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In Her Words HOW FIELD HOCKEY CHANGED MY LIFE

If you would have told my younger self that I would be a collegiate field hockey player, I would have laughed. I was a soccer girl since I was three years old and was set on pursuing that sport.

I picked up field hockey in middle school because a friend suggested I give it a shot. I learned how to play on a sad, rutted grass field still wearing my soccer cleats. Little did I know that this sport would become my passion and would mold me into the woman I am today.

The end of my field hockey career has enabled me to look at my experiences through a new lens: one of pure gratitude.

Thanks for all the laughs, the silly team bonding activities, pregame rituals, and the competitive playing atmosphere that pushed me to do better. Thank you for all the experiences that I hated at the time: Early morning conditionings, the late-night practices, extra sprints. The broken-down buses, the bruises and sprains. (I could have done without the concussions.) These experiences taught me adaptability, resilience, and patience.

Thank you for showing me what it feels like to succeed and hold a trophy proudly. Thank you for humbling me through tough losses, the painful reminders to never become complacent. Most of all, thank you for giving me a family. You surrounded me with the most caring, strong, intelligent women day in and day out. I am eternally thankful for this. I cannot fully express how lucky I have been to collect all these experiences and I am looking forward to seeing what amazing adventures my teammates, my sisters, experience in their lives.

And finally, thank you for showing me how strong I can be. In high school I underwent multiple lung surgeries and was told that I might never be able to play competitive sports again. It felt like a part of my identity was being taken away from me. My love of the game drove me to never give up, even when it felt physically impossible. It allowed me to see that I possessed the ability to overcome any obstacle placed in my path. It’s a lesson I learned over and over. It’s a lesson that applies to every aspect of my life.

My collegiate field hockey career has come to an end. I am looking forward to growing the game of field hockey in my surrounding communities by sharing my love of the sport. Because somewhere, right now, there’s a girl who doesn’t yet know she will grow to love the sport as much as I did.

To read more letters from the NCAA Woman of the Year Top 30 honorees:
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