Over the summer, Allison Carter was named South’s new Varsity Field Hockey Head Coach, bringing with her a mindset that prioritizes effort over skill, she said.

Before coming to South, Carter taught math and coached field hockey at Westlake High School in southern  California. The field hockey community was limited at her old school, so she learned the importance of love for the game, Carter said. Without a team of experienced players, Carter learned to build the program from scratch, focusing on basic skills and fostering love for field hockey in her players, she said.

“I am excited to have a group of girls that have experience, and hopefully we can take advantage of that,” Carter said.

Carter plans to spend time working on the team’s skills and discipline this season, and she believes in having the team go all in with warm-ups and drills.

“The way we take care of the little things translate into how we can make our bigger goals happen,” Carter said.

The team has welcomed Carter with open arms, and her impact is seen across the whole program, Winnie Tomsheck, Assistant Varsity Field Hockey Coach, said.

“Although we are not very far into the season, you can see the impact Carter will leave,” Tomsheck said, “She is focused on growing the culture of the team and showing the girls the field hockey world. You can already see the growth and understanding in strategy.”

Carter has shown the team how focused she is on their efforts and how set she is on their goals, senior Ella Millman, Varsity Field Hockey player, said. Carter’s values reflect her dedication to the team, their chemistry, and their wins, Millman said.

“She has emphasized how she cares more about our effort than our skill level,” Millman said. “Her values,  her character, and her willingness to be our coach are what make her so special to the school’s field hockey community.”