PLAYING DIVISION I FIELD HOCKEY: NOBODY SAID IT WOULD BE EASY...

You hear former athletes say it all the time… “I wish I could go back and play”.

 You listen to them reminisce, listen to the memories they made with their teammates and hear about all the grueling workouts and years of training that they endured. And while it’s just all a little too nostalgic for you, you think…”what’re you crazy”?

I remember my first couple years of college at The University of Michigan like it was yesterday. I specifically remember alumni coming back to visit and listening to them talk about wanting to get back on the track, or go to early morning weight lifting and conditioning workouts. They missed the 4 hour off season indoor practices…and I would quietly think to myself, “Are these girls nuts?! I’d do anything to be finished!”

Isn’t that the way it always seems…you know that old cliché saying…you just don’t know what you have until it’s gone…

I want to help change that. Maybe you’ll find a little inspiration from my words, maybe you won’t. But if I can get at least one young female athlete to change her mindset just a tad sooner than I had, I’ll be happy.

Whether you’re currently in college or still enjoying middle school and high school hockey it doesn’t matter. I still had the same dream to play Division I Field Hockey from the time I could understand what exactly Division I meant, up until I officially signed my letter of intent. It was my dream to go to a wonderful school and to compete at the highest collegiate level, and with some hard work, dedication and the right support group I was able to make that dream a reality.

Sure Division I may not be something you want and that’s okay! I want girls to find what works best for them from an athletic and educational standpoint. Girls should not feel pressured to go on to play at any particular level – whatever they want they should go after. I just so happened to chase after Division I.

It was not easy by any means but I have always said, what’s life without a challenge?! And a challenge it was!

I remember the adjustments I had to make (just like every other college athlete). I was 9 hours away from my family, learning how to be on my own, take care of myself and become independent. I remember having to create even more of a balance between school and hockey – college classes were no joke and I needed to maintain a certain GPA to remain eligible.

 You truly had to find a way to make it all work - your studies, your training and competing, along with your social life…hey, after all, I did want to experience college for all that it was meant to offer!

Don’t get me wrong, I loved my school from the second I walked onto campus for the very first time my junior year of high school. However my first and second year there weren’t the easiest. In fact I found myself miserable with school and even more so with field hockey. I dreaded going to practice, seeing the coaches, and was always paranoid with what was coming next. Workouts gave me anxiety (as if I hadn’t been prepared enough from my Eastern High School Field Hockey coach). It all just seemed like I was in slow motion, in fact it seemed like I was just going through the motions, trying to get from one day to the next.

I knew I wanted more for myself and that I needed to change my way of thinking.

My sophomore year offseason is when things started to look up. We actually had a coaching change and our team really came together that offseason and I had felt bonds that I had never experienced before. In college I really understood what being a team meant – these girls became my closest support system – we were living the exact experiences, struggling and fighting for a common goal day in and day out – there was no other choice but to hold onto one another – we had all needed each other more than ever and the second I finally realized that I began to see a change in myself.

The second I realized what hard work meant I saw a change. The second I understood what it meant to give more of myself, for a cause that was bigger than myself was when I saw a change. It was like something had snapped within me. I no longer viewed weight lifting, conditioning workouts, practices, and games like they were all one big chore. An early morning conditioning workout soon became a motivator, “let’s do this, let’s get after it and kill it”. Weight lifting sessions became my all time favorite as I constantly would increase my weights and continue to get stronger and stronger. Field hockey games were more like, “Ok, who am I gonna lay out today?”

It was like a complete transformation. Working my tail off with my teammates was fun! Yes I said it, it was freakin’ fun! And my Junior year when my teammates and I captured the Big Ten Conference and Tournament Championship we felt unbreakable. It was like hard work had never felt so good and it was addicting, a natural high.

My senior year I went on to lead my team and was selected co-captain. We clenched another Big Ten Championship and made our way to the Elite 8. Although our journey ended there, I was so proud of my girls, the girls that I fought with day in and day out. It wasn’t training, it was fighting – fighting to keep the dream alive, to striving and never, ever, giving up for what we wanted to accomplish.

My big take away from my college experience – I wish I found the mindset sooner. My saving came from my teammates – those that picked me up, slapped me around, gave me that tough love and said, hey it’s time to start living because this is all about to pass you by!

Whenever I look back on those 4 years I get pumped up. And here I am – the former athlete now telling you, I’d give anything to go back and do it all over again and to compete. Not because I have regrets, but because when I finally understood what it all meant, I had truly felt like I was living the dream – my dream, and it couldn’t have been a more rewarding feeling.

I take all of those lessons and experiences with me every day – and I encourage you to do so as well. Those lessons will stick with you for the rest of your life and they’ll make you better for it.

So my advice for you, if you’re chasing the Division I dream, or any dream for that matter – Get over it now! It’s going to be hard, it’s going to hurt. You will struggle and you may fail one or two or even three times – but that’s the beauty of the journey…getting back up and growing and learning and living!

Go into your college experience with the mindset that you can’t be broken, that every day is an opportunity – an opportunity for anything – growth – hardship – dependability – leadership – hard work – commitment – learning – experience – pleasure – fun! Realize now how satisfying it will be to give yourself to a cause bigger than yourself. Basically what that means – it’s not all about you anymore, and instead it’s about each individual bringing their own piece to the puzzle. It’s a collection of hard work, fighting spirit, ride or die attitudes from each individual, and putting it all together to battle for that common goal.  So stop going through the motions and start fighting for your dreams. Live the legacy that so many before you have worked hard to build and always think of ways that you can leave it behind for others. Remember if it was easy they wouldn’t call it life! Change your mind, get right and just get EXPLOSIVE!!

 

~Jess Allen