SEMESTER RECAP

As the semester winds down, we’re excited to share what been happening this Spring!

The Spring, we (again) had 6am practices. While most of the Spring has been extremely focused on invidious skill acquisition, we also seen a lot of growth in game play and decision making. Both Goalkeepers and Field Players have focused on refining their fundamental skills in new settings & drills while also touching on some higher level skills. Overall we saw significant developments in each players’ decision making and skill execution!

Instead of individual awards each week, this Spring we focused on shoutouts at the end of each practice. These little huddles gave each player the time and space to positive pinpoint skills and behaviors that their teammates are doing well! We think it boosted our already positive morale and create a forum where each player felt noticed, appreciated and supported the field, us coaches have been working hard and have been on the road looking for future Battling Bishops! In January, Brenda traveled down to Florida for the National Field Hockey Coaches Association Annual Convention which is held in conjunction with the Winter Escape Recruiting Showcase. Roisin joined later in the week and, despite record low temperatures, a lot of positive ground was covered on the recruiting front!

Again, we saw the team really dig in and double down on their work in the weight room! Utilizing a new workout program (which was funded by so many AMAZING and generous donations) each player saw substantial gains! Check out our current leaders for each benchmark category! Special shoutout to Auz who, for the second Spring in a row, is our heaviest lifer for Hang Cleans!

ESPN World of Sports. Each of the events in Florida are pivotal recruiting events to ensure the longevity of OWUFH and were funded through donations from our amazing support network!

Shooting Star Easter in Frederica, DE and ran into OWUFH Alum Mary McCracken! Brenda was back in Delaware just a short week later to attend Shooting Star Jamboree.

We also brought some recruiting to OWU this Spring as we hosted a few great events on campus! Our Junior Day clinic was filled with smiles, laughs and a high level of talent! Our prospects at the clinic showed up and showed out… We know the future is bright for OWUFH!

For the second year in a row, we held our Committed Player Day to introduce our incoming class to each other for the first time! Our Spring Clinic was the next day and was the largest clinic we’ve hosted to date! 41 talented prospected attended the clinic and we are hopeful that you will see a few of them in the Bishop uniform within the next few seasons!

We continued our work with Color a Smile this Spring. Our coloring pages are mailed in and distributed to anyone who needs something to cheer up their day. During the middle of April, the team volunteered at the Bishop Games, a sporting type event for individuals with various disabilities.

We finished the Spring semester with a Championship Dinner with President Rock Jones where the team received their NCAC Championship rings (for the second year in a row)! We were honored to celebrate not only our success during the evening but also the culmination of Rock’s tenure as President of Ohio Wesleyan! Rock Jones will be dearly missed and we are forever grateful for everything he has done for Ohio Wesleyan!

Not only were we able host our Alumni Game this year (and see some great competition)! This year, the OWUFH team brought home the win afer defeating the Alumni 5-0! With the series tied at 1-1, we are looking forward to next Spring to see who will take the lead.

Following the game, we were able to spend the afernoon celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Title IX and honor Dr. Harriet Stewart. Dr. Harriett Stewart was a trailblazer who lef a substantial mark on Ohio Wesleyan and the global field hockey community. During the celebration, a plaque honoring Dr. Stewart at Selby Stadium was unveiled and we hope that you will take a moment to look next time you’re in the stands for a game!