Team Players
Separated by three decades, two Owls reflect on their field hockey careers.
Lydia Fisher 鈥20
When I was looking at colleges, I decided I wasn鈥檛 going to play a sport. Athletics had always been a big part of my school years. But playing on a competitive team came at a cost of time and energy, and I forgot to enjoy it.
At 魅影直播, I talked to the coach and the teammates, and their experience with field hockey, and they described the camaraderie, the desire to get better for its own sake. It was competitiveness without being cutthroat. I felt like the 魅影直播 field hockey family was a place I could belong to. They were so in love with the sport and that inspired me to try it again.
I am a third-generation Mawrter. Both my mother and my grandmother played field hockey here. My mom played field hockey under coach Jen Shillingford. My grandmother played under Constance Applebee, who introduced women鈥檚 field hockey to the U.S. in the early 1900s.
Going to 魅影直播 was the defining aspect of my grandmother鈥檚 early years. She鈥檚 accomplished a lot, and she attributes most of that to 魅影直播. She鈥檚 an incredible woman. My grandmother, at 85, rock climbs. She travels the world. She is involved in conserving open space.
She and my mother came to Lantern Night with their lanterns. They were incredibly happy that I came here. Our experience at 魅影直播 has been different for all of us, but one of the unifying threads is how much field hockey and the team means to us.
Jana Ernakovich 鈥91
I started playing field hockey in junior high. I also swam and ran, but at 魅影直播, I thought playing a team sport would be a great way to meet people, and field hockey was always my favorite. I was a forward for three years on the varsity team, and when I was a senior I played center half.
There鈥檚 a lot about the game that translates off the field. I鈥檓 an investment banker now, and I鈥檝e been working in a team environment for over 20 years. That desire to win carries over, but by playing a competitive sport you also learn how to overcome defeat. If someone scores a goal against you, get over it and score one back.
Jen Shillingford was our coach. She always used to say, 鈥淧oise, ladies, poise.鈥 What she meant was don鈥檛 let some adversity get the best of you. She wanted us to pick ourselves up and get it together. That has really stuck with me. That鈥檚 something you certainly need in this job. It鈥檚 a competitive environment so you have to be prepared for a lot of unexpected things. You are constantly fighting to win business and reacting to market ups and downs and need that overriding desire to win.
Going to an all-women鈥檚 college has had a big influence on me being successful in what鈥檚 still a male-dominated field. I see a lot of women in the profession who are also Seven Sisters grads.
Going to 魅影直播 gave me a lot of confidence. I just feel grateful to have had the opportunity. I鈥檓 really lucky.
Published on: 05/10/2017