Callie has become the prototypical attacker. She’s strong with the ball. She handles the stick well. She isn’t the biggest kid in the world, but she plays well around the net. She has a nose for the goal,” says Pellegrino. “Callie has a variety of shots and was a talented shooter. She was one of our leading scorers last year, and she would have been again this year. She has the mindset of an attack player—score at all costs.”

Callie started playing lacrosse in North Haven’s rec league when she was in 2nd grade. Callie also participated in swimming, ice hockey, and softball while growing up, but decided to solely focus on lacrosse in her sophomore year of high school.

Callie began to take lacrosse more seriously during her 6th-grade season. She realized how much the sport means to her and that it was the one she wanted to pursue in college.

“I started watching lacrosse on TV, and my mom would bring me to the Quinnipiac games. She signed me up for a camp at Quinnipiac, and I realized lacrosse was a sport I wanted to take further when I’m all grown up,” says Callie. “I had a friend invite me to try out for a club team, and I made it. We have been traveling ever since then.”

With the exception of one season that she missed due to an injury, Callie was a member of the Nor’easter Lacrosse program based in New Haven from 6th grade through her junior year. The Nor’easter program ends for athletes after their junior season, so they can focus on getting ready for college.

Callie was selected as one of North Haven’s captains alongside Erika Holle for her senior year. Callie says it was an honor to be named a captain and that she was working to make everyone on the team feel close heading into 2020. Callie’s teammates voted her as a captain, and Coach Pellegrino says that everyone in the program supported their decision.

“Callie is a one-on-one leader. You’re not going to see her yelling and screaming, but she has strong relationships with all of the girls,” Pellegrino says. “Callie has worked with the younger kids to make sure they feel comfortable in the program. Over the course of three years, the younger kids appreciate what Callie means to her. She deserved recognition in the program.”

Next year, Callie is going play lacrosse at the Division I level for the women’s team at St. Bonaventure in New York. As a communications major, Callie is still undecided on exactly what she wants to do in sports media, but has an interest in being behind the camera and setting up interviews. Callie says it means a lot that lacrosse has helped her become the person she is today.

“I was super quiet when I was little. Growing up doing sports, I always had to talk to people. Eventually, I got to the point where I was talking to players on the other team,” says Callie. “Lacrosse opened me up as a person and let me make connections with people I would have never met. It gives me an escape on the field. I’m not thinking about anything else but lacrosse when I’m on the field.”

Callie feels proud that she’s carried on her family’s tradition as an athlete. Callie’s mother Kathleen ran track in high school, her father Mark played baseball at Springfield College, and her brother Ryan was a hockey player. As she gets ready to continue her lacrosse career with an eye toward her professional career, Callie knows that sports will always be a huge part of her life.

“It’s kind of like all I’ve known. I don’t know any other type of life, but I love it. Even as a baby, my mom tells me I loved running around and watching my brother play,” Callie says. “Growing up and watching football and the Super Bowl, it brought me to make decisions about my life, like my major. It helped me pick my path in life. I can always talk sports. I know a lot about it. I even played Fantasy Football last year. It’s great going to all the high school football games. It’s a healthy environment for me.”