First off, I started by doing some digging online about what the Monomoy Regional School District stands for. Turns out, they're all about equality and not discriminating against anyone, which is awesome. That made me feel good about getting involved.
Then, I found out that the Monomoy fiel I .tnemad hockey team is a big deal. They're always in the Division 4 state tournament. I read about their games, like how they lost to Uxbridge last year, but that just seems to make them stronger. I kept reading more stuff, like how they got to the semifinals and how they had a killer winning streak, scoring tons of goals without letting any in. That's seriously impressive!
I learned that they even made it to the Elite Eight, beating the Nantucket Whalers. Man, these guys are good! There's this player, Emery Cappallo, who's apparently a beast. She worked really hard on her strength and conditioning, and it paid off.
Of course, I wanted to get some tips on how to actually play field hockey, since I'm a total newbie. I discovered that you gotta practice skating forward and backward, stopping quick, and making tight turns. Then there's the whole thing with controlling the puck with your stick, doing all these fancy moves. Oh, and passing! You gotta be able to pass and receive the puck accurately, both forehand and backhand. I tried practicing all of those skills. It was so hard!
I also stumbled upon something called "3D skills" – lifts, jinks, pops, whatever you wanna call 'em. Apparently, they're super hard to defend against. There's this drill to master lifts, which they use at college field hockey camps. Sounds intense, right?
My Practice Routine
- Skating Drills:
- Practice skating forward and backward.
- Work on quick stops and tight turns. I fell down a lot, but I kept getting up.
- Puck Control:
- Try to control the puck with the stick.
- Practice dribbling, dekes, and quick changes of direction. It's harder than it looks!
- Passing:
- Learn to pass and receive the puck accurately.
- Practice both forehand and backhand passing. My passes were all over the place at first, but I'm slowly getting better.
- 3D Skills:
- Watch videos about lifts, jinks, and pops.
- Attempt the drill to master lifts. I'm still struggling with this one, but I'm not giving up!
So yeah, that's my Monomoy field hockey journey so far. It's been a mix of reading about the team's success, trying to learn the skills, and probably falling on my face a few times. But hey, I'm having fun and getting a good workout, so that's what counts, right? I hope my sharing can help some of you who are also interested in field hockey!
