Central’s true road warriors
Life on the road will only get tougher for the field hockey team as the season progresses.
The Chippewas have played their first eight games on the road and will play five more away from Mount Pleasant, before playing their first home game Oct. 22.
The main concern for coach Cristy Freese is the team will struggle with all the school missed.
“This time of the season is when players start having tests in their classes,” Freese said. “When we go on the road during the week they miss class all day and when we play on the weekend, we have to leave on Thursday.”
Athletes leaving for road trips and missing class is a common thing. Senior Amy Kauffman said most professors understand.
“Some professors are nice, but a few aren’t as cooperative and let you make up assignments or quizzes and tests,” Kauffman said. “It is hard to focus on getting homework done on the road.”
The team won the National Field Hockey Coaches Association National Academic team award last season and had 11 players named to the national academic squad.
“My main concern is that players will start to struggle academically,” Freese said. “I give them extra time to study and usually will cut some practices short so they have more time for school.”
Central’s longest road trip of the season was to Iowa City, Iowa where they beat Stanford 5-1.
The team will take a bus to every away game this season and the long trips are often mind-numbing.
Players try to do homework and study to stay on top of their classes to pass the time. Others will play cards, watch movies or listen to music.
Getting quality sleep is one thing players do not do well, as they spend each night in a different hotel as they travel from one site to another.
This past weekend the team left Friday to play Ball State Saturday and then traveled to Columbus, Ohio to play Ohio State Sunday.
“You can never get a good night’s rest in a hotel,” Kauffman said. “It’s better to sleep in your own bed and go to class like normal on the day of a game.”
When the Chippewas return home from a long road trip, they have a day to themselves to get caught up. Kauffman said one day is only a small portion of the time a player needs to catch up.
“We usually have Sundays off to catch up on a week or two worth of homework, but that one day isn’t enough,” she said.
The team has played with a positive attitude and approached every road trip focused and ready to play.
“It is hard being on the road sometimes, but we try not to let it play to our disadvantage,” said sophomore Erin Dottery.
Being away from Mount Pleasant so much this season has taken its toll on players, but it is the only opportunity for them to play until the new field hockey complex is finished.
“Personally I never get tired of playing on the road,” said Kristy Reed. “It is the only way we can play right now and I want to play. I just roll with the punches.”
