Diane Toth, more fondly known as “Lady Di” by her players, is the head coach of the field hockey team at Fieldston. With an extensive background, – twenty-two years coaching at Fieldston – she is very knowledgeable about the sport. Last winter, she recommended a summer showcase for me to participate in. The showcase she told me about was made for field hockey players who want to play at the collegiate level. Back then, summer field hockey was the furthest thing from my mind, so I gladly accepted the offer and signed up. Winter and Spring flew by, and in the blink of an eye it was finals week. I finished up my final projects and tests then jumped in the car with my parents. Four hours later we arrived at UMass Amherst, a division one college in Massachusetts. Besides the gorgeous sprawling grounds and views only Massachusetts can provide, there were also field hockey players wherever you looked. My heart rate skyrocketed, and as we signed in, I kept wondering what the heck I had gotten myself into.
After sign-ups, my mom and I met the head of the program. A woman named Ainslee was the coach as well as a former collegiate field hockey player. She loved the game and wanted to spread that love to all of us. I liked her immediately and she liked my firm handshake! After meeting Ainslee we went up to my dorm and unpacked. My parents and I kept laughing because it felt like we were moving me into college. I met my roommate, a girl named Lauren from Connecticut who was a big ball of energy; I knew immediately that she and I would become close. I hugged both my parents goodbye firmly and took a deep breath. The hard part was only beginning.
After unpacking Lauren and I headed to the recruiting seminar which took place in the athletic building lecture hall. As we walked into the building we were silent in awe as we took in the grand spectacle that is a division one athletic building. Once settled into our seats everyone began to take out the notebook and pen provided by the program. I took mine out not expecting to take many notes. I was very wrong. Throughout the two-hour-long lecture, I was scribbling furiously learning all sorts of tips about the college recruiting process. My goal since I’ve been a little kid has been to play in college, and after the lecture I began to think of all the possibilities my future could entail. I learned how and when to email a coach, what to look for in a school, what to do on a tour, how to make a recruitment video and so much more. It was simultaneously terrifying and exciting. After all the note-taking and listening I almost forgot that we had to play field hockey. After the lecture, we all headed down to the field just as the sun was setting.
I was laced up, covered in sunscreen and antsy to play. My field hockey career has been a short one. I started during my freshman year’s preseason. Played JV for a couple of weeks and moved up to Varsity towards the end of the season. In the winter I played for my club and competed in invitationals to nationals. In the spring I suffered an injury but would have played at a similar level. The point is, I thought I was prepared for any level. I was dead wrong and I knew it in the first few minutes of the game. These girls were quick, skillful, and had so much power. I did the best I could to make good passes and carry the ball as much as possible. It took some time to adjust. But during a water break, I looked around at all the girls filled with the same determination and competitiveness that I have, and realized I was having the time of my life. The sunset turned the sky into the most beautiful blue and pink I have ever seen. The lights came on and my team dominated the game. It was one hundred percent the highlight of my summer. I was far from the best there, but just being there competing with the other girls under those lights made me realize I knew I was doing something I really loved.
After the Friday night game, Lauren and I headed to dinner and back to our dorms. Too tired to do much, we fell asleep very quickly. Saturday morning was an early start. Up at 6:30 and breakfast at 7:00. After breakfast, we headed back to the lecture hall and had a Q&A session with college coaches. The colleges varied from big to small, division one to division three. Coaches answered questions about the process and what they like to see out of a recruit. Just as I had the night before, I was scribbling so many notes my hand could barely keep up.
After the coach’s Q&A it was time for more games. We played and, again, I felt myself being challenged by everyone. It was amazing to watch us all go from strangers to teammates in a matter of minutes. Suddenly, in the middle of one of our games a disaster struck. Our teammate Katie took a hard shot that deflected into another girl named Ellie’s mouth. Immediately we all knew it was bad. She started bleeding terribly and the trainer had to carry her off the field. My teammates and I were in utter shock. For the rest of the games in the morning, everyone played a bit more cautiously. When we got off the field, all anyone could talk about was Ellie’s mouth. We had to go to a Q&A with current student-athletes, but no one was really in the mood. The coaches didn’t care. Once in the lecture hall I quickly knew that I needed to pay attention. The girls looked young, only a couple of years older than me, and they shared such real experiences that made me believe that my dream was possible. They offered tips on managing schoolwork and talked about their recruiting process and favorite parts of the game.
After the Q&A it was back to the field for drills. These drills took place around 2:00 to 4:00 and it was hot. The kind of hot it can only be in late June. A couple of girls passed out and everyone was suffering from dehydration. At one station the coach was explaining a drill and my team kept asking questions. Probably fifteen questions were asked. Making a joke I said, “Quite the journalists we have here.” The coach, while laughing, looked at me and said, “That’s funny. I’m gonna use that one.”
She seemed laid-back, so I took the opportunity to make another joke, “I won’t copyright you.” At this one, she laughed out loud and said, “I’m gonna call you the journalist.” With that, we started the drill and as I was going she called out, “Go J Go!” I laughed to myself, loving the nickname. For the rest of the day she called me J and other coaches joined in — I wonder what they would all say if they knew I was writing this article now.
After drills, we had some time to relax before dinner. Lauren and I headed to the lounge where a couple of our teammates were. After surfing cable for a while I clicked a channel, and Mean Girls came on. Everyone immediately started screaming for me to keep it. Everyone quoted it the whole time and Lauren led a dance-along to the iconic talent show scene. I was having so much fun, and I know we all became much closer in that moment. After finishing the movie and dinner we headed to the field for night games. And finally, I scored my first goal! Saturday and Friday night were practically the same; Lauren and I could do nothing but say goodnight and fall asleep.
Sunday I woke up sad that it was my last day, I had gotten accustomed to living in my small box of a room. Sunday ended with more games — in which I scored again! I was highly satisfied because of how much I knew I had improved from Friday. It was time to go and as I said my goodbyes, I only had one thought in mind: I can’t wait to come back next year.
