“Be a Goldfish:” The Mantra to a Championship

By Alexis Hall, Sports Information Director

YOU READ THAT RIGHT—be a goldfish. For Coach Kayleigh Ferlan and the varsity field hockey team, this became a statement to embody and live by this season. Coach Ferlan states, “A goldfish is the most amazing animal—it has a 15-second memory. Move on, next play, next moment.” However, Coach Ferlan remembers the exact moment. The Bucs were up 1–0 against rival Providence Day, and the bench was counting down from 10 in the fourth quarter of the NCISAA Championship game. As the horn blew, she hugged her assistants Beth Erb and Mary Beth Luxton as her team stormed the field and the dog pile in front of their goal happened in a blink.

Since Coach Ferlan arrived in 2017, her teams, have secured a place in the championship games in 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021, with wins in 2019 and 2021.

She tells her players to “think of the game chunked in 15 seconds. Win every 15 seconds. Win every quarter. Win every half. Making us win every game. This mantra not only helped them clinch the championship this season but has helped lead to victories in seasons prior.”

But it can be easy to harp on a bad play, a missed opportunity. Coach Ferlan has created a strong mentality behind her program, instilling in her players how to let go of these moments and move on.

“We have a very special couple of practices before the state championship every year,” she explains. “We have a Team Olympics, dinner at my house, and we do meditation on the field the night before the championship.” These team rituals helped build leadership and determination, especially for the seniors who helped lead these bonding experiences. “The seniors were incredible this year. Driven, hardworking, and passionate—they all had the same goal and did everything they could do to put themselves in the state championship game.”

For anyone who attends field hockey games, you know that the team has a way of making the mundane feel special, and overall fun. “For most games, I tell a pregame story that has nothing to do with sports (but focuses on other life aspects),” explains Coach Ferlan. “I use stickers and motivational quotes.

“During states, we read a story called “Warm Fuzzies” and we use mini pom-pom balls as warm fuzzies for the entirety of the tournament. We put them in our shin guards and behind the goal cages. It is a reminder that everyone on your team has your back and cares about you.” A championship win against a conference rival is big. But having built mentally strong young athletes who learn from their mistakes, forget them, and move on for themselves and their teammates…well that is a little bigger than anything else, isn’t it?

The instant the horn blared that morning at Providence Day, you could see how cherished that split-second was. It was the only moment where they were not goldfish—they were simply champions and would remember that flash of joy forever, because they achieved it together.