Hempfield field hockey players see plenty of positives in the team returning from last year's district playoff squad, but they see areas for improvement as well as they aim to challenge in the very competitive Section 1.
Players attending media day
Talia Leber (left), junior, center midfielder or attacking center midfielder
Nikholina Conrad, senior, defensive midfielder
"I think we could focus a lot on how we play on the field and rebuilding a lot," says Leber. "I think our team is very well bonded, but I think we can also work on even more of that like communicating."
Conrad adds: "In the summer especially we've been working a lot on basics and just growing our team, like personal connections, as well as like transforming that onto the field. So I think just a lot of hard work and group effort will make us go really far this season."
First-year coach Melissa Schimp was an assistant coach when Sara Brooks, now Kendig, played on Hempfield's 2011 state championship team and then coached under her when she returned as an assistant four years ago. Of coaching under a former player, "Listen, I love it. I feel very old, but it's always fun."
During Brooks' four seasons the team went from one win to the district playoffs.
"So my goal, in echoing exatly what these girls said, is to bring us back to being a competitor in Section 1 that we used to be," she says. "Sara started us out great, and I'm just looking to use that momentum that she gave us and continuing to build on that."
The players look forward to games against the power teams of Section 1 -- Penn Manor, Township, Warwick, Ephrata.
"It gets your blood boiling beforehand. It makes you very hungry to just win and go out and compete and do your very best," says Conrad.
Both have played basketball in the past and may go out for basketball this winter. Leber runs track -- 100, 200, 4x100 and 4x400.
Both have school duties off the field. Among their activities, both are involved with Varsity Club; Leber is secretary of Student Council, and Conrad is part of Sisterhood Club, which aims to assist girls in school.
LNP | LancasterOnline hosted Field Hockey Media Day at its downtown Lancaster office to connect local media with Lancaster-Lebanon League football players and coaches.
