SPORT / CULTURE / LIFESTYLE

ISSUE 1.1 2013

THAT IS FORGING THE FHRE OF A FIELD HOCKEY REVOLUTION

T H E C H A N G E

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s t r o n g

o n t h e c o v e r

p o w e r f u l

b e a u t i e s

a m e r i c a n

B R I C K W A L L S

r a y e l l h e i s t a n dk a t e l y n

f a l g o w s k i

l a u r e n p f e i f f e r s t e f a n i e f e e

usa

duke

@stefee2

usa

iowa

@lmpfeiff

usa unc

@falgo23

usa

uconn

@rayellerin

We are dynamic, influential, and fun. Spirited by

our free-thinking passion for the game of field

hockey, we are forging the FHRE   of revolution;

catalyzing the creation of a more vibrant   and

comprehensive American field hockey culture. With

in depth reporting and intriguing photography,

we strive to reveal the full depth of   the people,

purpose, and power of sport.   We are rich in detail

and wide in perspective, we encourage creativity in

order to provoke progressive dialogue. We thrive

on diversity; we love knowledge; we aren’t afraid to

think differently. We don’t fear change. We inspire it.

F H R E A S U D D E N O R M O M E N TO U S C H A N G E

4 The Team

5 Letter From the Editor

8 Values

10 Fee: America, Our Bond

12 Feature: A Boy Named Spud

24 A Different View: Change

28 Up & Coming

30 Overtime: Q&A

TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S

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RACHEL DAWSON, EDITOR t: racheldawson8

e: rdawson9@gmail.comi: racheldawson8

LAUREN PFEIFFER, DESIGNERt: lmpfeiffe: laurenpfeiffer17@gmail.comi: lmpfeiff

STEFANIE FEE, WRITERt: stefee2

e: stefanie.fee@gmail.comi: stefee2

e: f ie ldhockeyrevolut ion@gmai l .comi: fhrevolut ion t : fhrevolut ion

w: webs i te i : ins tagram t : twit ter e : emai l

KAYLA SOMERS, WRITER

“I live for the little things in life. For the moments that take your breath away. For my sisters. For sports. For field hockey. For the obstacles I overcome.”

- Kayla Somers

“I sense a vaste yet obscure power within my soul. I yearn to understand it. I create, I write as a means of exploring that unknown.”

-Rachel Dawson

“Because you are made of nothing more than one uniquely wonderful you. Don’t let the world define your beauty, let your beauty inspire the world.”

-Stefanie Fee

w h a t ’ s y o u r w h y

“I love to dream about things that seem unreachable because dreaming is the first step to making the impossible

become the possible.”

-Lauren Pfeiffer

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The Revolution was born on an obscure day in 2010; an unsolicited thought whilst traveling along the road. I was going nowhere special; on a meaningless morning commute. The USA had failed to qualify for the World Cup; for me, playing hockey seemed a futile mission, more a chore than anything else, a fading dream.

To fill the void, I’d taken a coaching job at Princeton University. Someone there gave me a book - a collection of beautifully and intricately woven tales - The Best American Sports Writing of the Century edited by David Halberstam. The words of legends like Red Smith and Gay Talese sang sweet chords in my soul. From that moment on, it became my dream to write captivating stories that brought to life the beautiful places, people and adventures of the game I love.

FH Revolution is rooted in that dream. And it’s with great privilege that we, the FHRE team, welcome you to our inaugural issue. May these pages, and the dialogue they inspire, become our shared exploration into the uncharted and uncovered soul of our game, field hockey.

Perhaps, no one in the world reveals the depths of that soul better than Craig Parnham, Great Britain Olympian, and newly crowned King of American Field Hockey. Craig’s story, both compelling and complex, is sewn together by the courageous fibers of his disciplined approach to self-discovery and evolution.

Parnham’s empower-the-people philosophy on leadership transcends the values that brought FHRE to life. Inclusive and expansive, we thrive on diversity, divergence, and dialogue. We encourage perspective. Ultimately, we hope to connect you, our curious reader, with the vibrant and meaningful layers of life that envelop the game we love. And in making that connection, may we catalyze a new cultural perspective that will forever change the context of our game.

Eagerly and indulgently, I hope you immerse yourself in the digital thoroughfare of this creative adventure. It’ll be fun.

Rachel Dawson

L E T T E R F RO M T H E E D I TO R

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I f y o u w a n t t o m a k e a n a m e f o r y o u r s e l f , i f y o u w a n t t o s e e g r o w t h , t h e n y o u h a v e t o d o s o m e t h i n g d i f -f e r e n t , y o u h a v e t o b r e a k t h e n o r m a n d g e t o u t o f y o u r c o m -f o r t z o n e . C h a n g e r e q u i r e s p a t i e n c e a n d d i s c i p l i n e , b u t c a n r e a p a n i n c r e d i b l e r e -w a r d

C u l t u r e i s t h e w a y a g r o u p o f p e o p l e c o n d u c t t h e m -s e l v e s , w h a t t h e y r e p r e s e n t , w h a t t h e y b e l i e v e i n a n d w h a t t h e y a r e w i l l i n g t o f i g h t o r d e f e n d . I t i s d e c i d e d u p o n a s a u n i t w h a t t h e y w i l l s t a n d f o r a n d b e k n o w n f o r . C u l t u r e i s s o m e t h i n g y o u l o o k t o i m p r o v e , u p h o l d , a n d l e a v e b e h i n d a l e g a c y t h a t o t h e r s w a n t t o b e a p a r t o f .

A n u n w a v e r i n g f a i t h i n s o m e o n e o r s o m e t h i n g ; a n u n w a v e r i n g f a i t h i n t h e t r u t h o f a n i d e a .

C H A N G E

B E L I E F

C U L T U R E

l a u r e n p f e i f f e r

m i c h e l l e k a s o l d

j a c k i e k i n t z e r

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A n o v e r w h e l m i n g l y s t r o n g e m o -t i o n t h a t t a k e s o v e r y o u r h e a r t a n d y o u r m i n d ; i t s o m e t i m e s d r i v e s y o u t o g o a b o v e a n d b e -y o n d w h a t y o u e v e r t h o u g h t p o s s i b l e .

V A L U E S

F u n i s w e a r i n g a s m i l e a n d n o t e v e n n o t i c i n g . F u n i s a f e e l i n g o f p u r e j o y , l i k e y o u w o u l d n ’ t ’ w a n t t o b e a n y -w h e r e e l s e a t t h a t v e r y t i m e .

T h e e s s e n c e o f y o u r i d e n t i t y e x p r e s s e d b y t h e q u a l i t i e s t h a t m a k e y o u u n i q u e

F U N

P A S S I O N C H A R A C T E R

k a t i e o ’ d o n n e l l

r a y e l l h e i s t a n ds t e f f e e

W H AT L I V E S I N T H E H E A R T O F F H R E ?

W o m e n ’ s N a t i o n a l Te a m d e f i n e s t h e v a l u e s o f t h e R E V O L U T I O N

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A M E R I C A , OUR BOND

I will never forget the sight as I watched him slowly fade into the airport’s monotonous commotion. His camouflage uniform boasted the words “United States Army” and attracted glances of admiration coupled with appreciative smiles from every stranger that passed him by. Two years before this day, he recited the Oath of Enlistment and solemnly swore to defend the United States Constitution as a commissioned of-ficer. After rigorous physical and mental training this man was prepared to embark on his first mission out of the country to Afghanistan. His stride spoke volumes of fearless dignity, as he was about to risk his life to defend our freedom. Although grief competed for all of my emotion, pride overwhelmingly succeeded as I remarked under my breath,

His sacrifice inspires me to stand in tall form when the national anthem sounds as I link with my teammates on the field hockey pitch. My brother, Scott, and I have an unbreakable sibling bond grounded in our de-votion to America.

“that hero is my big brother.”

b y s t e f a n i e f e e

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Whether it is on the sandy terrain of Afghani des-serts or the turf fields in Argentina, my brother and I bleed red, white, and blue. We both played pivotal roles in helping each other pursue a career for the American flag. Scott’s assistance grow-ing up is primarily appreciated in retrospect as he marveled in the four-year age gap between him-self and his defenseless little sister. Although his cruel taunting was infuriating, I credit him for the ruthless competitor that I have become. My instrumental part in his life was a little less vio-lent as I became a solid ground of support and an inspiring example of dedication. Together we pledge our allegiance to this country, but more importantly, our loyalty lies in “one nation under

we have been blessed with the opportunity to wear u-s-a on both

of our uniforms even though our boots are laced up for different

battlegrounds.

God.” Our faith in Jesus is the driving force in all that we do and sustains us through our journey of hardship and triumph. Scott’s tattered bible has filled many sleepless nights overseas with a peace that surpasses all understanding, and we each find endless joy in glorifying God’s name through the talents He has blessed us with. Scott and I are truly honored to represent this country, and although our uniforms will one day be retired, the lasting memories, lessons and battle scars will remain forever in our hearts.

Scott’s face was priceless when he spotted our family awaiting his arrival at the end of the pro-longed airport hallway. Everyone in the welcom-ing party could not grip their anticipation, which was very apparent by the ecstatic expressions, leaping bodies, energetic cheers, and tearful emo-tion. However, I stood frozen and emotionless watching him draw near. My response wasn’t in lack of excitement, rather, it was silenced by my awe of him. The freedom I have to live and to love whatever I choose comes at the cost of some-one else’s sacrifice. We all have heroes who fight for our life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness, and in that moment my hero was walking straight to-wards me.

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A B OY W I T H A D R E A M . A M A N W I T H A V I S I O N .

C R A I G PA R N H A M

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It’s an unremarkable Wednesday in the middle of No-vember. The late afternoon sun, unfettered by the wide expanse of wintery farmland sky, darts across Pennsyl-vania Route 283 targeting the large yet shade-less sec-ond floor window of what had been, a mere year past, an old carpet warehouse; flooding the large, white-walled office with light.

In the corner of the office, perched behind a brown desk, Craig Parnham takes pause; turning his brow, almost reverently, to-ward the sun. As he leans forward, his pin-backed shoulders reach beyond the plane of his hands, which rest calmly on the desk. With an eager boyishness, he peers through the window, his eyes shining beneath the brim of a navy blue baseball cap; he seems amazed by something; perhaps it’s the impressive view outside the window; the first office he can call his very own.

Over the past year, the terrain below Parnham’s window has transformed from an abyss of uneven gravel and grass into a pristine field of artificial green. Massive light fixtures crown the magnificent turf, beckoning interest from local travelers cruis-ing along the adjacent Route 283. Beside the turf, the ground is muddy, littered with construction vehicles that hint at another soon to be finished project – the Dome, an innovative fortress that will house the world’s second water-based indoor turf.

a boy named spud

by rachel dawson

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I follow Parnham’s gaze as it drifts away from the field and fixes on a flag in the distance. He pauses: “Cliché as it sounds, everything in America is bigger. The trucks, the roads, the flags. This office. Just looking out this window…I’m amazed.”

Perhaps the surprising ‘bigness’ of America comple-ments what brought him here, the vast vision he yearns to bring to life in the place he and his wife now call home - the Amish farmlands of Pennsylvania Dutch Country, the heart-land of American field hockey, Lancaster County, Pa.

Parnham takes a breath – the boy-like guise vanishes – a somber pragmatism overtakes his long, structured face. He squints forcefully, pursing his lips; a subtle cue to raise my pen. But he says nothing. A second passes, then another. The undecorated office reeks with silence. I begin to think the interview was a bad idea. Perhaps there is no story to tell, not yet at least. Perhaps Craig Parnham, the newly crowned king of American field hockey, is the type of coach who is best let to quietly and diligently go about his work, letting the culture and team he crafts over the next few months and years (and the results they deliver) tell the bulk of his story.

It’s hard to tell with Parnham. There’s something to him that I can’t quite place, a certain subtlety in his manner; ev-ery word he speaks seems of great depth and purpose yet he rarely gives outright answers. Instead, he offers intrigu-ing hints, innovative ways of thinking and analyzing perfor-mance. Those answerless hints, intended to spark creativ-ity and dialogue amongst his players, live at the core of his coaching philosophy.

“The players need to have ownership of their develop-ment. It’s on me to facilitate that growth. It’s not about mi-cromanaging. Its about allowing people to flourish and take ownership of their role.”

That’s a new dynamic for a group of players who hail from University systems where the dictates of Coach are next to godliness. Parnham is keen to see that culture evolve over the next few years. “As a coach, I’m here to develop independent, creative thinkers. I want the players to go out on the field and not need me – I want them to be able to self-manage… to be able to just get on and do. That’s the ultimate for the players, and for me - to be able to fully un-derstand and go out and do it, and not need the coach.”

A coach who doesn’t want to be need-ed, like the most visionary of leaders, Craig Parnham is an enigma; he exudes a quiet yet buoyant charisma; he’s a prag-matic risk-taker; an analytical-dreamer; a rural-raised English kid who fell in love

with the big, bad land of highways, burg-ers and country music across the pond; he’s a traveler who’s crossed America’s thoroughfares, and dually appreciates the remarkable scale of nothingness in her Great Plains, and the vibrant diversity of her greatest metropolises. He’s well-read, well-cultured and well-dressed; yet surprisingly the name that tops his list of greatest heroes, is not Winston Churchill or John Lennon, but “The Hick from the French Lick,” Boston’s own sharp-shoot-ing white man, Larry Bird.

Larry Legend is the perfect hero for a kid who spent most of his life answering to the name Spud. Yes, as in the potato. “For 30 years, I’ve been Spud. I played cricket, and one day an older player called me Spud; it was his idea of a good bit of fun. It stuck, from that day forward everyone in sporting circles called me Spud, even my parents.”

I LOOK FOR THAT IN PEOPLE.

THE ONES WHO COULD DO IT ALL THEMSELVES BUT

INSTEAD INVITE OTHERS INTO THE GAME, AND MAKE

THEM BETTER.

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BUT I KEPT SHOWING UP. I GOT TO THE POINT WHERE I LOVED WHAT I WAS DOING. I LOVED PLAYING HOCKEY.

-CRAIG PARNHAM

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Yet, when he came to America that all changed. Here, we call him Craig – a name, by his own admission, he’s still get-ting used to. “It’s unusual to be called by my actual name,” he remarks. But like his hero, there is more substance to Parnham than the idiosyncrasies of his nickname. Craig, like Bird, is a prolific player turned program leader - a humble performer who crafts greatness from the mastery of the sim-ple, a leader who places people, the mind, and hard work above all else.

His eyes light up when he speaks of Bird. “The charac-teristics he stood for are ones that I admire; in his era, he was one of the most talented people at what he did, and he could have done it all himself, but what he tended to do was bring other people into the play; that to me is selflessness and that is something I look for in people; the ones who could do it all themselves but instead invite others into the game, and make them better.”

Though Parnham romanticizes his hero, his mission as head honcho of American Field Hockey is reminiscent of what Bird did during his career - creating an environment that brings people into the game, and makes them better. Considering where the program has been in recent years, and the challenges that the sport of hockey faces in America, he is aware that it’ll be a tall task:

“This program is in its infancy. We have a ways to go. That’s not uncommon. We are early in our journey. We are trying to do things that are different than what we’ve done in the past. It’s difficult to put a timeline on it. I’m pleased with the progress so far; with the players and how they are inter-acting with each other; they are starting to challenge each other; we aren’t where we need to be yet; there is still a ways to go; but I am going to keep driving for it.”

And there may be no person better in the game to be driving those standards.

Spud fell into the game of hockey by chance. A soccer player at quite a high standard as a kid, his dad’s hockey team was short a player one day. “I was kicking a football around between the two pitches, so they asked me to play, and I did, and I quite enjoyed it,” he recalls.

About a year later, in 1988, his likeness for the game of hockey took on new meaning. It was the first day of Octo-ber; morning had barely broken as the brown-headed boy sat on the edge of the bed, eyes glued to the television as the ruthless goal scorer Sean Kerly – who’d netted three in Great Britain’s semi-final victory over Australia - pound

the ball into the back of the German net. Olympic Gold hung around the necks of the Great British men in Seoul, Korea, and a world away, that brown-headed kid sitting on the edge of the bed in a small English farm town became fated for a life in hockey.

“That was it. That was my hook. From that point on, I wanted to play Olympic Hockey.” Parnham affirms. “And that nev-er waned…That was my dream, and that’s what kept me going. Almost every time I was out running, or during a hard training session, I’d give a match commentary; I’d be playing, and playing well, and then I’d score the winning goal in the Olympic Fi-nal – that was always the dream.”

And Spud, whose career was rife with rejection and injury, never doubted that dream, or his love of the game. His tale, at times grave, is ultimately an uplifting story of fortitude, and grit – of a man’s willingness to calmly, almost matter-of-factly, overcome insurmountable odds.

“My career is unique. I didn’t follow the typical route…I didn’t play an in-ternational cap until I was 27. And that wasn’t for lack of trying…There were quite a few years there where I had peo-ple saying, ‘No you are not good enough. Go away and try again.’ I took a lot of rejection.” He recalls.

“But I kept showing up. I got to the point where I loved what I was doing, I loved playing hockey, and in the end, for me, nothing changed, besides a new coach came in and said, I like this kid, lets take him, and that’s all it was, a new set of eyes.”

The darkest, most uncertain hours of Parnham’s career came on August 5th, 2001 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, when he suffered one of the worst injuries the sport of field hockey has ever seen - a near fatal blow to his windpipe from the

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stick of Pakistani Sohail Abbas. Despite the horrific injury and the countless op-erations that ensued, Spud remained reso-lute in devotion to the game.

“It was one of those things,” Parnham says choosing his next words carefully, “and I don’t mean to downplay it - it was a pretty serious thing and it could have cost me my life - but as soon as you know you are alright which for me was a few days later, you think you just got to get on now to whatever the next bit may be. And for me, it was trying to get back to hockey.”

In those early days immediately fol-lowing the injury, it was uncertain wheth-er ‘ getting back to hockey’ would even be possible:

“In London two weeks later, the night before surgery, the surgeon came into my room and sat at the end of the bed.” At this, Parnham shifts his gaze back to the window. “I couldn’t speak, so I was writing everything down on a note pad. I wrote ‘When will I be back playing, the World Cup is in February?’ I showed it to him. He said I’m not sure if you’ll be back playing again; I’m actually not sure if you’ll ever be able to speak again.’ That was the moment when I thought ‘wow this is quite serious. It stopped me in my tracks.’”

He only stood still for a second,

though. In a courageous decision, Parnham opted for sur-gery to expand his airways, enhancing his ability to breathe (and return to the game) while compromising the strength of his voice. A mere seven months later, the resolute Parnham took the field for England at the 2002 World Cup in Kuala Lumpur - playing on the very same pitch where he nearly lost his life. In retrospect, Parnham says, “Your body is a resilient thing, you tend to forget all the bad stuff and move on pretty quickly.”

Yet, the injury and its implications were serious; return-ing to the game came with significant costs. “Since the inju-ry I’m not sure I ever got back to 100 percent. It was always difficult vocally.” As Parnham’s career carried on, it seemed his childhood dream – the one that had urged him on during adversity, of scoring the game-winning goal in the Olympic Final - slowly slipped away. “That dream never happened; I went to a couple Olympics but never got to a final, and cer-tainly didn’t score.” He chuckles playfully shrugging away the memory of his forlorn dream.

Destiny, though, played its dutiful role, and wrote a new twist in Spud’s story; the analytical Parnham traded his dream-book for a playbook. “I’ve always had an interest in analyzing the game and figuring out how it works and what would make me better as a player. What if I tried that? What would happen? I’ve always looked at the game with an ana-lytical eye.”

That analytical eye has evolved significantly during his 20 years of experience. “There’s a difference between orga-nizing a practice and coaching. I only know that now, from my experience and further education. I’ve been involved in coaching for 20 years, but it’s only the last 10 that I consider myself a coach,” he notes humbly. “The first 10 years, I was still trying to understand people, myself and how I interacted with others; you know the reality is, you still get it wrong…each of your players have different needs and you’ll get it wrong sometimes, and that’s part of my learning and devel-opment; to figure out how to get it right more than I get it wrong.”

In his attempt to get it right, Parnham notes the chal-lenges of his compromised voice:

“When I’m coaching and its windy and there’s noise in the background, it’s difficult to get the message across. There are times when it frustrates me. I’ll be 50 yards away,

HE SAID, “I’M NOT SURE IF YOU’LL

BE BACK PLAYING AGAIN; I’M

ACTUALLY NOT SURE IF YOU’LL

EVER BE ABLE TO SPEAK AGAIN.”

20

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and wanting to deliver a message and I just physically can’t. By the time I get to a player, the moment is lost.”

Ever adaptive, and optimistic, Parnham credits his phys-ical limitations with developing a more empathetic commu-nication style. “It has changed the way I coach. I used to shout a lot, an awful lot. I’ve changed for the better. I tend to be even more reflective; I take even more time before I react to something; I think actually, it has helped me.”

Using an amalgam of methods and resources to contin-ue his personal coaching development, Parnham notes the sometimes-overlooked significance of coaching mentors:

“It’s important to have a mentor, or ally, whatever you’d like to call it, to bounce ideas off, and share best practices. Just vent to sometimes. That’s not always available or seen to be important. It is kind of cliché but coaching is a lonely job.”

And nothing perhaps is lonelier than the role Parnham has taken on in America. Unsurprisingly, he’s undaunted:

“I’ve lived the life of an assistant coach for the past few years; but I thrive on the challenge that comes with leading a program. It’s a totally different job when you take that word assistant off the front of coach. Now every decision comes to you. Everyone comes to you for the answer. It’s a very different dynamic. It’s challenging, and I think that’s the bit coaches enjoy.”

Craig Parnham’s love of a challenge has led him where he is today – perhaps where he was always meant to be - the big corner office in the Home of Hockey at Spooky Nook Sports in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania - America’s new world class field hockey complex.

“When I first saw this building in December of last year, it was a grey, derelict warehouse. I couldn’t quite figure it in my head. It was the biggest building I’d ever seen. To now see where it is and how it has turned out; it’s beyond impres-sive.”

Yet the transformation of that ware-house pales in comparison to the trans-formation Parnham intends for American Field Hockey. The promise of what could be is precisely why the former Great Brit-ain Assistant Coach took the job.

“The job here excited me; the oppor-tunity to work with the players and come to a venue that is truly world class; look-ing at it, I thought we could make a big difference and do something special.”

In coming to America, Parnham had made a difficult decision– with the pro-motion of Danny Kerry to Performance Director of England Hockey, a vacancy was left atop the English Women’s Pro-gram – many thought inherently that Parnham would be the man to fill it.

“I was in GB (Great Britain), and yeah, maybe I could have stayed there and picked up a job, but the challenges there were different than the challenges here. In America it was always going to be tougher. In GB they have an estab-lished structure; great financial support, good programs, great facilities; every-thing is already there. Here, I was start-ing something new; it was a new start for the team; it was all going to be new, and exciting.”

New, fresh, and exciting as it was, the job also came with its obstacles. In his first few months in America, Parnham, who inherited a team that had found itself in relative disarray since the departure of coach Lee Bodimeade, was tasked with two significant challenges - World Cup Qualification and a cross-country reloca-tion.

“It was always going to be a challeng-ing time when I first came in, especially for the players. Since the final whistle in London the players had experienced some significant changes; there was a

THERE’S A REAL STRENGTH AND SPIRIT

AROUND THE GROUP. THEY HAVE A GREAT

OUTLOOK.

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lot of drift, and because of the nature of transition, they had little leadership or direction.”

Within ten days of his arrival, the team departed Califor-nia for Rio de Janeiro to compete in a tournament that had significant implications on World Cup Qualification.

“There was a lot of pressure to come in and immediately get results.” He adds wistfully.

The difficulty of those initial months though gave Parn-ham a deeper insight into the character of his team: “There’s a real strength and spirit around the group. They have a great outlook. They are optimistic; they’ve had some difficult and painful battles in the past that they’ve lost, but the measure of any team is how they come back from disappointment, and this team is really starting to show a great character in those areas.”

Admitting the degree of monotony in elite sport, he adds, “This is a challenging environment; its day to day; and the players keep coming back; each one of them are mo-tivated by something different; yet the vision of being the best we can be, and doing everything we can do everyday to make that a reality is what brings them back, and that makes me smile.” Though smiling and excited, Parnham is clearly hard-nosed about what he was hired to do:

“The short term vision is to put ourselves in a position to start steadily climbing the world rankings. Beyond that, I want to create an environment for the team to be the best they can be. I want this group to reach their potential. In the end, though, it’s for the group to decide what they want to do, and how far they want to take it.”

Creating that environment is no easy task. Parnham puts his values into perspective: “People are the most important part of any organization. In this job you get to decide who you have with you on the journey. The key to anything, any success or failure, is the quality of the people involved.”

Over the past ten months, Parnham has assembled a tal-ented and innovative team of specialists – Dave Hamilton, Sport Science, Nate Franks, Technical Analysis, Jess Hoe-nich, Sports Physiology, Kelly Knapp, and Laura Darling, Team Leadership and Management.

“Everyone brings their level of expertise, couple that with my level of expertise and we can create an environment to maximize potential.” As that environment takes root, it’ll be interesting to see how the program develops. Having re-located, re-organized, and solidified a more ‘robust athlete

agreement,’ Parnham believes he has a structure in place that could lead some-where special. How special that place is remains to be seen. Admittedly, it is ear-ly in Parnham’s tenure. His success as a leader in America will be contingent on his ability to onboard a great many stake-holders - players, coaches and the greater hockey populace alike - to his vision. But that’s precisely the part Parnham enjoys.

“I do like adversity, that’s what keeps you going. There’s going to be a chal-lenge in everything you do…I honestly believe that we will do something special for hockey in the USA. It’s my goal not just to develop 30 players for the national team, but my responsibility as the leader of this program is to create a legacy for hockey in this country. If we can develop good systems and programs that allow coaches and players to develop; and if we can develop an adult presence in the game then I think this could be the most incredible thing any of us could be part of.”

And if I’m being totally honest, I’m happy to be a part of it; a small cog in Craig Parnham’s ever-spinning, ever-an-alyzing, ever-enigmatic, and ever-evolv-ing wheel of a dream. But if, he asks me to accept Larry Bird as my personal sav-ior, I may have to reconsider.

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“this could be the most incredible thing any of us could be part of.”

craig parnham

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A D I F F E R E N T V I E W

“I COME FROM A FAMILY OF FIVE GIRLS. EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US HAS FALLEN IN LOVE WITH THE GAME.”

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Everyone is scared of something. For some people it is spiders, for others it’s heights. My fear wasn’t anything like that. For the longest time, I was scared of change. The thought of anything being different made me sick. I liked living in the moment, not worrying about what the future held. The future meant change, and change meant growing up. I had a problem

with that. I didn’t want to grow up. I didn’t want to fend for myself or leave the life I loved. But, all of these thoughts, worries, and fears ran through my head before I’d been faced with change.

I never really experienced change until this year. For 13 years, everything about my life was the same. I had the routine down. From Kindergarten to eighth grade, I went to the same school, got the same straight A’s, and had the same friends. I live in the small town of Berlin, New Jersey, otherwise known as “The Hockey Town.” Over 50 Division 1 field hockey players went through our town, including what we like to call “the founding families of hockey.” The Bain sisters, the Walls sisters, and of course, the infamous Dawson sisters; who gave us an Olympian. If you are a girl, you know what’s expected of you. You play field hockey.

For a long time, I didn’t know our town’s legacy of field hockey. All I knew was that I loved to play. The feeling of having a stick in my hand and being on a team brought me pure joy. I come from a family of five girls. Each and every one of us has fallen in love with the game. And, whenever I’m bored (me being the oldest of the bunch), I drag one or two of them outside with me and we get a game going (which mostly ends in someone getting hurt or complaining to mom about losing, but it’s good competition nonetheless). From the beginning when all you do is swing your stick and hope that you hit the ball, there was a feeling that you can’t understand unless you play the game yourself. And that’s what I did for seven years. I played the game because I loved it. I loved that feeling. “The Hockey Town” has been, and still is a feeder field hockey program. While you’re there, you learn the basics and some players get fairly good at it. All that Berlin youth hockey is doing is getting you ready for something even bigger. Eastern High School Field Hockey. Playing field hockey there is bigger than

CHANGEthe scary world of

Eastern High School Freshman Kayla Somers on the Growing Pains of Change and the Power of Embracing it

26

life itself. Fourteen consecutive State Titles, consistently nationally recognized, and a national coach of a decade all make it seem a bit intimidating to play there. My older cousin went there before me and I heard all of the stories, the good and the bad. I learned about all the hard work that you have to put in in order to succeed. I knew the day when I would play field hockey at Eastern was coming, but I didn’t really realize it until the day after my eighth grade graduation.

Change hit me like a thousand bricks. And with that change, came panic. I was worried that I wouldn’t be prepared. Our coach, Danyle Heilig, had a lot of expectations for our freshmen group and I was scared that I wouldn’t live up to them. I went against what everyone told me, and I looked back to my days at Berlin. It was easy there. I was captain of the team with my best friend. Two of my sisters played with me. Everything was easier. I never had to worry. I wanted to stay in the past, maybe forever, but there was one thing standing against me. Time. It looked me square in the eye and told me that I couldn’t stay the same forever. A storm of change was on its way and the only thing I could do was prepare.

This summer was entirely field hockey. There was the Future’s National tournament, National Club Championship, and the Disney Showcase. Playing on these stages were amazing opportunities and great ways to prepare, but there was always the thought in the back of my head that there was a much bigger stage that I had to get ready to step on. So even when I had a tournament, I was still running. I tried to eat healthier. I worked harder than ever before. Change pushed me to do better because all that I could think of was how scared I was. Anxiety flowed through me like a river; it was always flowing, pretty much never ending. August 15th was marked on my calender. It was coming and so was high school. The only thing I could do was go along for the ride.

It came. Change hit on a Thursday at 7:30 in the morning. The new turf was laid out. All of the upperclassman were talking and laughing, like nothing had changed since the season before. I took a seat in the corner with all of the freshmen. From what everyone told me since then, we looked like deer frozen in headlights. That’s exactly how I felt. Everything was happening so fast and I couldn’t take it all in.

When we got outside, we were told we had a timed mile run. I was sweating before I took to the start line, praying the whistle wouldn’t blow and that this was all a bad dream. I would wake up and I’d go to school in Berlin and everything would be the same as it had been my entire life. But, the whistle did blow and I did the only thing I could do - I ran.

My heart was pounding, my head spinning, but I found my stride, and during the run, my life replayed before my eyes. Each lap brought another memory, another time where I had overcome difficulties. I

IS THE OLDEST IN A FAMILY OF FIVE GIRLS

WANTS TO BE A SPORTS LAWYER OR JOURNALIST

LONGS TO TRAVEL THE WORLD AND WRITE ABOUT THE PLACES SHE VISITS

IS CONSIDERED FREAKISHLY TALL BY HER FRIENDS

SAYS SHE READS TOO MUCH

AND HER SOUL IS MADE UP OF POPCORN, ICE CREAM AND FIELD HOCKEY

KAYLA SOMERS

THE GIRL BEHIND THE

WORDS:

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saw birthdays, vacations, the beach, the hockey field, graduations, parties. I saw my family, my closest friends, and everything I have experienced. I saw the good and the bad times, as I kept on running. As I approached the last hundred yards, I looked to the stands. I imagined my parents and my 4 younger sisters cheering me on. I saw my closest friends smiling, saying how proud they were - even my enemies were there to watch me. Everyone was there to cheer me on. And as I finally crossed the finish line, I realized something that I never had before - I had accepted change. I accepted the fact that even though things were going to be different, I was going to make new memories and, go on new adventures, and that that is not something to fear, but something to look forward to.

I placed first out of the freshmen. I ran a 7:10 mile, not my best time, but far from the worst. When the whistle had blown that day to start running, it wasn’t just a signal to begin the mile, for me, it was the start of a new beginning. It was the welcome to a new team who has quickly become more like family. It was the start to my high school experience, which isn’t as scary as I thought it would be. It was the start to everything new for me.

Life is always changing. The question is whether or not you can keep up with it. Growing is painful and uncomfortable. But, I’ve grown as a player and as a person. Now, I embrace the future with open arms, ready for change, because change isn’t something to be afraid of. If anything, we must learn how to change. Change your outlook. Change your game. Change your life.

“LIFE IS ALWAYS CHANGING. THE QUESTION IS WHETHER YOU CAN KEEP UP WITH IT.”

kayla somers

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v o l u n t e e rc o a c h

s t e v e n s i n s t i t u t e g r a d u a t e

R e g i o n a l l y r a n k e d s u r f e r

l o v e r o f t h e g a m e

O V E R T I M E

WHY FH?I’m an analytical person and I love the strategy of the game. There’s always more to learn of your-self and your opponent. You can’t just be flashy if you want to win. It’s about flow and rhythm with your teammates, taking the little steps to reach your goal. I’m all about the little steps and small wins.

HOW DID YOU GET INVOLVED?I was introduced to field hockey in fourth grade. I still laugh when I think about playing in my first youth league; for those two years of play-ing, I didn’t know what a goalie looked like and I thought you shot the ball between two cones with-out anyone guarding it...but it was still awesome! I do not come from a hockey family (or even an ath-letic one), but that didn’t stop me. I still joke with my parents that they never saw me play until I was in college, and they’ll be the first to explain how they never realized I was actually skilled enough

to play after high school. But not being pressured into sports or constantly explaining the rules (“Yes Mom, you can’t kick the ball and the goal only counts if the ball is in the big circle thingy”) really enhanced my experience. I was able to make my own decisions about continuing my career in col-lege, and along the way my family embraced my love for the game.

HOW HAS THIS PASSION SHAPED YOU INTO THE PER-SON YOU ARE?I love to explain to people how without field hock-ey I wouldn’t be where I am today. My journey has been crazy especially since I thought my career was over after tearing my ACL in the Regional Fu-tures Tournament my junior year. It was quite the mental challenge. I didn’t think I’d be able to play the same again and thought I blew my chances to play after high school. But there was a school for me that matched up with my career aspirations

t h e p a s s i o n p e r s p e c t i v e

t r i a t h l e t e

K a r a B o r z i l l oQ & A

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e n g i n e e r

WHAT’S YOUR FHRE?After so many hours on the field and years of learning the sport it seems a waste to not share my knowledge and fire with anyone else. It would be great if good competition didn’t end after your final collegiate game; I felt like I was just getting started! There needs to be a better transition after college to be able to play, coach, and be in the work force.

h o b o k e n , n j

s t e v e n s i n s t i t u t e g r a d u a t e

R e g i o n a l l y r a n k e d s u r f e r

N C A A a t h l e t e

C r o s s F i t I n s t r u c t o r

l o v e r o f t h e g a m e

O V E R T I M E

a g e 2 5

and gave me the opportunity to play. I didn’t even know Stevens existed until I received a recruiting letter from a previous Futures coach. I loved my hockey experience at Stevens and it has led me to where I am now.

DO YOU SHARE YOUR HOCKEY STORY WITH OTHERS?I thoroughly enjoy talking about my entire crazy hockey journey with others. It was such a huge part of my life so I love talking about my experiences. You never know who will take what you have to say to heart.

ARE YOU STILL CONNECTED?I play in an indoor league in Morristown, NJ but I want to be more involved. I wish there were more op-portunities for helping with players before college. I spent some time helping with a club team, but I had a difficult time getting to practices without a car.

t h e p a s s i o n p e r s p e c t i v e

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(W) USA FOUR NATIONfebruary 12 - 16Pennsylvania, USAwww.usafieldhockey.com

(W) HOCKEY WORLD LEAGUE FINALnovember 30 - december 8

Argentinawww.fih.ch

(M) HERO HOCKEY JUNIOR WORLD CUPdecember 6 - 15

Indiawww.fih.ch

(M) HOCKEY WORLD LEAGUE FINALjanuary 10 -18

Indiawww.fih.ch

(M) HERO HOCKEY INDIA LEAGUE january 23 - february 23

Indiahttp://league.hockeyindia.org/

EHL KO16-FINAL FOURapril 16 - 21

Eindhoven, Nethlerlandswww.ehlhockey.tv

(M) CHAMPIONS CHALLENGE 1april 26 - may 4

Malaysiawww.fih.ch

2014 (M & W) HOCKEY WORLD CUPmay 31 - june 15

The Hague, Netherlandswww.rabobankhockeyworldcup2014.com/

usaargentinaengland

new zealand

(W)Netherlands

GermanyArgentina

KoreaEngland

AustraliaNew Zealand

ChinaJapanUSA

Belgium**Africa Cup**

(M)NetherlandsBelgiumAustraliaNew ZealandGermanyArgentinaEnglandKoreaSpainMalaysiaIndia**Africa Cup**

UP & COMING: MUST FOLLOW WORLD EVENTS

DECEMBER JANUARY

FEBRUARY APRIL

MAY JUNE

(W) CHAMPIONS CHALLENGE 1april 26 - may 4

Scotlandwww.fih.ch

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Email us at fieldhockeyrevolution@gmail.com We are eager to feature your creativity in our next quarterly issue

twitter : @fhrevolution instagram: @fhrevolution

GOT A STORY? GOT VISION?

GOT PERSPECTIVE?

G E T C O N N E C T E D .

GOT TALENT?

GOT THE FHRE?

IT’S MORE THAN A BALL

AND STICK GAME

F H R E

JOIN THE TEAM

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let the game grow up with you

F H R E