School has begun and so has field hockey! There are many factors that go into a high school team so it is always difficult to predict what will happen in the high school field hockey season. Will there be an amazing freshman talent that enters a team? Is there a new coach? Will there be a change of schedule? How will players react to a rule change? There is one thing that is for certain, and that is it will be worth watching.
The Washington Post released their Top 10 placing Spalding as the top dog, followed by Severna Park and St.Stephen’s/St. Agnes. Also making the list was Wootton High School (No. 7). Last season Wootton High School beat Bethesda-Chevy Chase in the Regional Championship before they fell to Severna Park in the 4A State Championship. This year the 4A State Championship runner-ups will have to adjust to a new coaching staff. The defending Washington Catholic Athletic Conference champs, St. John’s College High School, was tabbed as a team “on the bubble” after their 14-2 and championship season.
At Koa we are proud of all of our athletes. This August marked many athletes first high school tryout, every club Koa player that tried out for their high school team made it, and some even impressed their coaches so much that they made Varsity their freshman year!
Freshman at Bethesda-Chevy Chase, Kate Lee, plays on Koa’s U14 Elite team. She claims that Koa helped her prepare for her first preseason by getting her in great shape and teaching her skills such as jabbing and channeling. Kate will be playing on JV this season and we expect her to have a stellar high school career.
Rosie Kelly and Lillian Kistner both made the Varsity roster as freshman at St. John’s College High School. Lillian, a U16 athlete, credits her club experience at Koa for her accomplishment in making Varsity, “if I didn’t played on the Koa club team I most likely would not have made varsity in freshman year”. She said her favorite part about being involved with Koa is that she learned that the effort you put in will reflect in your success.
Robyn Peterson, U14 White, tried out for Churchill, another team who made a playoff appearance last season, and made Varsity as well! “Koa was the main reason I succeeded in my tryout” says Robyn, “They have so many different training sessions to help players grow, including camps and weekly clinics, no matter the circumstances, Koa coaches will always make sure a player fully understands a skill they are having difficulty with”.
Malika Buscaino returns to Varsity as a sophomore this season at Northwood High School. The first time Malika participated in field hockey was when she joined Koa almost five years ago! Malika has been through clinics, camps, Rec League, and club at Koa and says that almost everything she knows about field hockey she learned from Koa. “Because of Koa I was able to use the skills I learned at my high school practices and games, I am also able to lead by example and girls on my team will ask for my help”. Malika is looking forward to her high school season and to joining the U19 development team with Koa.
Emily Kramer is a Varsity player at Quince Orchard and is entering her Junior year. Last year was her first year with Koa and played on the U16 Elite team. She is very appreciative of the coaches she’s had at Koa mentioning that her coaches helped her transform from “a more individual player into team player” adding that they always make practices exciting and enjoys that they are always willing to work one on one with the athletes. Emily announces that she has her sights set on helping her team succeed and hopefully reach the state play-offs.
For the Washington Post’s rankings click here.
