Courtesy Photo

Senior Ellouise Sill plays at a field hockey game against Pembroke Hill. “Field hockey was great and I became really passionate about it, and our coaches are enthusiastic and encouraging which has made practices and games even more fun,” Sill said. “I loved playing field hockey because I was able to be a part of such a remarkable team, and I made new memories with the new people I grew closer with.”

Opening the fall season, head coach Amy Johnston and female student-athletes formed the first girls’ field hockey club team. Organized as a club team through KCFH, Kansas City Field Hockey, the 2024-2025 school year has welcomed the team.

The majority of the team is composed of seniors and a few underclassmen, with practices only twice a week and six games for the whole season. 

“I chose to do field hockey because it’s my senior year and I wanted to try something new and be more involved,” senior Mia Hendrix said.

According to Sill and senior Alexandra Andrade, the range between the girls has helped the upperclassmen and underclassmen to bond and build friendships with them.

Andrade and Sill expressed some of their favorite team memories so far being getting dinner or ice cream with teammates after practices. 

Although it is the school’s first field hockey team, junior Caitlin Loehr, Sill and Hendrix have expressed their ambitions for the fall season. 

“Some of my goals for this season is to push and support my teammates through uplifting words and actions so that everyone ends up having fun and nobody gets down on themselves,” Sill said. “I also want to dedicate hard work and effort into winning our games.”

According to the team, the club is filled with positivity that comes from the coaches and players who are encouraging and motivating. 

“I have played many different sports such as lacrosse, but field hockey definitely needs more control,” Loehr said.

According to Hendrix and Andrade, it has helped with their hand-eye coordination, handling their sticks and learning how to be aggressive in a contact sport. 

As many of the team members have never played before, Coaches Johnston and Jenny have supported the girls inside and outside of their training. 

“The coaches have been really helpful in helping all the new people who have never played before understand how the game works and improve quickly,” Loehr said. “The amount of running and technique reminds me of when I played lacrosse.”

According to Sill, coaches Johnston and Jenny have helped all of us learn this new sport by supporting us in learning basic skills and encouraging us to be aggressive, as well as doing our best, in scrimmages and practice. 

“My favorite part is the fact that it’s not a super serious sport, and it’s just a bunch of girls having fun and trying something new,” Hendrix said.