Ready to Play!

Stephen Kelly ’09 grew up around sports. Both of his parents were college athletes, and Stephen and his siblings could frequently be found doing something active, from playing in organized rec leagues to backyard pick-up games. At Calvert, Stephen tried a bit of everything, including playing football, basketball, and lacrosse during his Eighth Grade year. Later, he continued as a three-season athlete during his first two years at Calvert Hall High School. 

During his junior and senior years, he pivoted to focus on lacrosse and football, including playing in the annual Turkey Bowl game between Calvert Hall and Loyola Blakefield. Stephen and his teammates won every Turkey Bowl during his four years on the field, and his brother, JK Kelly ’18, later played for Calvert Hall in the 100th Turkey Bowl.

“Whether we were having a great season or not, there was always that final opportunity to work toward something special,” Stephen shared.

While attending the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Stephen went on to play Division I lacrosse alongside brother Frankie Kelly ’06 and two cousins. After years of hard work, the Tar Heels won the national championship in 2016. In 2017, the Chesapeake Bayhawks of Major League Lacrosse drafted Stephen out of college. He spent two years learning what it meant to play at a professional level before joining the Professional Lacrosse League in late 2018, when he had the unique opportunity to get in on the ground floor of this new league. Stephen spent three seasons with the Archers and two seasons with the Cannons before retiring in December 2023.

"Playing professional lacrosse was the gravy on top of my career," he said.

His advice for young athletes is to play as many sports as possible and avoid specializing too early. Most importantly, Stephen advises, “have fun!”

“I can guarantee sports will instill values that will serve you for life,” he said.

Julia Dorsey ’15 began playing soccer at four years old, mostly because her older sister, Anna Dorsey ’12, played. By age six, she added lacrosse to the mix, and from there, her calendar filled quickly with sports year-round: soccer in the fall, basketball in the winter, lacrosse in the spring, swim team and tennis in the summer. Julia’s commitment grew during her middle school years at Calvert, where she played soccer, basketball, and lacrosse and began to pursue club-level athletics. She spent many evenings in the car traveling to practice, often using that time to study or complete homework. 

Like Stephen, she attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, choosing the school because it offered powerhouse soccer and lacrosse teams. At UNC, Julia became the sixth female athlete to play both lacrosse and soccer for the university. 

Despite tearing her ACL during the latter part of  her collegiate career, Julia remained a visible and vocal leader, like the many coaches who always cheered for her. 

“Leadership is more about what you do than what you say,” Julia said. “Even when I wasn’t playing, I was still galvanizing the team. Everyone should feel like someone is cheering for them.”

At UNC, Julia won a national championship in lacrosse, was a two-time NCAA finalist in soccer, and won multiple ACC titles in both sports. In 2024, Julia was drafted by the North Carolina Courage of the National Women’s Soccer League.

“It was a total dream come true,” Julia shared. “I didn’t even know that was a realistic goal for me. Getting that call was surreal.” 

After her rookie year with the Courage, Julia spent last season on loan to the Dallas Trinity, where she earned her first professional minutes and played against Barcelona at the Cotton Bowl.

“Follow your passion and enjoy the stage you’re in at the moment. Sports are supposed to be fun when you’re young,” Julia said. “There’s a time and place to take them seriously in college and beyond, but don’t rush that. Foster your passion.”

Ella Cooper ’20 and her sisters, Elena ’21 and Elise ’21, now devote their time solely to track and field, but that was not always the case. From soccer and basketball to lacrosse and ballet, the Cooper sisters tried it all, including several sports at Calvert, but track and field offered something unique. 

“Track was a community for us,” Ella shared. “It was our only summer sport, so it’s what we did when we weren’t in school.”

From seven and eight years old, Ella, Elena, and Elise trained with the Owings Mills Track Club. Ten years later, they credit their teammates and coaches with giving them the foundation to take their talents to the next level. 

“You have to see beyond yourself and your own individual events and focus on achieving success for the team,” Ella shared. 

“I think people underestimate how being on a team helps you in track,” Elise added.

Teammates and training partners for nearly a decade, the Cooper sisters are now running on their own paths at the collegiate level. Ella completed her first year at Harvard University, where she is a sprinter. An accomplished jumper, Elena will be a freshman at Stanford University in the fall. Elise is also a sprinter and will attend the University of Texas at Austin.

Elise is excited to be part of a Texas program where stars like gold medalist Julien Alfred came before her. She got a taste of the Olympic experience herself when she competed in the U.S. Olympic trials in June 2024. The only high-school runner to qualify for the women’s 200-meter, Elise made it to the semifinal round. Earlier this year, Elise became the first high school athlete to sign a Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deal with athletic brand Puma.

Along with their parents, the girls have always held the bar high for one another. While each is individually motivated, their years training together made them the competitors they are today.

“I would not be where I am today without my sisters,” Ella said. 

Much like the Coopers, Alastair Cho ’15, is a competitor. A gifted squash player, Alastair recognizes the benefits of exposure to a variety of sports. He has played “pretty much everything,” and first tried squash after seeing his dad play. By the time he got to McDonogh School, Alastair had developed his game and found increasing success during his sophomore and junior years. 

As a senior, he was named team captain and drew interest from college programs. He ultimately chose Princeton University, where he joined one of the most competitive squash teams in the country.

His older teammates inspired and supported him as he acclimated to playing at the college level, but then COVID hit. Alastair took a gap year, returned to Baltimore, and coached squash at Meadow Mill, where he gained a new perspective. Ultimately, this experience, as well as his time playing for Calvert’s Middle School, helped Alastair to understand that he possessed a unique skill set. He had valuable experience working with players both younger and older with a range of experience. 

“Being understanding and empathetic of others is important for a team to be successful,” Alastair shared.

When Alastair returned to Princeton, he worked his way up the ladder and was named team captain his senior year. That season, Princeton won the Ivy League title and placed third at nationals. 

Now a college graduate and a consultant with Bain & Co. in New York City, Alastair makes a conscious effort to keep squash in his life. He not only enjoys the competition, but he also appreciates the health benefits that come with playing regularly. 

In recent years, Alastair competed in tournaments hosted by U.S. Squash and twice represented the United States at the Korea National Sports Festival.

“I learned how to be understanding of others, how to communicate, and how to play for something bigger than yourself,” Alastair said. “I credit Coach Patrick Bedore for a lot of that. He gave me great squash and life advice.”

Not all Calvert athletes stay on the field. Some take the lessons they learned and build careers behind the scenes. Taylor Adams ’05 is a director for the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA), where she’s spent the past 12 years helping plan professional golf tournaments around the world. This role takes her everywhere, from site visits across the U.S. to upcoming tournaments in Korea.

Taylor did not consider herself a star athlete at Calvert, but she loved being part of a team and having opportunities to participate in different sports.

“For me, it was about being active, trying something new, and doing my best,” she said. 

At Calvert, she played field hockey and lacrosse. Later, she continued with lacrosse and joined the ice hockey team, coached by her dad, at Bryn Mawr School. After graduating from Wake Forest University in 2013  and exploring her career options, Taylor happened to meet someone who mentioned that the LPGA was hiring interns. Her LPGA career took her to Phoenix, then Carlsbad, before she eventually returned to the Baltimore area. 

In her current role, Taylor and her team plan tournaments in the U.S. and abroad. 

“The biggest lessons I learned from sports are about teamwork and communication,” she said. “That’s what I love most now. When we’re all rowing in the same direction toward a common objective, we are successful.” 

She notes that the first quality she considers when hiring new staff is how they will fit with the team.