As both the school year and FHS fall sports are in full swing, field hockey has grown from a small-time sport into a competitive one. After the previous year’s turnout, which left all the attending girls with a spot on the team, this summer’s practices and tryouts gathered more students than expected. The popularity of field hockey has spread. 

“I didn’t expect to see so many people, but even with the huge amount of girls trying out, most of us got in,” FHS sophomore and JV field hockey player Sofia Ortega said. 

Ortega attended the practices that took place over summer break, gaining her first experience as a field hockey player. During these summer practices, girls with all levels of experience came together to play field hockey and sharpen their skills before tryouts. 

With the summer program underway, this experience not only made the sport more accessible to a larger variety of players, it also allowed the girls to make memories and connect with each other.

“I got to meet some of the girls that are on the team and I was able to already build a community from there,” FHS freshman and JV field hockey player Sofia Rodriguez said. “I wanted to get really involved with high school as a freshman so I decided to try [field hockey].” 

With a complete team of players, some new and others returning, the girls were put into JV or varsity groups based on what coaches Wendy Amick and Jordan Serpe decided. The team soon learned to coordinate with one another.

“We work really well together. We know it’s in the beginning of the year, but we did learn how to communicate better with each other,” FHS freshman and JV field hockey player Isabella Mendiola said.

Over time, field hockey has become prominent and proven itself to be a fun and competitive sport. From practices to games, it can be a great way to build a community, stay active and gain P.E. credits for upcoming years. Many girls stuck it out to earn a spot in the team and they have started the season strong.