During a 10-day stretch of nice weather in Berkeley earlier this month, it was commonplace to see the Cal lacrosse team gathered in a circle in the middle of California Memorial Stadium talking for extended periods of time.
There was something special about that circle.

It came about after head coach Jennifer Wong asked every player to share something about herself to the entire team that explained why they are who they are. Players did not have any specific instructions other than being asked to keep their sessions to 2-5 minutes each. In the long run, they were not held to that short time window, and the benefits figure to be immeasurable.

"We learned so much about each other on a deeper level and really got to understand why someone is the way they are, why someone might process a certain way, why someone is more independent, why someone is more chatty, more smiley, or not," senior midfielder Annette Ciupek said. "It was a very judgment free and open zone where you could share anything. It was a safe space for our team to really get closer and understand each other on a deeper level, which will undeniably translate to the field."

"It ended up taking a lot of time to get through everyone," Wong added. "But the process helped emphasize how each person's unique qualities and experiences contribute to making our team stronger. That understanding brought us closer together and will translate onto the field, keeping us aligned and moving forward as one."

A change in the NCAA women's lacrosse calendar that now allows teams to begin official practice on the second Saturday in January – a week earlier than in previous seasons – allowed the Golden Bears to add much more than the circle of trust into their preseason schedule that more closely resembled an abridged version of what football training camps look like each August with team meetings, lifts, film sessions, meals and much more.

"We were really able to dive right in," Wong said. "For about 10 days, all of their thoughts were on what we are doing as a lacrosse program with no other distractions. During the 10-day period, compared to previous seasons we probably made about three weeks of progress. The on-field progress was certainly important but the connection that we had was unlike any other."

"We were definitely super lucky to be able to have all this time without anything else to focus on other than lacrosse and each other," Ciupek added. "It sounds a bit daunting and intimidating to have it be nothing but lacrosse all day, but it's not like we were playing lacrosse for seven hours straight. We played lacrosse in the mornings, and then the coaches did an incredible job of using the other half of the day to focus on team bonding in the most meaningful way."

For the first few days it was all day and all night together as freshmen lived with upperclassman until they could get back in their residence halls. That also turned out to be a great team-bonding experience.

"It was really cool because usually you step on the field and do your work, and then there's sort of like a division where you go do your own thing as a student," said freshman midfielder Grace Kerr, who along with fellow rookies Katie McMullen and Lulu Murphy crashed at the home of veterans Chloe Rand and Audrey Crafts. "When you go back to your teammates' homes, you just learn so much more about them and the perspective that they offer."

Now that the spring semester has begun and the Bears are back to a regular schedule, it is time to apply what they learned in training camp to the upcoming season.

"We accomplished a lot of what we needed to during training camp," Wong said. "By the end of the week, we knew exactly who we are and what we're working toward. Everyone was on the same page, which was our main goal for camp. We've set our goals for the season, and we're excited about the success ahead while also being ready to overcome any challenges we face. This is a group that's prepared for whatever comes our way."

The first test is in less than two weeks when the Bears open their 2026 campaign at San Diego State on Feb. 6. The team will host Florida State in its home and ACC opener on Feb. 13.