With their heads held high and sticks gripped tightly, the Staples girls’ field hockey team struts onto the turf ready to take their opponent.
Preparation for the game begins the night before at a player’s house where the girls mentally prepare while they load up on pasta and pizza, giving them the necessary carbs and energy for the following day.
The hype continues the second the alarm clock sounds the next morning in each players’ room. It’s game day and the girls will be changing out of their pajamas into either their blue and white uniforms, logowear, a dress or skirt, or an all-black outfit.
“Whether we’re wearing our uniform or dressed up according to a theme, it gets everyone psyched for our game in the afternoon,” captain Elizabeth Coogan ’14 said.
As the school day comes to an end, the girls prepare to take the field. With an upbeat playlist booming “Love on Top” and “Till I Collapse” in the background, warm-ups begin. Finally, after a mix of active stretching, light jogging, and stick drills, the girls begin their routines.
“Our pre-game rituals are extremely important because it’s crucial that when the game starts we’re in ‘game mode,’” Lizzie Cooperstone ’15 said.
The music drops, and Jenna McNicholas ’15 starts up the team cheer at the top of her lungs, sparking one more burst of excitement. “STAPLES ON THREE! ONE! TWO! THREE!” screams McNicholas. The starters then huddle up, breathe in and out in unison, and preach one last word or phrase together before the whistle is blown… “Stay strong,” the girls say simultaneously.
Let the game begin.