Elsa Anderson is a standout midfielder from the ADVNC North Bay and NDP 2026 teams committed to play at the University of California-Berkeley starting next Fall.
Elsa started playing lacrosse when she was just five years old. “My older brother, Boden, was playing lacrosse for All West (which became ADVNC North Bay),” she said. “Every time he came home he would always talk about how fun lacrosse was, and I got my parents to send me to the next All West camp along with him.”
Elsa (#11) with her ADVNC North Bay team in one of her first seasons with ADVNC.
Elsa loved lacrosse right away. “None of the other girls I knew back then played lacrosse, but I just loved it,” she said. “I also played basketball and soccer but lacrosse just felt so different and fun to me. I really enjoyed the community too and I’ve been lucky to have had so many really great coaches throughout my years playing lacrosse.”
“I remember Elsa’s first days putting on the goggles, picking up a stick to figure out how to simply move around and navigate the equipment,” said Sig Anderson, Elsa’s father. “She was a quick learner who was immediately drawn to the sport.”
“I’m from Pennsylvania and was a swimmer,” said Elsa’s mom, Kelly Anderson. “My husband, Sig, is a hockey player from Minnesota. Lacrosse has some similarities to hockey but, as parents, the sport felt very new to us. From the early days, both Boden and Elsa were so excited to play lacrosse, and that energy has continued to this day. It felt like a really positive collective experience and we found the community and team spirit were something both of the kids really responded well to.”
Elsa is a standout midfielder at Marin Academy.
Elsa soon started playing for the Riptide rec league team and then played for some other clubs around the Bay Area. She later played box lacrosse with Cali*Lax in their boys program. “It was really fun,” Elsa said. “It was obviously a little scary, cause I had these huge boys charging at me, but it was physical and challenging. It’s just a different game, and it helped me a lot with my stick skills and footwork. I liked having to work on playing in a very small area, compared to the outdoor game.”
When the ADVNC Girls Program started in 2021, Elsa signed up for tryouts and made the team.
“I love ADVNC,” Elsa said. “I’ve met so many of my good friends through it. All of my ADVNC coaches have been awesome. I’ve been coached by great coaches and the team community has always felt positive in all my years with the program.”
“Elsa and her ADVNC teammates have grown together both in their game skills and their camaraderie," Kelly Anderson said. “She’s had really supportive coaches throughout her time with ADVNC and it’s been rewarding to see her team come together. There are a lot of really good players in the 2026 class and I believe more girls from her team will continue to commit to great colleges. Every player has been supportive of each other through the recruiting years and are truly excited for each other to succeed.”
“She’s had a great experience with ADVNC, starting with coach Chuck (Henry) when she was younger and through her high school club summer training and tournaments with Cori, Flo and John,” said Sig Anderson. “The combination of teaching teamwork as well as individual success definitely helped bring the most out of Elsa’s game.”
Elsa after a game with Cali*Lax Box Lacrosse Program.
Elsa gives special credit to Coach Flo (Alicia Florin) and Coach John Finnegan from Oregon Pride who is her NDP Coach. “They both make going to practice so fun and they’ve helped me grow so much. They have always been there to reassure me and push me to be my best at practices, tournaments, and training camps. They were the ones who encouraged me to consider playing in college and told me that yes, I can do this.”
Elsa also credits her former ADVNC coach and current Marin Academy coach Cori Conner for being a thoughtful mentor and for helping her develop as a player. She also credits former Cal player Alex Robertson for helping her improve defensively and Joe Walters for helping her improve offensively, especially as a shooter.
The combination of this great coaching and her work ethic has resulted in Elsa developing into a two-way midfielder who rarely comes off the field.
Even with so much improvement happening, Elsa went into her recruiting summer, the Summer of 2024, still not sure where she stood with colleges. “Last summer, I would be at these tournaments with ADVNC and college coaches would come over to my coaches and ask about me,” Elsa said. “I didn’t think anything of it, because I wasn’t sure if I even wanted to play in college at that point. I didn't truly realize how important those tournaments were for college recruiting. But then my coaches kept giving me feedback they were getting about my play, and it started to sink in. I wasn’t really focused on particular schools, but as I got more interest from colleges, I started to realize I might really have strong options to play in college.”
Elsa playing with ADVNC at Sandstorm in January of 2025.
“Sig and I were not driving this process at all,” said Kelly Anderson. “It really came together organically based on Elsa’s lacrosse skills and outside interest. On trips to play back East, we realized Elsa was getting noticed by college teams. Coach Flo, Coach Finnegan, and Chris Rotelli (ADVNC Founder CEO) were all instrumental in helping us navigate and understand everything that was going on through Elsa’s process.”
“On September 1st, Cal was one of the schools that reached out to me,” Elsa said, “and I thought it was a cool surprise. Honestly, I hadn't looked into the school before because I just didn’t realize they were watching me, and I had really been focused on schools outside of California. When I talked to the Cal coaches and I got to know them and the culture of the program, it started to feel like it could be a great fit for me. I became really excited about the coaching, the team, and the opportunity to play in the ACC. I began to gravitate towards Cal, and I felt really good about committing there. Everyone is so nice, the school is excellent, and I’m super excited to be a part of the team.”
“We knew schools in the Midwest and back East were interested in Elsa, but when Cal came along, it was a very pleasant surprise. It took Elsa a bit of time to wrap her head around going to school so close to home, but Sig and I were really impressed by the coaches and the direction of the program, and we are thrilled to have her commit to a school where we can go see all her games.”
“It’s hard not to be incredibly excited about Cal, both academically and athletically,” said Sig Anderson. “And, with Cal now in the ACC, it will be fun to watch as their women’s lacrosse program plays some of the best competition in the country.”
With the recruiting process behind her, Elsa has this advice for young players who aspire to play collegiately. “You have to love playing lacrosse, and you have to just stick with it. I truly love playing. I commit to practicing every day and that has helped me so much with just wanting to get faster and stronger, and to continually improve. There will be hard days and times when you feel frustrated or you may want a break. I had those moments, but I would always remind myself - I love this sport and it’s an important part of my life, so I stuck with it. My perseverance has led me to where I am now and I am so grateful for how this has worked out.”