The varsity field hockey players are working hard this season to win and to accomplish various goals. Coach Provost’s main goal for the season is to get the team to “play like a unit on and off the field.” She described how she wants the team this year to respect and trust one another. Provost states, “The concept of a ‘team’ is so often overlooked by athletes who want to shine and be the team all-star, and I want to build a program of strong athletes all around.”

In order to build up the program this year, Provost has created practice plans which involve daily core exercises. The team also has regular Saturday weight room sessions which are accompanied by game film sessions. The team’s exercise regimen is aimed to make the athletes conditioned so they can be able to perform their best. Provost mentions, “I am always thinking of different ways to inspire my athletes to see their full potential so that my whole program improves.”

This season is Coach Provost’s second year in the head varsity coach position. Her experiences playing field hockey for West Milford High School generated her desire to start coaching. “When I was student teaching in college I heard of the freshman coach position available in West Milford, and I thought that it would be a great way to give back to the community and return to the sport that I loved in high school. Whenever I think back to my high school days, field hockey memories are the ones I think of, and the teammates and coaches made that experience wonderful,” Provost said. She had coached the freshman field hockey team before she obtained the head coaching position. This season she is eager to revise old coaching strategies and techniques, and to work with new players. She describes, “Throughout the summer I worked on solid practice plans and ideas to bring excitement to the team. I want all of the athletes involved in my program to truly love coming to practice and playing field hockey. I want the girls to make friends that will last a lifetime, just as I had experienced.”

Many field hockey players take pride in saying that they are not just a part of a team; they are a part of a family. Previous coaches, such as Coach Bialkin, Coach LaCroix, and Coach White-Cullen, have made sure the team feels like they are a part of a family. Coach Provost is also continuing this legacy. She states, “At practices I try to create drills that improve all different positions on the field- offense, midfield, defense, and goalkeepers; and then at the end of practice there are drills that incorporate all levels, to show the athletes that every position is important and needed in order to reach success. The team holds bi-weekly pasta parties, we have team competition days where all levels (freshman, JV, and varsity) are mixed together and compete throughout various drills and we end with fun skits at the end, and finally, I work to include the youth programs to keep them involved so they can see the growth of the program.” However, the players also have a role in creating this family element on the team. The girls organize their own team sleepover, write each other pump-up notes before games, and cheer each other on during the games. “This demonstrates that they truly enjoy their time together and want to stick together, both on the and off of the field. That is what makes field hockey not just a team, but also a family,” Coach Provost stated.

Good luck to the varsity field hockey team as they continue their season and advance in the County Tournament!