The OHS field hockey team is competing again in the 2023 school year, but this time, new coach Marybeth Dunn is including a focus on incorporating the weight room. 

“My stamina is getting better with her as a coach,” Chloe Housewright (11) said. “I feel like I’m able to do more stuff and play for longer than I previously could.”

Housewright is one of the players whose strength was improved upon returning to the team. 

“It’s (Dunn’s practices) definitely helped my endurance on the field,” Ashton Eschbacher (12) said. “I feel like that’s an aspect that we didn’t really do as much in previous years…It makes it easier to run around, and you can just stay out on the field longer.”

While the girls are working on their endurance, they also work on keeping up with the field hockey schedule. 

“It’s difficult, especially nowadays,” Dunn said. “With staffing shortages it’s hard to get refs…so [there’s] a lot of last minute changes.”

Despite the adjustment to the new flow and schedule of the team, the players are working on remaining positive in the new season. 

“It’s good to bring change sometimes, you know,” Eschbacher said, “bring about different ways.” 

Dunn continues to work on keeping team spirit up as the players get more comfortable with the differences in the field hockey team. 

“…It’s just a matter of being flexible and letting it roll off our backs and not letting it get us down,” Dunn said. 

Even with all of the change this year brought to the field hockey team, the girls still work at maintaining their sport and their team. 

“I just love being part of a team, I love working together with people and getting to know people, making friends through sports,” Eschbacher said. “It’s so cool—that connection that you have on the field—and I just love that aspect of it.”