Last week on Thursday, our Varsity Field Hockey team hosted a special field hockey clinic for Lower School students at MICDS, an event that has been conducted for several years now. «The goal of the clinic is to offer the field hockey girls an opportunity to share the game that they love with younger students,» said Lynn Mittler, Head Varsity Field Hockey Coach, JK-12 English Department Chair, and Upper School English Teacher. Over 70 student-athletes participated in the clinic as the Upper School athletes were able to welcome new students to the game as well as connect with young players who have already started their field hockey careers. For all, the varsity and junior varsity athletes were able to showcase where the field hockey path leads to at MICDS. «Additionally, we were thrilled to welcome so many boys to the clinic,» said Mittler. «Internationally, field hockey is enjoyed by both men and women, and we hope that grows in the United States.»
Co-Captain Ella Brauer ’24 led the Steal the Bacon game for the second through fourth graders. She had a lot of fun witnessing the growth of the students in their time together. «I think my favorite moment was watching the kids become progressively involved in the game as the stations rotated and the game progressed. Kids would go from being shy and scared to getting involved in the game at the beginning and asking me to call their number so they could go over and over again,» she said. «It was also a testament to the beauty of the sport of field hockey and testified to the welcoming nature of the MICDS field hockey program. I really hope that this clinic left a lasting impact on the kids who attended and set the stage for the future of MICDS field hockey. These kids are the future of such a great program, and I really think that letting such young kids see field hockey for the awesome, team-building, welcoming sport and program it is here at MICDS will do nothing but strengthen our program and draw more interest in the program as a whole for the future.»
A few weeks ago, the Varsity Field Hockey athletes welcomed Middle School players to the field to do stick work together. Over 65 field hockey players came together that day. «I really value any time we can come together as a community. Our Varsity and JV players so love being with the younger students, and I think the Beasley students like to be with the big kids,» said Mittler. «One of my favorite moments was a young man who said that he had never played before. I assured him we would help him out as did his classmates, and it was wonderful that he trusted all of us.»
Another top moment from the Beasley Field Hockey Clinic was shared by Ellie Lochhead ’24. «My favorite time during the clinic was at the very beginning when all the kids came running down the hill with huge smiles on their faces,» she said. «It made me so happy to see how excited the kids were to play field hockey. I hope that our clinic helped the students realize that the field hockey program and even just the community at MICDS is a safe, fun space where you are encouraged to step out of your comfort zone and take risks. I hope the kids felt encouraged to continue to try new things because you never know how much fun you’re going to have. I was surprised by the confidence of the kids. I thought that they’d be a bit shy at first and hesitant to participate, but every single kid jumped right into the drills and just had the best time playing and socializing with the high schoolers. This was such an amazing experience for all of us as well because we were able to make an impact on the future generations of MICDS field hockey.»
Thank you to everyone who helped make the clinic a success! «I’m so grateful to my Beasley colleagues for all of their help in organizing this great day for our community,» said Mittler. «I was thrilled to see the leadership from our players and their care and concern for their younger friends.»