After a disappointing six-game skid to begin the season, the field hockey team is heating up in a big way. The Lady Pioneers are on a three-game winning streak, coming off an exhausting two-win weekend, the first of such since 2011. Among these wins was an impressive 9-0 shutout against Lindenwood in which junior midfielder Jessica Chandler had three goals, as well as an exciting 1-0 overtime victory versus Concordia (WI) in which sophomore forward Caroline Patrick netted the single goal in the 75th minute. Additionally, this winning streak is the longest since 2013. The team now sits at 4-7 on the season, a very solid record, and already an improvement over last year.
“I knew coming into the season we had the chance to pick up more wins than in previous years, but that it may take us some time,” said Head Coach Sarah Humphries about the team’s recent success.
This year’s team is very young with an extremely talented crop of underclassmen. Over half of the players are freshmen, and 16 of 19 are underclassmen.
Coach Humphries continued, “As you can imagine, with the youth, we had to get the freshmen up to speed with the level of play and knowledge it takes to play at the collegiate level. That coupled with a chunk of our starters being underclassmen, we had to learn how everyone plays. This takes time and cannot be done overnight. I think our team is starting to understand how each member plays.”
Not only are there many new faces on the field, but there is also a key new player on the sidelines. Former standout at DePauw University and newly hired assistant coach Grace Goodbarn has played a huge role in the team’s success throughout this season.
“I think our team is starting to understand how each member plays.” – Coach Sarah Humphries
“Grace’s knowledge and passion for the game carries over to the girls. This year we have been able to tackle practices differently than in the past, often splitting up attack and defense, and focus on specifics each group needs to improve upon and tweak. This really allows us to be more hands-on with the girls and also help provide more feedback,” said Coach Humphries.
Perhaps the most exciting part of the team’s newfound spark is exactly when it is coming. Only a few games remain before the conference tournament in early November, and the team is gradually improving toward this crucial set of games. The Lady Pioneers seem to be peaking at the correct point in the season, and they will look to build upon last weekend’s success as they challenge Virginia Wesleyan in Harrisonburg, VA on Sunday, Oct. 16.
Greek Series 2: Fraternities have genuine goals
This is the second part of a multi-part series on the benefits and drawbacks of Greek Life on Transy’s campus.
Read Part 1 here.
In the media and entertainment industry, the portrayal of fraternity life is often put in a negative spotlight. The image given to fraternities often emphasizes a supposed culture of partying, vandalism, sexual assault, and more. While it’s not hard to find an instance where a member of a fraternity has been found guilty of mischievous or dull behavior, allowing this minority of Greek students to create a stigma surrounding millions of lifetime members drastically overshadows the true purpose of Greek life. The truth is that each fraternity, both nationally and locally, is different, and you can expect different results from each individual chapter, but they all have one goal: to build better men.
The goals of almost every fraternity center around growing an individual socially, academically, and in leadership. Although fraternities are often perceived as simply being outlets for debauchery and depravity, they are much more than that. They are organizations that push men to be greater citizens, more driven students, and have stronger friendships. Fraternities were founded to develop leaders, and when the Greek process is done correctly, that is exactly what they do. Some of the most successful people in society went through the Greek process, and the list of societally prominent fraternity men carries on and on, ranging all the way from famous actors to your local politicians. Greek students have the ability to be a part of something greater than themselves, and with that, they gain leadership experiences.
Does this mean that all Greeks become legends? Of course not. The truth is that fraternities are, in part, social organizations. They offer opportunities for people to gather and enjoy themselves, and there are occasions where these events must be aggressively controlled. But to me, being Greek is about bettering yourself as a person. A fraternity is about building a sense of companionship and brotherhood with others who have the same mindset. It’s about challenging each other to be better, and holding each other accountable for your actions. It pertains to using your brothers to push you further than you thought you could go, uplifting and supporting one another, and creating a network of friendships that will last you for a lifetime. And while that may sound unrealistic to many non-Greek students, the truth is that many fraternal friendships and networks are maintained well after one’s college years.
After pledging to Pi Kappa Alpha in Fall of 2015, I looked for potential resources I would be offered. I found a large alumni network which was both willing and determined to invest in me, the potential to attend leadership summits, and a group of people with whom I connected. These are just a few aspects every fraternity seeks to employ.
The fraternity experience differs from chapter to chapter, school to school, and individual to individual, but the truth is that the Greek experience can be a life developing tool if taken advantage of correctly.