After a year of team adjustments to the change in head coaches for the Girls’ Varsity Field Hockey Team, Allison Carter, the new Varsity Field Hockey Coach, created a system of off-field traditions to connect the JV and varsity teams, she said.

With these new traditions, Carter aims to create an environment that helps unite the activities, morals, and work qualities of the JV and varsity teams. Some of the new traditions introduced this season are the formal-wear donation to the Titan Closet, JV breakfasts, and a big sister and little sister program where varsity players are paired with JV players, giving both players someone they can turn to and rely on, she said.

“I could tell right away what a special group of athletes we had,” Carter said. “My goal was to find ways to ensure that the team spirit stayed strong and continues to get passed down to future players.”

For sophomore Sloane Hardesty, Varsity Field Hockey player, the program has given her a new sense of responsibility in setting up an example for the younger players, she said. Although not an upperclassmen, the new program has encouraged Hardesty to take on a leadership role regardless of her age.

“I’ve really enjoyed being able to step up and fill those shoes as a varsity player,” Hardesty said. “It has been great being able to help out the younger girls, and take responsibility.”

The idea for these new traditions came from a noticed gap between the varsity and JV teams, senior Maeve Kennedy, Varsity Field Hockey Captain, said. Varsity had developed strong expectations with work ethic and teamwork skills, and the captains wanted those same values to become part of the entire program, she said.

“We realized we wanted the JV team to have similar quailities because we noticed that sometimes girls coming from JV to varsity didn’t have the same work ethic,” Kennedy said. “The point of a JV team is to prepare them for varsity.”

For junior Rikki Zappoli, JV Field Hockey player, the new traditions have created a stronger connection between the varsity and JV teams. Having a big sister has also given JV players someone they can turn to, Zappoli said.

“They gave us a breakfast surprise and made us feel like we were just noticed as people and that the varsity team cared about us,” Zappoli said. “The program also allows us JV players to have someone older that we can look up to and ask questions to.”

Through the different activities and a new coaching environment, Carter has also brought her own ideas from her past experiences to the team, she said. Carter has helped the players focus on both the small details of the game and the relationships between teammates, she added.

“I’m a big believer in teaching life skills through any subject or activity,“ Carter said. “It’s things like the donation or making a meal for your teammates that remind us all that it’s not all about the game.”