This year the Weedsport Varsity Field Hockey team has 8 players playing new positions. Some of the girls have never played these new positions before this year, some are even new to the varsity team. They have faced some challenges this year on the field and off but have managed to get through it all. Even with many players in new positions, they managed to get a record of 13-2-1, and are the #1 seed in the Section III Class D Playoffs.

The Johnny Green recently sat down with senior co-captain, Bridget Hickey to ask some questions about the season and her experience playing field hockey.

Q. What do you enjoy most about field hockey?

A. “ I love that field hockey is a fast-paced game that never really stops. It’s interesting because even as a defensive back where it seems like you don’t get any action you always have to think and be on your toes. I like that it’s more mental than physical at times and that it’s a game of balancing between the two and finding the perfect rhythm.” This year Bridget was made team captain which is a big responsibility.

Q. What was her favorite part about being a captain?

A. “My favorite part about being a captain is inspiring others. I know it sounds cliche to say that we’re a family on and off the field but it’s true. I love having the responsibility of ensuring that we reach our full potential because there’s so much that we have as a whole and I want to go out with a bang my senior year.” Bridget is one of the many players playing in a new position. She went from playing wing her junior year to being a defensive back her senior year.

Q. What are her thoughts on her new position?

A. “I love playing defensive back because it allows me to think more than constantly running and having to worry about how to get the ball in the goal. I think about defense with a different attitude than offense because it’s my job to make sure that we don’t let the ball get anywhere near the goal. It can be stressful and fun at times but it’s fun to see how the game progresses and constantly having to adjust to what the offense is doing.”

Q. What is your opinion on how everyone else is doing in new positions?

A. “I think everyone is adapting well to their new positions because of how hard we work in practice. These girls are so willing to learn and better themselves, it’s truly amazing to see. We focus a lot on team bonding and working to become a big, well-oiled machine and I think that each of the girls are doing a great job at it. It’s starting to show on the field and it’s cool to see how far we’ve come as a whole.” With this many people playing different positions they are most likely to face some challenges. Bridget explained, “The most challenging part about adapting to a new position is changing your mindset about the game itself. I think of offense as fast-paced and aggressive, while the defense is more laid back and patient. Field hockey is a game of timing and adapting to the changes on the field and when you allow yourself to see the different perspectives of each position it’s easier to adapt.”

Q. If each player adapts and accepts their new position they might be a better fit there than where they previously played?

A. “I think each girl fits well in their new position because we’ve really started to get in our groove. Earlier in the season, we found it was easy to get the ball down the field, but hard to finish our shots. Now it seems like we’re a scoring machine. It’s important to recognize that each and every girl contributes to each and every goal and now that we’ve switched things up, it’s a lot easier for us to work as a team.”

It seems the field hockey team has done a great job working together this season and pulling through with many incredible wins. One that really stood out was the 2-1 win against Liverpool which is a Class A school. The regular season is coming to an end and sectionals are upon us.

Q. What are your predictions for sectionals?

A. “I don’t want to jinx anything, but I think sectionals will go really well for us. We’ve learned to truly work together and we have so much potential as a whole. We work so hard every day in practice and our record just goes to show how committed we are to working together to pull out the wins. We are now officially league champions which is good for us because it gives us a better chance of playing an easier game in the first round of sectionals, but we shouldn’t let that get to our heads. As long as we fight like we always have, I think we can go really far, and I’m excited to see what we can accomplish.” Bridget really did a great job of explaining how the team is doing and made a clear picture of how well the team is really doing. The team has really worked through all the challenges and can hopefully go far in the postseason.