CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - The 2023 Senior Perspectives is the 18th in a series of annual collections. Senior captains and representatives of teams at Harvard have been invited to contribute viewpoints based on personal experience from both their senior seasons and full varsity careers at Harvard.
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Hometown: Essex Falls, N.J.
Sport: Field Hockey
Concentration: Psychology
House: Mather
"Great moments are born from great opportunity…" * Over the past ten years as a field hockey player, I have listened to the Miracle on Ice speech over two hundred times as an inspirational tool to help put me in the headspace to leave my all on the field in the upcoming game – whether I was making decisive plays or cheering from the sideline.
Although this line comes from an amazing ice hockey speech, it epitomizes my experience as a member of Harvard Field Hockey. I remember the day I committed to Harvard, how overjoyed I felt, and then how quickly I doubted myself. "Would I be able to keep up with my fellow students and athletes?" I wondered. "Could I be the player and student that Harvard saw in me?"
While my self-doubt did not dissipate on my first day of preseason, my team's support helped me to grow and become the person I had the potential to be. Harvard Field Hockey became my second family, and like a family, they pushed me to be my best on the field, in the classroom, and in my career endeavors. Field hockey was no longer about the love of the game but also the love of my team.
In February 2021, my world came to a halt. After suffering multiple concussions, I was told I could never play field hockey, or any contact sport, ever again. I have never felt such deep pain in my heart. After hearing those words, I sat in silence for about five minutes before I started to process what that meant. I feared I was going to lose my family, best friends, coaches, mentors, everyone, and everything I had known since I was twelve years old. When I told our trainer and coaches that I could no longer play, I was resigned to the fact that my relationship with the team would never be the same. I would no longer be their teammate – just some girl who used to play.
When Tjerk, Eli, and KK offered me the opportunity to stay on the team, I was overcome with happiness. It was not the opportunity I had originally joined the team for, but my hardship made me truly appreciate what it means to wear the Crimson jersey.
Along with being a Student Athlete Wellness Leader and my team's marketing officer, I put time and effort into areas that as a full-time player, I could not. I became co-president of Undergraduate Women of Harvard Athletics and helped champion a media day for all sports. In the fall of 2021, I asked for a media day for field hockey. Whereas other sports, like football and hockey, received full photoshoots, we were only offered twenty minutes with a marketing intern using her iPhone. With the backing of uWHA, I voiced my distaste and disappointment in receiving that kind of treatment compared to other teams and succeeded in ensuring that all teams now receive equal treatment for media day that all members of the team can participate in. I am grateful for our mentors Erin West and Christian Bray who helped us hold community events and empowered us to make a difference. I was given a space to voice my opinions and was not afraid to ask for the things we deserve.
People always ask me, "Was it worth it? If you could do it all over, would you still put in all the time and commitment?" My answer has and always will be an emphatic yes.
Harvard and Ivy League athletics taught me the importance of being able to balance what is truly important to me. During my time in Cambridge, I developed all sides of myself, from exploring my interests in the classroom and learning about different career opportunities from alumni to physically pushing myself beyond my perceived capacity.
There were tough days, but, in the end, those were the days that made me who I am. The wins and simple games were amazing experiences, but it is the resilience and dedication of going through the hard days that define who I am and what it means to be a Harvard field hockey player. They were the real opportunity that allowed for the great moments.
Over the past five years, our team has skyrocketed with talent and drive. When my class was recruited, we were ranked in the bottom half of all Division I teams. By senior year, we ended our career with two Ivy League championships, our first NCAA tournament win and our first Final Four appearance. We fought for every inch and clawed our way to the top ten year after year.
I am overwhelmed by how proud I am of this team and only have one thing to say to the team I leave behind: "This is your time. Now go out there and take it!" *
*From Herb Brooks's Pregame Speech to his American Olympic ice hockey team before their 1980 Olympic semifinal against heavily favored the Soviet Union
