Living the Life: Reflections of a JWU Field Hockey Team Member

I have been on the Johnson & Wales Field Hockey team since my freshman year and am very sad it's my last season because I am a senior. I am a Fashion Merchandising & Retail major and have had my own fashion blog/Instagram since high school. I've slowly started working with brands, and I hope to continue to grow my blog.

Being a part of the Johnson & Wales Field Hockey team has hands down been the best part of my college experience. If any of you who are reading this have the opportunity to play a sport in college or join any other type of organization—seriously, do it—I highly doubt you will regret it.

Being on a college sports team is very time consuming, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything. There can be practices that go longer than planned, long bus rides, doing homework together in the library for study hall, and community service activities. Personally, I love the commitment because I love field hockey and my team so much. Let me briefly explain what an average week looks like for us field hockey girls.

So, Mondays we have a two-hour practice (usually 6-8pm), and we all get a little crazy. On Tuesdays, we have another two-hour practice. Then, Wednesday is game day! Our weekday games are always very competitive. They are against non-conference teams, but they still count towards our record. The weekday games are sometimes played at home, but they can also be over an hour away. If they are away, we leave JWU around 4pm or earlier and sometimes get home after 9pm, depending on the location of the game. Team bus rides are a blast, especially after a win, so most of us don’t mind the trip!

On Thursdays, we always expect some type of conditioning, and then practice. Now, moving on to Fridays, they are usually filled with field hockey for most of the day: team study hall 11am-1pm, rotating community service 2:30-3:30pm, and then practice from 4-6pm. Finally, it’s Saturday! On Saturdays, we always have our conference games, which are super important because they determine playoff rankings. Then, as Sunday rolls around, sometimes we have the day off, and other times we have an afternoon practice. So, now that you get the gist of what an average week’s schedule looks like, you can see the level of passion you need for field hockey to fully commit to playing on a team.

"Being on the field hockey team has given me friendships, memories, and skills that will last a lifetime."

Speaking as a senior, who just played her last ever field hockey game a few days ago, all this craziness is sadly coming to an end. I couldn’t be more devastated about my field hockey career ending because I’ve enjoyed every moment of it so much. Being on the field hockey team has given me friendships, memories, and skills that will last a lifetime.

If any of you are on the fence about getting involved with sports or student organizations here at JWU, I wouldn’t hesitate any longer. Go for it! It may be the best decision you’ll ever make!

Follow Katarina on her Instagram.